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Alternator may be shot

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jamesjackson

New member
what is an effective way to te

what is an effective way to test my alternator. could i damage something by having the engine running and disconnecting the battery like we do in cars? I read somewhere that I could damage something. The alternator is from a 225E with AQ275 outdrive
 
"The best way is to take it in

"The best way is to take it in and have it tested. The fact that it keeps running doesn't mean that much. If the regulator is shot, the voltage could spike and take some electronics with it, also known as "letting the smoke out of the wires". Alternators are relatively cheap to have rebuilt- why bother messing with it?

What makes you think it's bad? If the battery goes dead in about two days, the bridge rectifier is probably toast. If the battery has gone dead several times and you keep jumping it to try to recharge it, it's probably toast and you should replace both the battery and the alternator. Trying to charge a dead battery is really hard on an alternator. Also, a battery loses about 30% of its capacity every time it goes stone dead. The electrolyte and plates change, causing a buildup of lead sulphate, which falls to the bottom of the cells and when it gets between the plates, they short circuit and won't hold a charge."
 
went to a volvo penta certifie

went to a volvo penta certified service center and they wanted to send it out to another facility and the service person that helped me kept reminding me that "A REBUILT ALTERNATOR WOULD COST ABOUT $150-$200" seemed like he would have found a way to charge me.
 
"I don't know where you an

"I don't know where you and the boat are but there's an automotive electrical rebuilder in or near just about every city. I would look in the phone book or ask some of the car service shops to find out where they take theirs. $150-$200 is on the high side and as long as it's rebuilt to marine spec, you don't need to go to a Volvo dealer. Most auto parts stores can get marine starters, too and they have access to rebuilt and new parts."
 
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