Alternator/Charging Issue?

[novocaine]

hey all...hope your new year is going well. Just had a question maybe someone can help me out with and possibly point me in the right direction.

I've installed a BRAND NEW optima red top in my 91 KA24de. I checked the voltage on the battery with the car OFF and it read 12.8 volts. When i checked the voltage again with the car ON the voltage read 12.2. A proper reading for the battery would be about 14.5 volts with the car ON.

Again I checked the voltage of the battery with the car ON while racing the engine to about 3k. the voltage read 14.5

How do i achieve this voltage while the car is at idle? Is it an alternator or starter issue? maybe the 75 amp fuse? or is everything ok? I'd like to stop my car from chewing through batteries before i start to add anything that would pull more amps. Please advise on what i should do next. Thanks for any help!!

[novocaine]

im going to guess that everything is ok since the voltage on my battery jumps to 14.5 when i race/rev the engine.

[compactfean]

When your car is at an idle turn your heater, stereo, headlights etc on and then check it. You shouldnt drop below 13.xx volts. If you do its new alternator time.

[novocaine]

thanks man.....i did what you said and with the headlights alone it dropped significantly. so my main goal when the new alternator is installed is to have it read 14.xx volts with accessories. now i gotta decide weather or not to try it myself or to take it to an alternator shop with my multimeter in hand; its hard to find a trustworthy shop sometimes. thanks again!!!

[compactfean]

I would try it yourself. Alternators are pretty straight forward once you get in there and there shouldnt be anything we couldnt help you with. I personally would get a remanned. (autozone has a lifetime warranty and is only like $105) id you do take it to a shop, they will charge you the shops price for the alternator (always higher than the parts store) and labor will run ya 80-100.

[Cgeigert]

Check voltage at the alternator and see what's coming out. And if your car is acting weird check some of my recent threads, I diagnosed and replaced my alt recently.

[novocaine]

hey everyone...thanks for the responses and the advice. im going to try those suggestions that were mentioned. i think that attempting to install it myself is actually a good idea; i just hate getting frustrated. but i purchased the vehicle to satisfy my need troubleshoot and turn a wrench...so i might as well start. ill update this thread with my solution when the problem is solved.
thankfully my car isn't acting weird....just trying to do a little preventative maintenance. thanks again!!