[alfa] voltage indication at startup

[Pottree@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 5/20/2004 7:53:24 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:
Over the past several weeks I've noticed that it usually takes a
slight
> tap on the accelerator in order to make the charging indicator light turn
> off after starting my 164. When this first started happening the voltage
> meter on the dash would indicate ~12v (after starting, but before
revving),
> but lately it has dropped into the 8v range. 
It's tempting to say they all do this, as well as close to true. Fred D 
always said that this usually indicated something in the indicator system loop, 
such as a bulb, had tarnish on the connection or was replaced with the wrong 
part, and after the field collapsed the line voltage to the indicator was 
temporarily insufficient for an almost-accurate reading.  The revving, in this case, 
does nothing about the actual charging condition, only about the 
already-questionable reading you're getting in the cabin.  To find out where you stand, you 
need to measure the actual voltage.  Fred had a homemade way involving a 
couple of hunks of wire and a lightbulb, and I think an electronic multimeter, but 
you can also just go to a garage or even Sears battery dept.  if you don't 
have the inclination to this yourself, and find out your actual charging voltage. 
 Of course, the voltage is absolutely key on all the later 
(computer-controlled) cars; if the voltage is too low (below 12.5 in most cases), the computer 
will not work.  If it is marginal, the FI system can also be marginal or 
intermittent as a result.

BTW, I went through a check on the 164 and found that the indicator on the 
dash is consistently showing 1 volt lower than a real meter at the terminals 
indicates, so when I was concerned the charging voltage was somewhere between 12 
and 13 (a little low) in fact it was very close to the ideal, which I think is 
13.6v.  If you find it is truly 8v, you are not going to have any luck 
starting the car.


Moral: who are you going to believe, me or your own eyes?

Charlie
LA, CA, USA
91 Spider
94 164LS
84 GTV6
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