Alternator not charging battery..HELP!

[Cabriolet]

^ if you still have the itch next year i may let my car go.

and gratz dude on getting the issue solved.

[daytonaviolet]

^ if you still have the itch next year i may let my car go.

asome vert... would love to see it one day

[lovug653]

The other day I took out my cluster to change gears. My car did not charge. There is a signal from the cluster to the alternator which tells the alternator to charge the battery.

[tfritz]

So...Im having charging issues AGAIN!..while driving around last night I started loosing power. First the radio, then dim lights, then head lights cut out, but the car still ran. Charged the battery this morning, started it, and only get 11volts, so that would mean the brand new alternator is not charging the battery. BUT, I notice the battery light on the cluster does not light up what-so-ever. What is the problem here? I get about 10v when hooking a voltmeter to the 'exciter' wire on the engine side of the wiring harness.

[Gregs///M]

How old is the battery?

[Gregs///M]

Measure voltage output at the alternator while the car is running. Be careful tho. Should be 13.5 minimum.

[tfritz]

Battery is less than a year old. With car running I tested the voltage at the battery where it should read around 14v and it read 11v

[Gregs///M]

What's the voltage at the alternator?

[tfritz]

Do I test from the large post on the alternator to ground?

[tfritz]

Think I found the problem. Appears that one of the bolts holding the voltage regulator in has come out. So much for good quality parts anymore lol.

[Gregs///M]

Yup, from the post holding the thick alternator cable that runs to the starter to any chassis ground point.

[tfritz]

^I was testing that and only got 11v. Thats when I saw the loose voltage regulator.

Thanks for all your help!

[Gregs///M]

Yea, the problem is local to the alternator. GL