Battery charging

[JamesL]

During the periods when the car is sat it's plugged in to a battery conditioner

This week I did 2.5 hours, 1 hour, 1 hour and 3 hours driving with very little turning off of the engine. Yesterday I went to start the car from cold and there was insuffucient juice in the battery to start her up

Stuck a battery charger on for an hour and it sparked up first time. So I am thinking that while driving, my battery is'nt getting the power it should. Certainly a couple of times lately when starting from cold I have revved the car and heard a little belt slip....

Could someone please point me in the right direction regarding putting a meter on the alternator (ie before the battery)

Thanks

[graphic66]

Just put a voltage meter on your battery, it should read around 11-12.5 volts +- while not running and after you start the car it shoud come up to 13.5-14.5 volts. Also turn your key to the run position before starting the car, the charging lamp on the dash should light up. If the charging lamp is blown or has a bad connection your alternator will not charge. Also check your battery cable connections. Take them off at the battery and clean them, if they are not clean your battery cannot get charged. Many times it is something simple, but you could also have a bad alternator, battery, or voltage regulator. Eliminate your other possible problems first.

[ja17]

Also perform the above voltage test with some load, like the headlights and heater fan on and with the engine running. The voltage will be a little lower but should not fall off below 12.5 volts.