TheCafeKid

[Ironriot]

Yo TCK, put your multimeter to the back of the alternator. It should put out 13-14 amps... or volts i forget, basically you're looking for 13 to 14. Sounds like its the regulator on the alternator. Most times its only those that go out not the whole thing.... But have you taken it in to get checked. They'll be able to tell you. Well atleast we would if it was my store

[TheCafeKid]

Yeah i took it to AutoZone and they said its only turning 30 amps, but a buddy of mine said it would only turn 30 amps unless it was under full draw...I just dunno where to start...

[Ironriot]

Simplest way to check it is to turn on the car and stick the postive wand of the multimeter on the output bolt of the alternator that's located on the back and stick teh other one to ground (I'm sure you know that).... Did I mention the car has to be on? You should get a reading of 13-14. It doesn't matter if its at Idle or Redline it should be making 13-14. If its not then you alternators screwed.... But truth be told it could just be the regulator. On older cars (said yours is an 85 right) the regulator is a whole separate entity. It might go connected to the alternator or it might be somewhere else in the engine bay. That could be whats causing your problem and it would also explain the sudden flux in power you expirenced..... An old school mechanic trick for testing alternators is to pass a screwdriver behind them. They have magnets in there and if you feel no pull then you're alternator has gone to the big junkyard in the sky

[TheCafeKid]

Its tough to reach as my alternator is bottom mounted. I did notice a lil bit of play in the belts, but i had it installed by my mech as the wiring harness had to be swapped out cos they switch the design in 86 and those old designs arent available any more., so i dont think its that. I'll give it a shot. I have a manual for it..one of either the rec or the reg is mounted to the alternator i just cant remember which it is.

[hotbox05]

Hotbox where did you get that HID headlight...i want one...

I got the housing off ebay just search " 7 inch round projector .


the hid's I get from a guy on ebay who's sellers handle is stillenmaxima. I get the h4/2003 bixenon which has an hid low beam and halogen high beam. for a car (two bulbs , two ballasts) it's 239 shipped . for a bike he said it'd be like 110-130 depending upon what I wanted.

they're good quality and have the anti glare sheilds on them so as not to blind on-coming traffic.


I went back to the stock(I think it's stock) housing which is by Bosch or Hella(don't remember which) because the aftermaket projector housing is a bit dull and it seems as though the pattern is off because of how it mounts. seeing as how it's for a car and maybe of cheap replication anyway.


I run 6,000 Kelvin HID's in my scion , my truck and will run that on my bike as well.

the brand of kit that he sells is "techone"

[hotbox05]

on cars the volts can change from 12.4-14.6 at idle up to 16 at a higher rpm. if you're reading higher than 14 or so at idle you have a busted voltage regulator or a very high output probably re-wound alternator.


and if you have say an Optima battery your voltage readings may be higher than standard while at idle or when the car's engine is not even running.



I love my optima yellow top (in my scion with the kickin' stereo) but I should really be trickle charging it ever now and again (every month or so)

The battery in my truck is a "regular" type wet cell but it's of a high capacity type/size and it has very good reserve capacity unfort it's just a cheap oxide. but it's already in the truck and it only has a deck and aftermarket speakers no amps or subs to need much more.


with the yellow top in my scion with a 1000 rms wattage system I can play music for about 2 hours at a DAMN loud amount with the car off. so I'm happy. It's my boombox when I'm setting up and tearing down a lot of events.

[ericzx7]

Well when I build my own house I'll know who to call.... I was actually offered a chance to apprentice under a master electrician. He was a buddy of the uncle I was working for. Looking back I shoulda done it. After two years I think I would've had a journeyman's license. And I coulda made some pretty good cash while going to school. The guy was pretty good too. A bit cocky though. He knew he was so good most times he wouldn't bother to turn the power off. He somehow never shorted anything or jolted himself. Rather amazing if you ask me

Man , I was reading this thread and I just had to reply. I AM and electrician. Don't lose any sleep over not getting into this trade. It ain't as great as it sounds, and the money could be better too. I'm looking at going to school for motorcycle mechanics now, as soon as my shoulder heals up. I've been an electrician for 20+ years(I'm 35 now), and I'm ready to get out. That's my 2 cents worth , anyway.:-D

[Ironriot]

Hmm well last I talked to the guy he was pulling in the same kinda money as my mom and that's because she has her Master's degree... And he works a WHOLE lot less thats for sure. His only problem is that he's an alcoholic and shows up to work drunk. I worry about the guy

[TheCafeKid]

That would be the bane of almost all contractors...unfortunately its a line of work that you can be a semi functional alcoholic in. When i was running my remodel business, the times where i would need to hire in help (mostly it was me and my lil bros) I would have a hell of a time finding reliable people. They'd work a week, get paid, then you wouldnt see or hear from them again. Got to the point where i would pay only when i took a draw from the client.

