by GlassWolf » Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:39 am
if the voltage drops to 10VDC, there are two reasons.
one is a bad stock alternator, or two is a bad battery (or both) since with a normal lead acid battery, if it's drained below about 10 volts, you're just about guaranteed to have irreversable damage to the battery cells, so it'll never go to 12 volts again.
anyway, fix is to install the new alternator, and while doing so, upgrade the "big 3" with 2AWG cable (for a 200A alt.) and replace the old battery with a new high-CCA starter battery (from auto zone or sears etc) or switch to an optima at that point. the optima deep cycles will allow you to fully "deep cycle" the batteries to 0 volts and recharge them without killing the batteries. That's one of their main benefits.
if the voltage drops to 10VDC, there are two reasons.
one is a bad stock alternator, or two is a bad battery (or both) since with a normal lead acid battery, if it's drained below about 10 volts, you're just about guaranteed to have irreversable damage to the battery cells, so it'll never go to 12 volts again.
anyway, fix is to install the new alternator, and while doing so, upgrade the "big 3" with 2AWG cable (for a 200A alt.) and replace the old battery with a new high-CCA starter battery (from auto zone or sears etc) or switch to an optima at that point. the optima deep cycles will allow you to fully "deep cycle" the batteries to 0 volts and recharge them without killing the batteries. That's one of their main benefits.