Driving home in my 88 gxl the other day the voltage started dropping. I figured the car would die so I got as close to a parts store and parked it. Car wouldn't restart, totally dead battery, so I bought a new one. Car started fine but voltage was only at 12v. Limped it home and replaced the alternator. The new unit only read 12v at the post while running. Brought it back and after testing it out of the car it showed it was dead. Got another alternator and that one we tested before I left the store. This one tested fine and when I put it in the car everything looked ok, idiot lights all lit and I had 14v while running. Shut it off and it returned to the previous problem, only 12v and only 3 of the idiot lights come on before I start it. Before I took the alternator out I wanted to double check voltage and when I started the car everything was fine, shut it off, restarted, back to 12v. Took alternator back it's dead too. Question: Any chance my car is killing these altenators or are the remanufactured ones so bad that two dead ones are the norm.

ps when the car first died the battery light never came on..although it lights up when the alternator was showing good voltage.

 

ny car runs at 14v's too, i havent had any problems yet!! does anyone elses 7 run at 14v?

just figured id ask!! =p

 

more than likely:

#1 you are using rebuilt instead of remanufactured alts. (rebuilding only repalces the bad parts, remanufacturing replaces anything that wears)

#2 you may have installation problems with the alts

remember belt tension must be to factory specs, as over tightenting the belt will result in early failure of the alt.

And when working on the alt, the battery must be disconnected, with the negitive lead disconnected first and reconnected last.