Alternator testing

[OldRedFord]

Today I took the alternator I saved off the parts truck and had it checked out.

They said they could not load test it because of it being externally regulated.
Should I have taken my voltage regulator with me?

[fordman]

i would have. but that kind of sounds like a bad excuse. but maybe they are right.

[fitzwell]

don't know who "they" are , but i think i'd take it to a shop that knew what they were doing. That unit can be tested without the regulator.

[OldRedFord]

Took it to one of the local Oreilly auto part stores.

[72Highboy]

Thats a load . I have taken all my alternators to Autozone and O'Reilly's both the machines are the same and they dont need the voltage regulator to test them. Why should I know because I have stood next to them every time they have tested my bad and good alternators.

First thing they should do after you ask them you want your alternator tested is, they ask you your specs on you truck year,make,model,engine size when they do that they pull up 4 numbers to punch into the machine that allows the computer to know the proper circuit and harness plug.

After they punch in that number the testing machine tells them what alternator harness plug they grabed and tells them where to hook the wires. Certain color to ground stud, certain color to feild stud, cetain color to stator stud, and certain color to battery stud.

After all wires are properly hooked up they find the right size belt and will close the machine lid and press acouple more buttons which tells the computer what they are wanting it to do Test, Load, and I think it tests the Diodes but i am not certain.

The machine will start up and do its buisness and tell you if there is some thing wrong in words like these that come up on the screen. PASS in Green or FAIL in Red I also think its says faulty which they will usually tell you its not fully bad but its not working.

The guy either didnt want to test your alternator or to lazy or didn't know how to work the machine. Dont quote me action for action but the next time you find yourself testing your alternator watch what he does or ask him the process. I think I am pretty darn close.

[Thunderfoot]

even with the older machines they can test without your Voltage Regulator... they should have been able to test it fully with a load and all on the machine. Did they say anything else?

[OldRedFord]

No they did not say anything else. What 72 described is how the guy did it. The three green boxes on the screen lit up.