Pro tip: found a way to save my alternator on a job site

I was working on a 2007 Freightliner last week and overheard a guy at a shop say you can test the voltage regulator with a multimeter before pulling the whole alternator. He said to check for AC voltage leaking through, anything over 0.1 volts AC means the diodes are shot. I tried it on a unit I was about to replace, and sure enough it was good just a loose ground. Saved me $400 and a few hours. Has anyone else used this trick instead of just swapping parts?

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy20517d ago

Nah, swapping parts is faster and I don't trust used electronics anyway.

grant.jade17d ago

What about the risk of getting a faulty used card though?