volvo 240 dl alternator problems

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tardfarmer - 26 Feb 2006 20:43 GMT

I jumped the car with the dead battery , and it ran fine , but when I
would turn on the lights, the car would die. Should the car run with
the lights on with a weak battery? Does this mean the alternator is not
working?

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Lawrence Glickman - 26 Feb 2006 22:16 GMT

>I jumped the car with the dead battery , and it ran fine , but when I
>would turn on the lights, the car would die. Should the car run with
>the lights on with a weak battery? Does this mean the alternator is not
>working?

You need a volt meter for this test, but read the battery with the
engine off...it should be around 12.6 volts.

Read the battery voltage now with the engine ON it should be around
14.x volts, if your alternator is working at all.

Finally, this is the trick because you need a clamp meter, read the B+
wire from the alternator going to the battery. On my vehicle, with
all the electrics going, it is 66 amperes. You should read something
in the double digits with all -your- electrics on, like hi beams,
heater blower motor on high, etc. etc.

Lg

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John S. - 27 Feb 2006 02:18 GMT

> I jumped the car with the dead battery , and it ran fine , but when I
> would turn on the lights, the car would die. Should the car run with
> the lights on with a weak battery? Does this mean the alternator is not
> working?

Let me get this straight. You replaced the battery and alternator then
tried to start the car but the battery was dead. So you jumpered a
live battery, started the engine then immediately turned on the
headlights and the engine died.

My guess is the battery was completely discharged and the minute the
lights came on there was not enough juice to carry the lights and the
ignition so the engine died. Solution I think is to give the battery a
complete charge with a battery charger.

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Lawrence Glickman - 27 Feb 2006 02:35 GMT

>> I jumped the car with the dead battery , and it ran fine , but when I
>> would turn on the lights, the car would die. Should the car run with
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>ignition so the engine died. Solution I think is to give the battery a
>complete charge with a battery charger.

I don't remember if O.P. said -he- put in a new battery or someone
else did it for him.

IF O.P. just bought one *off the shelf,* damn _certain_ it needs a
full charge from a plug in battery charger...no doubt about it. If
someone else installed the battery for him, this should have already
been done for him.

Hard to tell in these one paragraph complaints what should be
mentioned but is not.

Lg

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