Failing to maintain proper voltage after replacing the starter the alternator and the battery
One week ago I replaced my starter that had failed since then I started having voltage issues so I had my battery tested and it was a bad battery I also had my alternator tested turned out to them it was a blown voltage regulator so I replaced my alternator and my battery why does my voltage meter only read 9 – 10 volts and it's still drops lower and lower and lower now my car is having a hard time starting please help me. Upon starting my car after replacing all these components the voltage meter never read above 9 or 10 volts and It hesitated to start even with the new equipment in the c
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
It sounds like you may still be having problems with the voltage regulator maintaining the proper voltage. When the voltage regulator is not working properly, this may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In some cases when a battery is too weak or damaged, it may no longer hold a charge for any length of time, in which case the alternator may be doing its job, but the battery is just simply too weak to hold a charge. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
Bad Spark Plug Or Broken Distributor Cap/Rotor
If you have a good battery and enough fuel in the gas tank and your car still won`t start, chances are you have a bad spark plug. Why? A bad spark plug will prevent fuel ignition, and the vehicle won`t move.
But a faulty solenoid that fails to make adequate electrical contact inside can also produce this tell-tale sound causing the battery to have low voltage unable to provide enough power to start your engine.
Charging problems can be caused by electrical faults in the alternator or voltage regulator, poor wiring connections at the battery or alternator, or a slipping or broken drive belt. Since most late-model import alternators are internally regulated, a failure of the regulator means the alternator must also be replaced.
Checking at the battery
Work the starter switch, and the reading should fall, but not below 10.5 volts. If the reading does not fall, there is a fault in the ignition-switch circuit or in the solenoid. If the reading falls below 10.5 volts and the starter turns slowly or not at all, the battery is probably flat.
So can a bad starter drain your battery? The short answer is: Yes, it can. It could also drain the battery even faster if you repeatedly try to start your car with a faulty starter. A faulty starter is also one of the leading causes of battery overcharging.
The processed power is then passed on the car battery for functional and non-functional power delivery. All of this is made possible by the connection of the alternator with the engine by an active drive belt and the engine pulley. It`s the starter that engages with the alternator to deliver power to the car battery.
If your starter relay has gone bad, the electrical signal will never make it from the battery to the starter motor. As a result, your engine won`t turn over – no matter how many times you turn the key. A faulty relay often produces an audible clicking sound when you turn your car.
One of the most common problems you`re likely to experience with an alternator is a failure in the bearings. There are needle bearings in the alternator that allow the rotor to freely spin inside the housing, and those bearings can break down over time as a result of exposure to heat and dirt.
What Causes a Car Battery to Keep Dying? Some of the most common reasons for a car battery to die repeatedly include loose or corroded battery connections, persistent electrical drains, charging problems, constantly demanding more power than the alternator can provide, and even extreme weather.
Bad Sensors
One common culprit for this problem is the crankshaft position sensor, which measures the position and speed of the crankshaft. The computer uses the information from this sensor to know when to fire the spark plugs. If the sensor isn`t working, the spark plugs won`t fire, keeping the engine from starting.
Bad Fuel Pump
Modern cars require a highly pressurized fuel distribution system in order to get the fuel into the engine block. If it sounds like your battery and starter work fine, but the engine just isn`t igniting any fuel, there`s a good chance that the engine lost fuel pressure.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Failing to maintain proper voltage after replacing the starter the alternator and the battery
ANSWER : It sounds like you may still be having problems with the voltage regulator maintaining the proper voltage. When the voltage regulator is not working properly, this may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In some cases when a battery is too weak or damaged, it may no longer hold a charge for any length of time, in which case the alternator may be doing its job, but the battery is just simply too weak to hold a charge. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
installed new alternator and battery the alternator is charging the battery and the battery is maintaining afull charge but the ba
ANSWER : Hello. If the battery and the alternator are new and if it is verified that the alternator is charging then you have an issue with programming. When you replace the battery on this vehicle the computer needs to be reprogrammed to recognize it and to properly charge it. If this is not done then the computer will not turn on the alternator at the correct times an this battery light will come on. You need to have this programming done by a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, who can come to you to [program the battery into the computer] https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/battery-light-is-on-inspection
Car battery light is on replaced alternator battery and starter and battery light is still on.
ANSWER : You may have a failing voltage regulator that could be allowing the alternator to supply too much or too little amperage to the battery resulting in the battery never maintaining a consistent charge as it is designed to. The voltage regulator is a unit that regulates the charging of the battery by the alternator. When the voltage regulator is not working properly, this may result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. A common sign of this is usually the acid inside the battery boiling causing the battery to swell. You may also smell a bit of smoke due to things potentially getting too hot. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
is the ecm the problem if battery light is on and the alternator isn’t bad
ANSWER : This is likely a sign of a failing voltage regulator. This is a unit that regulates the charging of the battery by the alternator. In your case, it sounds like the voltage output from the alternator may be much too high resulting in overcharging the battery and burning up wires in the process. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and properly test your vehicle’s charging system.
I got a F350 Diesel I put a alternator on a new starter a new starter relay and new alternator and the starter stays engaged with
ANSWER : Check the wiring on the starter to the ignition switch and see if they are crossed on the solenoid of the starter. If the wiring is crossed, the starter solenoid will stay engaged as the starter is engaged. If the wiring is hooked up normal, then the ignition switch maybe damaged causing the starter to stay engaged. If you need further assistance with your starter staying engaged, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
Just put a new carburetor, battery, starter relay, alternator, car stalls out while driving and battery dies when restarted
ANSWER : The battery should be load tested. Simply charging the battery or measuring voltage is not adequate. Measure charging output, too. You want to confirm that the ignition system, including for instance the ignition coil and ignition switch, are not intermittently cutting out. Coils can fail as temperature rises (resistance increases with temperature) so if you run the car for a while and all of a sudden it quits, measure the resistance of the coil windings to see if that provides a clue. Apart from that, the ENTIRE primary side ignition circuit has to be checked, using voltage drop testing (and testing of the hall effect sensor in the distributor), to rule the primary side in or out. If you want the required diagnostic steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a stalling diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.
Battery good, alternator good, brand new alternator cable, still not charging.
ANSWER : Hi There,
The first diagnosis of the bad voltage regulator is likely the cause of your charging system not properly charging the battery. When the voltage regulator is not working properly, this may result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In some cases when a battery is too weak or damaged, it may no longer hold a charge for any length of time, in which case the alternator may be doing its job, but the battery is just simply too weak to hold a charge. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
The first diagnosis of the bad voltage regulator is likely the cause of your charging system not properly charging the battery. When the voltage regulator is not working properly, this may result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In some cases when a battery is too weak or damaged, it may no longer hold a charge for any length of time, in which case the alternator may be doing its job, but the battery is just simply too weak to hold a charge. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.
No crank/no start. New battery, alternator, starter, ignition switch…
ANSWER : Hi there. It looks as if you have covered most of the bases. However, it is possible that you may have an exposed or faulty ground wire, damaged ignition relay or starter relay. It is also possible although unlikely, that something in the timing system is causing the timing to be too far retarded, which can cause starting issues you’ve described. This might be a case of chasing parts only to have a different issue pop up, so it might be a good idea to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a car is hard to start inspection.
