my car keeps killing battery's!!!

[joesomebody06]

okay, my battery is relocated into the trunk area, i bought the car like this, my hunch is that the altenator is not hooked up correctly and thus not charging correctly, i have noticed that when i start the car up, it hesitates just a little bit, im not sure if that is b/c the power has to travel so far or what but, i have to come up with a solution b/c my battery tray has about a 4 inch hole cut in it for the intercooler piping to be run through it.... does this sound like the alternator to you or what, i dont want to just go take it off and head to autozone for a test, that takes too long, i want to believe its something else that is easier... please help!!!!

[MaximA32]

If you think that the alternator is bad then the only way to test it is to take it off and have it bench tested. If you have any kind of experience you can test the output of the alternator with a DVOM. Normal alternator output is around 14v.

[jmexia]

You could take it to any shop and they could test it on the car. Most places only charge a half hour if any at all.

[joesomebody06]

im just going to rent a voltmeter at the autozone for a 1/2 hour and test the starter solenoid and the altenator while im at it!! figure better do it while i have it

[ShaunakaRichard]

Test your starter solenoid? If the car cranks there's nothing really to test....And the easiest way is to start the car and put the voltmeter on the battery. It should be around 13 volts at a minimum while the car is running. If it isn't then you have a problem. And as for the battery being relocated into the trunk, it wouldn't take the voltage awhile to get up front. Electrons basically travel at the speed of light, in a perfect system anyway. 3x10^8 meters per second. Its freakin fast. So needless to say ten feet is nothing. Length in a car is nothing compared to how fast electrons flow. And instead of renting a tester, just buy one. Even a cheap one is probably ten bucks. Its something good to have.

[joesomebody06]

yeah sounds like a good idea, im gonna do that and get back with you... and as for electrons traveling at the speed on light.... wow.... i never though it could go that fast

[nissanracer300zx]

You need a new alternator.

[joesomebody06]

found the problem, the shop had tensioned the belt too much and it frayed the belt so bad that it finally just popped off so in other words good altenator, no belt!! will be fixed by lunch

[Dansmaxima]

I was gonna say 186,000 miles per second is fast, but resistance also comes into play. Old trick to test alternator is to put a steel screwdriver blade to the back center of the alternator while the engine is running. (If you can reach it safely) If it feels magnetized the rotor has field current and likely the alternator is charging.