OMC 43L Alternator Functioning Properly

"Hi All,

We took my OMC 4.3

"Hi All,

We took my OMC 4.3L 1989 out this weekend for its first run. Everything went great.

One thing my father in law said was that he would have expected the volt meter to read 14 volts instead of about 11 volts while we were running it.

Any thoughts? Should the alternator outputs read 14 volts if running while tested with a volt meter? Is there another way to test short of taking it out and to a rebuilder?

Thanks,
Doug"

"How long did you run it and d

"How long did you run it and did you test it at the battery terminals? If the meter shows ~14V at the battery but lower at the dash, look at the connections on the terminal strip or fuse block under the dash and the ignition switch. These corrode over time and will frequently show low voltage. Another cause is dirty battery terminals and cable clamps, even when they don't look dirty. It won't usually show 14.4 at idle but should over 2000 RPM. It could be that just needs a full charge or it on its way out. Check the voltage with the boat sitting and then start it. Run it for a minute, shut it off and check the voltage again. A weak battery will show definitely lower voltage at rest. You can also use a load tester on the battery."

"Check your volts on the batte

"Check your volts on the battery cables when running 1500 rpm in water, and if you got less than 12.5, I'd suspect your alternator needs repair. You should be seeing 13 to 14 when the engine is running. Anything higher than 14 on a good charged battery means the alternator is overcharging, the opposite of what usually happens when the charging system goes for a tank. Turn on all the power robbing accessories and note if voltage starts to drop, and fail to recover. Can also be from resistance in connections, as Jim pointed out. Don't rely on the gauge in the dash, use a real test meter that you trust. This is also assuming your cables and connections are in good, corrosion free order, and are tightened properly."

Check that You have 12V into t

Check that You have 12V into the field (thin wire) at the alternator when ignition is on before You send it for repair!

"Guys,
I checked out the alt

"Guys,
I checked out the alternator but noticed the belt going to it is flapping a bit, I'm going to try and get new belts and see if the results differ, then check voltages etc. Thanks.

Also, Jim mentioned the terminal strip. I noticed that some of the terminals, even on the positive side don't read full voltage or are sporadic. Should I just replace the whole strip? It's original from an '89 boat. Or, should I just try cleaning it?

Also, is it possible for a working fuse to drop voltage across itself? For example if the plus side is 10V could the minus side be 8V? Or is a fuse either 100% working with no voltage drop, or completly open?

Thanks,
Doug"