Alternator, bad? Definitive test?

ChristopherASA
Wed, 26 Oct 2016 20:15:04 +0000
Maintenance/Repairs

I’ve either a battery problem, or an alternator problem ( I guess). [ The vehicle is a 1990 Dodge Ram 50 - 2.4L engine ]

I drive the truck around for a couple of days and eventually the battery gets to the point where I have to recharge it. Then it’s fine for another couple of days and then the cycle begins again. (Battery is about a year old, give or take.)

Of course a friend told me to start the truck and then remove the positive connection to the battery. He said if the engine then conks out, the problem is the alternator. It did conk out. My question is: how definitive is that test?

I’ll be reading everything on this forum having to do with “alternator.” And I’m watching a couple of YouTube vids in order to learn how to diagnose this problem with a multi-meter.

Thanks!!

68 posts - 15 participants