Subject: [TR] battery, alternator, or gremlin?

From: Peter Arakelian <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 18:57:36 +0000

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From: DAVID MASSEY <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 13 Oct 2019 14:21:54 +0000 (UTC)

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 Hello, Peter.=C2=A0 I had a similar experience.=C2=A0 My ammeter suddenly =
started something similar in the middle of a drive so when I got home I che=
cked battery voltage both engine-off and engine-running and voltages were n=
ormal.=C2=A0 So I concluded the battery was starting to fail.=C2=A0 The bat=
tery shop checked it with their big, heavy, fancy tester and pronounced it =
good but I was not comfortable with that diagnosis so I bought a new one an=
yway.=C2=A0 It was a seven year old battery and I had a gift card so what t=
he heck.=C2=A0 I installed the battery and all was back to normal.
I probably could have run that battery for a few more months before it fail=
ed altogether but that could have been on the middle of my trip to Dripping=
 Springs.=C2=A0 ON a Sunday.=C2=A0 On I-35 in Dallas.

As Randall said, you need both a volt meter and an ammeter to diagnose a pr=
oblem.=C2=A0 Basically, the voltmeter will indicate the health of the charg=
ing system and the ammeter will indicate the health of the battery - but on=
ly if the charging system is working properly.=C2=A0 A charging system malf=
unction can give you the same ammeter reading as a failing battery so the a=
mmeter along is not enough.=C2=A0 And a pending battery failure will not ne=
cessarily show on the load tester.
Good luck.
=20
Dave=20

=20
=20
-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Arakelian <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked] <[email-masked]>
Sent: Sat, Oct 12, 2019 1:57 pm
Subject: [TR] battery, alternator, or gremlin?

 1971 TR6.=C2=A0 Driving home last night I noticed my ammeter was at the + =
sign, half-way between neutral and full.=C2=A0 It is a 40 mile drive, staye=
d there the entire way.=C2=A0 I stopped to pick up a pizza.=C2=A0 the car c=
ranked and started as usual after a 20 min stop.=C2=A0 Ammeter was now half=
way between the neutral position and the + sign.=C2=A0 today I checked vola=
ge of battery from pole to pole: 12.60 volts.=C2=A0 Start the car today, cr=
anked and started as usual, ammeter shows normal - slight charge at first t=
hen to neutral position.Battery, alternator, or Gremlin?=C2=A0Peter Arakeli=
an** [email-masked] **

Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/triumphs  http://www.team.net/archiv=
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<div style="color:black;font: 12pt Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div> <font size="3">Hello, Peter.&nbsp; I had a similar experience.&nbsp; My ammeter suddenly started something similar in the middle of a drive so when I got home I checked battery voltage both engine-off and engine-running and voltages were normal.&nbsp; So I concluded the battery was starting to fail.&nbsp; The battery shop checked it with their big, heavy, fancy tester and pronounced it good but I was not comfortable with that diagnosis so I bought a new one anyway.&nbsp; It was a seven year old battery and I had a gift card so what the heck.&nbsp; I installed the battery and all was back to normal.</font></div>

<div><font size="3"><br>
</font></div>

<div><font size="3">I probably could have run that battery for a few more months before it failed altogether but that could have been on the middle of my trip to Dripping Springs.&nbsp; ON a Sunday.&nbsp; On I-35 in Dallas.<br>
</font></div>

<div><font size="3"><br>
</font></div>

<div><font size="3">As Randall said, you need both a volt meter and an ammeter to diagnose a problem.&nbsp; Basically, the voltmeter will indicate the health of the charging system and the ammeter will indicate the health of the battery - but only if the charging system is working properly.&nbsp; A charging system malfunction can give you the same ammeter reading as a failing battery so the ammeter along is not enough.&nbsp; And a pending battery failure will not necessarily show on the load tester.</font></div>

<div><font size="3"><br>
</font></div>

<div><font size="3">Good luck.</font><br>
</div>

<div> <br>
</div>

<div style="clear:both"><font size="4">Dave </font><br>
<br>
</div>

<div> <br>
</div>

<div> <br>
</div>

<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica;font-size:10pt;color:black">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Peter Arakelian &lt;[email-masked]&gt;<br>
To: [email-masked] &lt;[email-masked]&gt;<br>
Sent: Sat, Oct 12, 2019 1:57 pm<br>
Subject: [TR] battery, alternator, or gremlin?<br>
<br>

<div id="yiv5713354969">

<div>

<div>1971 TR6.&nbsp; Driving home last night I noticed my ammeter was at the + sign, half-way between neutral and full.&nbsp; It is a 40 mile drive, stayed there the entire way.&nbsp; I stopped to pick up a pizza.&nbsp; the car cranked and started as usual after a 20 min stop.&nbsp;
 Ammeter was now halfway between the neutral position and the + sign.&nbsp; today I checked volage of battery from pole to pole: 12.60 volts.&nbsp; Start the car today, cranked and started as usual, ammeter shows normal - slight charge at first then to neutral position.</div>

<div>Battery, alternator, or Gremlin?</div>

<div>&nbsp;</div>

<div>Peter Arakelian</div>

</div>

</div>
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