Yes, almost any A/C ripple is too much.

If you are measuring the voltage between ground and the coolant or brake fluid, that is an entirely different ball of wax.

Jeff

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 13, 2009, at 4:43 PM, ira kaufman <[email protected]> wrote:

are you sue its .25 of an ac volt and not 2.5.once i had a porsche 944 that would not run right.after i tried about everything i could imagine i read about how a faulty diode could screw up your computor.i think if i remember correctly i put my probe into the radiator water to see what ac voltage i was
getting.changed the alternator and it come together.

--- On Sun, 12/13/09, Jeff Greenfield <[email protected]> wrote:


From: Jeff Greenfield <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [alfa] '82 Spider Alternator Warning Light
To: "JON KLIGERMAN" <[email protected]>
Cc: "alfa-digest" <[email protected]>
Date: Sunday, December 13, 2009, 3:49 PM


Besides checking charging voltage under load at a fast idle (should be 13.8 to
14.2 Volts at 1500 + RPM) check the A/C ripple.

If present this indicates failing or failed diodes.

To do so set your DVOM to read A/C on a low range (1 volt or so) and check
under the same loaded conditions as above with loads on.

This will measure the A/C component (ripple) on to top of the D/C if present.

Anything more than 250mV (.25V) is probably too much.

Also, FWIW I've found replacing the older externally regulated alternators
(AL16X) with the later internally regulated ones solves a lot of these
problems.

If the glowing charging lamp persists, you need to start measuring voltage
drops. I'd start at the ignition switch.

Any voltage drop between the lamp, battery, and alternator will cause the lamp
to glow.

Jeff

Sent from my iPhone

On Dec 11, 2009, at 10:48 AM, "JON KLIGERMAN" <[email protected]> wrote:

A general question about the alternator warning, or 'idiot,' light in my
'82
Spider.  | really have not paid very much attention to it, but I have
noticed
lately that it will glow, at night, if both the headlights and the
windshield
wipers are on. It will glow much brighter, close to full brightness, if in addition to the headlights and wipers, I then turn on the heater blower.
Is
this normal? Am I looking at a weak alternator and/or voltage regulator? Does anybody know? Is there a way of testing things, I do have a VOM?

Thanks!

Jon Kligerman
1982 Spider Veloce
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