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Electrical Issue - Battery or Alternator?

commodorev6

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I looked at your pics. There looks like corrosion on the terminal. I have highlighted it.

View attachment 230067
Why wont the negative terminal tighten up? There seems to ample room?

Thanks @Lex for spotting that. Will need to address that issue. The negative tightens up but can be removed by hand. It looks like the terminal clamp needs to be a few millimeters smaller in radius. I've tried many and they all have the same problem. I've also tried the clamp on 2 different batteries to be sure that it wasn't the actual size of the negative battery post. Same issue.
 

commodorev6

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I agree with Lex the clamp will close up tight.
If you have a vice, remove the bolt from the clamp and place the clamp in the vice and close the clamp until the surfaces touch flat where the bolt goes.
Then try it on the battery post.
I am sure it will work.

Thanks @rambunctious for the advice. I haven't got a vice unfortunately.
 

Lex

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Thanks @rambunctious for the advice. I haven't got a vice unfortunately.
You can take the terminal of the battery post, place an extension bar or something where the battery post was, and tighten the the bolt up until the clamp comes together more.
Like rambunctious suggestion, just a different way of doing it.
 

commodorev6

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Just did another test now. I charged the battery again to 12.6 volts it dropped to 9 volts yesterday. It was very quick to charge which is unusual for my charger. Car started fine. Radio, high beam lights, air-conditioner and hazards were all on and it dropped to 14.1 volts whilst running. Tested the alternator using the connection to the battery and to the body of the alternator and it was reading 14.2 volts. The negative terminal clamp needs replacing but I don't think this is the major reason why it is randomly dropping the voltage to 9 volts.
 

losh1971

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If the battery has dropped to 9v its cactus. 11.8v is considered an over discharged battery. Letting it get to 9v is a sure way to wreck it. I'd say you need a new battery.
 

Deuce

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Yeap, I agree with a lot of what had been said already.
If you have seen 14v then the alt is working fine.
If it is not holding charge, the battery is very likely not worth keeping.
If you are having trouble with negative battery clamp, then get a new one, and make sure it is a NEGATIVE clamp as their is a size difference between positive and negative terminals by a mm or so (neg being smaller).

I've had a few troubles over the years with clamps. And also old batteries have caused a few headaches too.
 

rambunctious

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@rambunctious which photo was that in?
Not talking about a photo, talking about the battery in my VZ bc I just finished disconnecting/reconnecting the battery to play with the dreaded click I have been experiencing on and off, and fwiw I believe the dreaded click is simply the brushes in the starter.
 
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