# Excessive Ripple = definitely Bad Alternator? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 14, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-ripple-definitely-bad-alternator/65451 "2011-06-14T20:36:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 7
**Author:** ![kawasaga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2acd7d/32.png) [@kawasaga](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kawasaga)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 12:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-ripple-definitely-bad-alternator/65451/7 "2011-06-15T00:02:57Z")
I’m a technical / engineering scientific kind of person that engineers automation controls–computer science major. I used to work on heavy trucks for a living. I look at it from this perspective: The vehicle is the best place to test the alternator–the environment is perfect. A bench test is useful for an unknown alternator or repaired etc. I believe it is foolish to remove an alternator to bench test it as it is a less conclusive test than just leaving it in the car. To a person that has little knowledge of how it works, they might feel accomplished by taking it out and giving to an “expert” but that is really an ill-informed method of repair. But, if time permits and that person enjoys the the greasy cut knuckles, then removing it serves a greater purpose of entertainment. I don’t get much enjoyment out tinkering --- _[View the full topic](https://community.cartalk.com/t/excessive-ripple-definitely-bad-alternator/65451)._