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Is my alternator going out?


Ok, so, today I went out and did some poking around.

I decided the first order of buisness was to get is running and see how much the alternator was putting out. So, we go out to jump it, and it wouldn't start. The starter just clicked at me all day long. So we ended up push starting it.

Once it was running, there was no battery light like before. So then I check the voltage, and I'm getting 13.8-14 volts. So it looks like the alternator is putting out enough voltage for me to make the drive home.

Lastly, I took the battery out, and cleaned up all the corrosion (Which was BAD). Now I'm going to take it to a parts store and have them check it.

Now, I have three questions. First, did I mess up my starter, or do I just suck at jumping?
Second, is that voltage normal for the alternator, or is my regulator done for?
Third, would it be safe to drive the 100 miles back home? Because I've heard that driving on a dead battery will fry your alternator.
 
Starter is fine. That's normal for not having enough power, and jump starting won't always do the trick. Remember that the boosting vehicle is trying to meet it's own needs and boost the dead one. There isn't always enough to go around.

That sounds a bit high, but may be normal since the battery is dead.

100 miles should be ok, but yes, driving around regularly with a dead battery will run the alternator full bore trying to charge it up. As with anything else running it full bore for an extended period will wear it out prematurely.
 
jump the truck to get it started. then remove the positive wire from the battery, if the truck dies you have a bad alternator plain and simple.
 
jump the truck to get it started. then remove the positive wire from the battery, if the truck dies you have a bad alternator plain and simple.

That is not recommended for any fuel injected vehicle. It can damage the engine computer.
 
true statement Adsm08 not good for electronic auto's . hopefully when you tried to boost your B2 you connected the ground to a motor or body ground and not the battery. when you go battery to battery the charging car is trying to charge the dead battery. always go ground to motor or body. no insult intended if you are aware of this already.
 

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