[Ironriot]

Yeah same problem down here with workers. They get paid and then they disappear for a week...... This guy runs his own electricty business though so he doesn't have a boss to **** off. Although my uncle gets frustrated with him because my uncle's into the whole house flipping thing and that guy's his electrican and some days you just can't find him. That or he's asleep at like 3 in the afternoon

[TheCafeKid]

Thats some BS...people like that give honest contractors a bad name...One of the customers i had got sh1tty with me once, because it was taking longer than she thought it should. I explained that in the remodel business, especially for what she was having done, you really cant give an accurate time estimate untill you start cracking walls open cos you dont know really what you're dealing with. This ladies house had rotted beams and racked studs and all, which all had to be replaced. But she didnt see it that way, and kept going on and on about how the last contractor she'd used f-ed her over and didnt show up half the time and took months to finish a job. Well i was there EVERYDAY..even on Sunday for cripes sake, i finally had to sit her down and have a chat with her because i was getting angry.

[KiwiGS]

Man , I was reading this thread and I just had to reply. I AM and electrician. Don't lose any sleep over not getting into this trade. It ain't as great as it sounds, and the money could be better too. I'm looking at going to school for motorcycle mechanics now, as soon as my shoulder heals up. I've been an electrician for 20+ years(I'm 35 now), and I'm ready to get out. That's my 2 cents worth , anyway.:-D

I hear you man! I did an 8000 hour sparky apprenticeship at a freezing works. Then worked as a contractor which I hated crawling in roofs and under houses didnt do it for me. Went back to school did electrical engineering now I work as a controls engineer much easier on the knees and back!. Back studying part time as well (energy management). No wonder the bike isnt getting finished!

[Ironriot]

Thats some BS...people like that give honest contractors a bad name...One of the customers i had got sh1tty with me once, because it was taking longer than she thought it should. I explained that in the remodel business, especially for what she was having done, you really cant give an accurate time estimate untill you start cracking walls open cos you dont know really what you're dealing with. This ladies house had rotted beams and racked studs and all, which all had to be replaced. But she didnt see it that way, and kept going on and on about how the last contractor she'd used f-ed her over and didnt show up half the time and took months to finish a job. Well i was there EVERYDAY..even on Sunday for cripes sake, i finally had to sit her down and have a chat with her because i was getting angry.

I hear ya man. That's one of the reasons I hate working with people, customer service if you will. People always want things done yesterday. And at a lower price. But with special care. And extra effort..... Its ridiculous sometimes. I remember doing a small remodel job for another uncle and remember how he was always saying "we were going to slow" (it was just me and my bro) and not working enough. Which was bullsh!t because we showed up everyday after school which meant driving 17 miles to get to the house and 17 miles back home... EVERYDAY for like 2 weeks just to finish it. And this is all because he wanted it done before the first of a month.... And to top it off we weren't even getting paid an hourly rate. It was a set price.... That looking back now I should've set ALOT higher

[TheCafeKid]

Yeah i lowballed myself alot at first just cos i wanted as many jobs as i could get. Toward the end, before i got fed up with all of the BS, i was charging just as much as everyone else, and still had pleanty of work, just didnt have the help and patience to deal with idiots anymore.

[Ironriot]

I hear you man! I did an 8000 hour sparky apprenticeship at a freezing works. Then worked as a contractor which I hated crawling in roofs and under houses didnt do it for me. Went back to school did electrical engineering now I work as a controls engineer much easier on the knees and back!. Back studying part time as well (energy management). No wonder the bike isnt getting finished!

Hmm seems like everyone works hard for a few years and then becomes an engineer . I'm going the other way. I started by trying to become an engineer and now I'm heading into metal working