My 8 has been having a faint whine the past week and today the voltage would randomly drop to 12v or even below 12v while driving at freeway speeds. It will stay at 12v for a few minutes then go back to around 14v. I'm at work otherwise I'd test the output of the alternator, but in my experience the dash wigs out and have other issues when the alt is failing. Belt looks fine, it was replaced a few thousand miles ago before I bought it. No big mods to the car, just pump, 1200cc injectors and piping/full exhaust with a tune, if that matters. Any thoughts on the culprit?

 

Shutting off the feed from the alternator would see around 12.6v under WOT.
I'd get the alternator checked.

 

Sounds like alternator.
mine tested fine for voltage and amps, but was still bad. Swapped in a new one = all bueno.

 

Hah your 6,666th post

anyways yah i would agree its probably the alternator, but try cleaning your battery terminals and connectors and see if that makes a difference. Also check your grounds.

 

I'll do that, thank you. I Figure it should be the alt, 130k and still the Original one.

 

Wow you did well.
My car has had 4 alternators in 13 years and about the same mileage.

 

Yup, I have a voltage gauge that reads off the fuel pump in my car and I was having the same issues before my alternator went out completely. The Battery and E brake light didn't glow immediately either, it took a few drives.

Replace with refurbished OEM alternator as the duralast one tends to fail more often. I ordered mine from STM.

-pal215

 

I've went over my grounds several times since I've gotten the car, when I first bought it I'd get arcing on the negative terminal, I traced it to the negative battery wire barely being connected to the block...PO put a long tranny bolt where the short one goes. I ran a new negative to the block and just grounded the other

 

Thank you guys for the input, I'll be ordering an alternator...hope I make it home! lol. In all the car has treated me really well, just little things here and there from age.

 

Funny. I just turned 130k and that's when mine died as well. Mine started out with random, lean conditions at idle. Then started doing it at random times on the freeway. Car would go lean when I rolled up the windows, turned on the stereo. All kinds of weird stuff. I spent a year trying to figure it out LOL

I shoulda screenshot that. If satan is 666, then......?

I bought an OEM one from STM. I highly suggest that. Auto Parts store = swapping every six months.

 

Ya I'll be ordering the oem from stm. My axle boot tore a few weeks ago so I need a new passenger axle as well, perfect timing to swap it while I change the alternator since that has to come out too I guess.

 

I don't have my wideband installed yet so I'm not too sure if running lean or rich at those times unfortunately

 

My alternator went like that on the dyno and mapper noticed as it ran terrible lean.

 

So it's safe to say baby the **** out of it untill I change it out?

 

That would be a good idea.