+ ammeter + idiot light

[OPELFIEND]

Did a search, couldn't find specifically what I need. My ammeter is going from 0 to + 4, idiot light coming on at about 2000 rpm. Higher the rpm, higher the ammeter goes. Just happened all of a sudden. Car has a 65 amp altenator, I think, from the PO. However have put 3000 miles on the car, no problem. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks, Dave

[guyopel]

Check wires at Alt. and be sure to check and test ground at Alt.
Check the Alt. belt , that it's adjusted correct and not worn. HTH
John

[heimue]

That is a pretty strange description.
1. What are the units on your amp meter? A regular amp meter should go from minus 30...50A over zero (at center) to about plus 30...50A.
2. When you put on your ignition and the engine is not running, the amp meter shows a negative value. Power gets drawn from the battery. You start the car, the amp meter needle goes way left, the starter drawn lots of power from the battery.
3. After the engine is running, the amp meter should go to the plus side into a range of +10A for a short time. The battery recharges the high amount of power drawn at starting.
4. After recharging, the amp meter should drop to just slightly into the plus side (plus 1...2A), for regular charging operation.
5. The "idiot light" is on as long as the amp meter is in the negative area, when the battery does not get charged.
6. With engine running, if the generator does not deliver enough power to serve all electrical circuits, power from the battery gets drawn, the amp meter goes into negative, idiot light goes on. That can happen because the generator or voltage regulator are bad, and specifically at low engine speeds if you have too power-hungry lights or stereo, or if your belt is worn or lacks tension. The idiot light should never be on when the amp meter shows a positive value.
7. Quote: "Higher the rpm, higher the ammeter goes". That is understandable only in the negative range, but unlikely in the positive range if higher than plus 3A. It can be explained only by a damaged battery, that can be "virtually-charged" with a high current, but can not contain the charge.

Based on all this, could you please re-evaluate and re-phrase your exact situation?

Dieter

[opelgtmaster3]

your voltage regulator might be bad. the same thing was happening to me, and i changed out the regulator and it was fine after that.

[OPELFIEND]

7. Quote: "Higher the rpm, higher the ammeter goes". That is understandable only in the negative range, but unlikely in the positive range if higher than plus 3A. It can be explained only by a damaged battery, that can be "virtually-charged" with a high current, but can not contain the charge.

Based on all this, could you please re-evaluate and re-phrase your exact situation?

I did leave the parking lights on about two weeks ago and required a jump. THe battery has been working fine, but I do show a charge larger than normal since then. Could the battery be damaged by this? It was dead as could be, but I haven't had to get it re-charged. The car starts and runs fine. Is this what you mean by "virtually-charged"?

[tekenaar]

This happened on my Kadett, which also has a 50 AMP alternator, in the last ~30 miles on the way back from Carlisle and I did all the things mentioned above except for checking the 3-wire connector at the alternator itself. Nothing worked until physically removing and re-inserting this plug into the alternator a couple of times!

Since this plug ends up at the very bottom of the alternator when mounted on engine, makes sense that it's likely to get wet from road spray there from time to time, perhaps leading to some corrosion over time! It's definitely my FIRST! check next time, if ever I run across this problem again.

[OPELFIEND]

Thanks Otto! That seemed to take care of it. I dont understand it, but it worked! Thanks for all the responses gentlemen. Dave

[heimue]

I did leave the parking lights on about two weeks ago and required a jump. THe battery has been working fine, but I do show a charge larger than normal since then. Could the battery be damaged by this? It was dead as could be, but I haven't had to get it re-charged. The car starts and runs fine. Is this what you mean by "virtually-charged"?

That can be a start of this situation. Completely draining a lead battery damages it. Think of the battery like a water bucket with a little hole in the bottom. "Charging" it would be to fill it up again when its not completely full. If nothing is taking out any water, you just have to fill up a few drops to balance natural evaporation. If it has a hole, it needs more water (amperage) to keep it filled, and once filling (charging) stops it will empty out faster than normal. The worst case is a shorted out (collapsed) battery, compare it to a bucket without bottom.

Dieter

[tekenaar]

That can be a start of this situation. Completely draining a lead battery damages it. Think of the battery like a water bucket with a little hole in the bottom. "Charging" it would be to fill it up again when its not completely full. If nothing is taking out any water, you just have to fill up a few drops to balance natural evaporation. If it has a hole, it needs more water (amperage) to keep it filled, and once filling (charging) stops it will empty out faster than normal. The worst case is a shorted out (collapsed) battery, compare it to a bucket without bottom.

Deter

Good advice . . . but have to wonder about advice from someone who can't spell his own name, Dieter!! . . . or were you trying to deter him from a solution perhaps?

[tekenaar]

Thanks Otto! That seemed to take care of it. I dont understand it, but it worked! Thanks for all the responses gentlemen. Dave

Since you're the author, want to mark this problem "resolved" then, Dave?

[heimue]

Good advice . . . but have to wonder about advice from someone who can't spell his own name, Dieter!! . . . or were you trying to deter him from a solution perhaps?

At least I didn't make it "Deiter"

D - i - e - t - e - r