Still a newbie here. I have received excellent help on this site. My problem this time is everytime I have to start my car I have to jump it. The battery and alternator are new so I am not sure where to start looking. After I jump it the volt meter stays around 8and I have to rev it pretty hard 2 or 3 times before it jumps up to the 12 volt range. Anyone have any ideas.

Thanks

 

Check all battery, alternator, &connections and make sure they're clean & tite. Then if that doesn't fix it, take the car to a auto parts place that tests batteries and alternators for free. I have put on a new bad alternator and also had a battery fail in one month.

 

check spark plugs and distributer, however i'm not a genius but know my share ofstuff

 

Sounds like the new alternator is not responding at the lower engine speed, you need a clean new belt at the proper tension, good electrical connections and a battery that's in shape to accept a charge. temporarily hook a known good battery to the vette and disconnect the the other one, start the engine and let it stay on fast idle, connect a DC volt meter to the donor battery, you should see 13.2-14.8 volts, if it's lower than 13.2 the alternater and/or internal regulator is at fault.

 

Hello again Riley6Riley, You can never assume that just because a battery or alternator is new that is good, do like the other members suggested and you'll find that one or the other is no good. Good luck, PG

 

I am on my way to the auto parts store tomorrow and have them test it. I will let you know. Thanks again.

 

Well I took it to Advanced Auto Parts and they gave me a new battery (the other new one was shot, only a month old) and I am still having the same problem. The voltage regulator and diodes test ok and I am going to try to get the alternator tested tomorrow. It is only putting out about 1-2 amps so something is going batty.

 

HI,I thought the voltage regulator and diodes were inside the alternator?
Tell me again what year is you vette, thanks, PG

 

My Vette is a 1979 L-48. When they hooked it up to the "test equipment" it said that the diodes and regulator were good. I am going to take it to an alternator place this week and have them test it. You are right, everything is internal on this alternator (stock).

 

When we looked up the alternator to make sure that it was the right one (which it was) this was on the write up:
INSTALLATION ALERT! A blown fuse or bulb in the warning lamp circuit may cause a "no charge" condition.

Is this just a fuse in the fuse panel they are talking about? Do you what this means?