Hey everyone

I’m having trouble with my battery not charging correctly. The alternator seems to be fine, but the battery isn’t holding a charge.

I’ve checked the connections, but I’m not sure what’s causing the issue. Could this be a problem with the wiring or the battery itself?

Has anyone experienced something similar? What should I check first to troubleshoot this issue?

Thanks for any help
Pentagon Detailing

I’m planning to test the battery and check for any loose connections. Should I also consider testing the alternator or any related electrical systems?

 

Hey everyone

I’m having trouble with my battery not charging correctly. The alternator seems to be fine, but the battery isn’t holding a charge.

I’ve checked the connections, but I’m not sure what’s causing the issue. Could this be a problem with the wiring or the battery itself?

Has anyone experienced something similar? What should I check first to troubleshoot this issue?

Thanks for any help

"The alternator seems to be fine" tells us nothing.
Does the car start with the battery, or do you have the jump start the car?
How old is the battery?
What is the voltage at the battery when the car is running? (Do you know how to use a voltmeter?)
What is the voltage at the battery when you first turn off the car?
What is the voltage at the battery a couple of hours after you turn off the car?
Get the battery charged and disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. Check the battery the next day. What is the voltage?

 

How to test: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGB6ZEjGm7Q&list=WL&index=1&t=9s

 

You should also test for a parasitic drain on the battery which is on a linked video with the one shown. That youtube video in your link is somewhat limited and is a very basic test. It does work as a preliminary test and tells us that his alternator is working but it doesn't show how much maximum output is. If you don't have a proper alt output machine then his test will at least get you headed in the right direction. The stock alternator from 78-83 can only produce about 25 amps at idle and if you turn on that many devices it will usually cause you to run off of the battery unless you rev the engine up. Turning on all the power robbing devices in the car at the same time and revving the engine up above 3500 rpm will show you even more. Next, if you look close during the video, you'll see that his negative clamp is loose on the terminal, and so are some of the wires for the battery cable. Not a good thing in either case and can cause a huge voltage spike and can blow the ecu and all the electrical devices that are turned on.
Z man of Washington