Voltage Regulator on the Alternator Question

[snowbrdr033]

I replaced my battery the other day at AutoZone while it was still under warranty and the guy hooked my truck up to the tester to check the battery, my alternator, starter, etc. He said everything checked out fine except that my "voltage regulator" on the alternator is going bad (or already is bad, I don't remember) and that I would need to replace it in the near future.

Anyone know if this is true or have any information they could share regarding this?
From simple deducing, I assume that that particular piece of the alternator regulates the amount of power that is delivered to the battery while the truck is on....? If it is bad, then it does not properly charge the battery therefore resulting in a battery that goes bad much sooner than normal.


Hope I've explained myself well enough for some of you to give me some feedback, thanks!!!

 

[Burt]

Was your original battery old? Do you have the alternator light warning you of no battery charging? Something sounds fishy. If you have no warning lights, I wouldn't worry about it. If you are still concerned, go get a second opinion at a professional shop. A parts stores job is to sell parts.

 

[blaniac22]

Useful thread:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/33808-voltage-battery-engine-running.html

 

[zstampe]

If he tested the alternator with a bad battery in the truck then you won't have an accurate reading. I'm going to assume the test said excessive ripple or something along those lines. Do you have any details of the test he ran?

Again I'm sure it was a bad test due to a bad battery.