Okay, a couple of days ago while driving I noticed my volt reading on the dash gauge was reading low, just under 12. Usually while driving the gauge will fluctuate with your driving. Except now it stays just under 12 consistantly. I noticed in particular at this voltage my windsheild wipers run very slow. The car drives normal. I'm running the A/C and gunning it like normal. None of my idiot lights have come on. It has been really hot here @ 95.

Can someone help me out with what they think is wrong?

 

check the voltage with a digtal Multi-meter, if it really is that low, your alt is starting to die or you have bad connections (either the ground to the engine or alt connections).

 

Where would I check the voltage?...on the battery? What should it read?

I've got 8 ga ground wires going from my battery + to the alternator and one on my - to my chasis. Where else?

I'm gonna tighten the belt on the alt tonight and see if that helps. How would I know if a bearing is going out on the alt, would it make any noise?

 

There was no noise on mine... and mine just went out last week. The voltage gauge read just under 12... then the next thing I knew... my radar detector was going off saying "Warning Low Voltage"... about 3 minutes later... the car just died, and my alarm system was going off.

 

You would first check at the battery with the engine running and then at the alt with the engine running. The voltages sholuld be almost identical (no more than .01 difference).

remember if you over tighten the alt belt, that it can waste the alt, faster than the belt just slipping. If you tighten the belts always do it by the factory deflection specs.

Timewolfs situation was just a completey dead alt and the car running on the batt.

 

clean your terminals and terminal adapters. My voltage was always a bit low, then I bought a cleaner brush for both at the hardware store, bam, voltage is always about 13.

 

Well I took my alternator off last night and ran up the street to get it checked out. It was dying it was only putting out 11.5 -12 volts. Luckily they had one in stock and now my cars volt gauge reads normal. Yee ha!

Thanks for the help!