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corky123

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I have a 1989 starcraft Island

I have a 1989 starcraft Islander 130 mercruiser engine. The volt meter sometimes reads 12 volts and sometimes doesnt' read anything. I have 12 volts from the battery when engine is off. I have 12 volts when engine is on. This is being tested from a volt meter. Could my alternator be bad. Any help would be appreciated.
 
"are you using the volt meter

"are you using the volt meter in the dash? if so, get a v.o.m. and check at the battery. (or the alt.) you should see 13.5 + vdc."
 
"Clean the terminals on the da

"Clean the terminals on the dash gauge and tighten them--check all your gauges while you are there. Still the same? Check for corrosion in the main barrell engine plug and hard wire a digital voltmeter in place of the dash gauge to see what is going on. You can also test the DC voltage output of the alt. with the digital meter. Also check the alt. output for AC voltage. It should not exceed 0.40 volts AC. If it does, replace the alternator. Diode is shorted. Guy"
 
could a bad alternator cause t

could a bad alternator cause the wiper motor not to work or horn not to work? I could have some serious electrical problems here....
 
"chris- if some things work an

"chris- if some things work and others don't, no, the alternator wouldn't really be a prime suspect. The dash hot, ground and switch connections would be, though. There may be a ground buss under the dash and I would make sure the connections are clean, tight and there aren't any wires that are corroded. Do a continuity test from end to end on each wire.

Also, check the ignition switch to make sure all wires are on tight and there are no bad terminals."
 
Chris

Your charge system sh

Chris

Your charge system should be making better than 13 volts output from your alternator when charging.

From what you have described I think your problems are more related to your wiring as Guy and Jim have indicated.

Cheers

Peter C
 
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