I'm getting a low voltage reading on my battery meter on my instrument panel. I pulled the alt. and had it tested and it's o.k. I pulled the battery and it also tested o.k. Is there something else that is making it go in the red. It happens when I've started the car a couple of times and when it's been driven. Please any info is appreciated.

 

I have had this same issue for the past month and I fixed it last night Check all your grounds, some may have corrosion or are not on bare metal (paint) clean them all up, double check your connections and you should be golden. Mine were so bad I replaced an alternator and battery in the past two weeks and all I had to do was clean up the existing grounds.

Good luck!

 

yes check all the connections and if youve still got a problem take your alternator and battery to another auto parts store to have them tested, sometimes they do not know how to test them depending on the person

 

So check all of my grounds around where the battery is located. Where is the main ground? I had the alt. and battery tested 3 times with 3 different places and was told that they were ok. It seems to be okay when just started once or twice but when I've driven it a long time it starts going into the red. Maybe it's my starter? I haven't checked that yet. Would that create a drain on the system if it was going? Thanks for any replies or advice.

 

No, the starter is out of the picture after it cranks the engine.
Those meters don't mean much.

Are you having any problems when you crank it? Like slow cranking or clicking?

I suggest you check all the connections including the grounds above the starter and near the ICM. Check the ones you looked at before and don't forget the positive cluster on the passenger fender. Be sure all are shiney metal, clean and tight not fraid or broken.

Put a VOM across the battery with engine running but NO accy's on. Read the DC voltage. Should be close to 14 VDC.

Now turn on everything you can think of, lights on high beam, blinker on, either A/C or defrost, fan all the way up, stereo on and have someone hold the brake pedal down. Measure the battery voltage as before and let us know what it is.

Now do one last thing for S@#T's and grins, measure from the output connection of the alternator to the ground terminal of the battery with the meter set to AC voltage and see what it reads. Let us know if it's higher than 0.03 VAC.

Check back after work
Dave

 

Thanks guys for the replies. What is a VOM? Where can I get one? It starts ok. Kinda hesitates after a couple of starts and driving it. I'm going to check my grounds today and I'll get back with what I found. We recently had a lot of rain here and I noticed it started happening right around then. Do you think it might be my opti? In my 93 I was getting the same problems, slow starting, low voltage etc. And in like within a month the opti crapped out.

 

VOM=Volt, Ohm, Meter. IOW, a meter.

 

Oh, oK thanks. I looked at my grounds and they do seem a little dirty looking. I'm going to clean them off today and make sure they are ground to raw metal. I'll let you guys know Sunday how it went...and thanks for the help