12-10-2013, 06:47 PM
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#1
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Alternator or battery?
Hey T4R,
I decided to check my battery voltage this morning and got some....interesting results.
With engine off after a drive voltage is 6.81volts
With engine on voltage is only 7.21 volts.
the odd thing is that my car works perfectly fine. It cranks fine, everything inside works well.
I'm at a loss as to why.
The battery is original, the 4runner is a 2007 with 115k miles on it.
Cheers!
Ryan
Last edited by Dunngeon; 12-10-2013 at 07:02 PM.
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12-10-2013, 06:57 PM
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#2
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I am gonna say either your multimeter is bad or your technique is.
Your car can't start with 7 volts, that is barely half the necessary voltage to make it happen.
So.... if 7 volts isn't enough to start... but the car starts.... what do you think is going on?
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12-10-2013, 07:02 PM
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#3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DC runner
I am gonna say either your multimeter is bad or your technique is.
Your car can't start with 7 volts, that is barely half the necessary voltage to make it happen.
So.... if 7 volts isn't enough to start... but the car starts.... what do you think is going on?
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this.
you must have been reading the wrong scale or something.
7v wont do it.
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12-10-2013, 07:04 PM
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#4
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your meter is bad. or how you measuring is wrong. I would like to know how you are doing it. It sounds pretty cool. 
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12-10-2013, 07:06 PM
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#5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DC runner
I am gonna say either your multimeter is bad or your technique is.
Your car can't start with 7 volts, that is barely half the necessary voltage to make it happen.
So.... if 7 volts isn't enough to start... but the car starts.... what do you think is going on?
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I just used the multimeter on my dirtbike and it worked fine (4h ago), the terminals and connectors are clean enough for a good reading. So yeah...... Super confused.
Just decided to recheck the multimeter on my bike's battery...... It's fried 
Guess that's what I get for not buying a Fluke
Last edited by Dunngeon; 12-10-2013 at 07:09 PM.
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12-10-2013, 07:12 PM
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#6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gshadow325
your meter is bad. or how you measuring is wrong. I would like to know how you are doing it. It sounds pretty cool. |
One end on the air intake, the other end in the tailpipe  /sarcasm
Battery terminals like normal
The Multi is fried
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12-10-2013, 08:41 PM
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#7
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check the 7.5 amp alt-s fuse in the engine compartment.
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12-10-2013, 09:23 PM
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#8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dunngeon
One end on the air intake, the other end in the tailpipe /sarcasm
Battery terminals like normal
The Multi is fried |
actually, meter might have blown a fuse
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12-10-2013, 11:47 PM
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#9
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I think you had the meter leads in the wrong place in the meter and you were set to read amps. Some meter have three places for the leads. You got it crossed and could have taken out the meter or direct shorted the cycle battery if you had in the amp mode.
Last edited by V8Man; 12-10-2013 at 11:51 PM.
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12-11-2013, 01:07 AM
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#10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by V8Man
I think you had the meter leads in the wrong place in the meter and you were set to read amps. Some meter have three places for the leads. You got it crossed and could have taken out the meter or direct shorted the cycle battery if you had in the amp mode.
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Nope, didn't happen. It was on DC voltage, 20 volts with the leads in the right space
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12-11-2013, 09:59 AM
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#11
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On some of the cheaper meters (not saying your is)...if its own battery gets low, it will read incorrectly. (Flukes tell you if the battery is low.)
For example, those meters you can get free (or nearly free) at Harbor Freight with coupon...if the battery inside the meter gets low, it will read incorrectly. Some meters use the internal battery as a reference voltage source, so if it is 'wrong', it will 'read' wrong.
Try replacing the battery inside the meter first before trashing it...
(to be honest...the picture of your meter looks exactly like those given out by Harbor Freight...except the color of the housing and 'manufacturer' label...)
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12-11-2013, 04:38 PM
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#12
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I think there is a +/- 5 VDC give or take on those 
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12-11-2013, 05:00 PM
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#13
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50LE Multimeter: KELVIN.com
as low as $2.75 if i buy 10 or more, batteries for my fluke 187 costs more than that
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12-11-2013, 05:13 PM
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#14
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Here's the Harbor Freight special...
7 Function Multimeter
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12-11-2013, 05:26 PM
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#15
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The harbor freight is just as bad, in fact, they probably come from the same crappy chinese factory and are just re-badged.
I had a harbor.. it refused to work right and I ended up buying an actual one from Sears. A real one is 20 bucks and will come from the Chinese factory on the other side of town from a company large enough to ensure quality control.
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