***Knowledge Test***
- Thread starter RonJ
- Start date
So let me get this right when the alternator iz properly hooked-up w. the battery cable hook-up to the alternator the van will not start. however when the battery charger is hooked up to the battery the van starts and runs fine on the battery alone.....but you say the alternator is perfectly fine from testing it for voltage....
no. not quite...
now that im rested.. ill try and explain better..
if everything is hooked up... then the van will start... but the alternator will not put out voltage high enough to sustain the run. so the battery drains. the only purpose of the charger is to start the van....becasue of low voltage. its almost as if the alternator needs to be turned on.
as of this morning.. we have noticed that someone put on an external voltage regulator that bypasses the one in the PCM...
That seems like it might be the issue... perhaps the regulator in the PCM went bad so the owner used an external regulator, which also failed. Have you tried removing the external regulator or replacing it with a known good one?
You said the alternator still charges, but at 11 V? I think that rules out a bad ground or connection.
well you win becasue it was the regulator.
we are so fed up with this van... its been here almost a week.. .and its broken again
the charging system is straightened out...finally. but now there is a steering gear problem...
we replaced the gear box when we first got it along with fixing the charging.. we went to test drive it... and ... the new gear box broke!
so fed up
Wow, that's a pain. Hmm, that thing has a worm and sector gearbox on it, right? There's only a few options that I can see:
1. The new gearbox you got was bad
2. One of the supporting parts is bad, causing the gearbox to break again, i. e pitman arm, idler arm.
3. Perhaps severely bad alignment? I don't think this is likely, and maybe not even possible to cause the problem, but it's a related thing I can think to check.
4. You REALLY romped on it during the test drive.
Hopefully you had a warranty on the gearbox?
RonJ
Banned
Or bad installation.Wow, that's a pain. Hmm, that thing has a worm and sector gearbox on it, right? There's only a few options that I can see:
1. The new gearbox you got was bad
2. One of the supporting parts is bad, causing the gearbox to break again, i. e pitman arm, idler arm.
3. Perhaps severely bad alignment? I don't think this is likely, and maybe not even possible to cause the problem, but it's a related thing I can think to check.
4. You REALLY romped on it during the test drive.
Hopefully you had a warranty on the gearbox?
Or bad installation.
Forgot about that. Always a possibility.RonJ
Banned
New question
Knowing how to properly test fuses is a critical skill for anyone who works on their car. The best way to do this is to measure voltage individually at each of the two small metal tabs (service ports) located at the top of the installed fuse.
Answer all of the following questions to win Knowledge Test:
1) Provide a clear explanation for what it means when both tabs have battery voltage.
2) Provide a clear explanation for what it means when only one tab has battery voltage.
3) Provide at least four separate specific explanations for why neither tab would have battery voltage.
No winner will be declared until one member answers all of the questions correctly.
Knowing how to properly test fuses is a critical skill for anyone who works on their car. The best way to do this is to measure voltage individually at each of the two small metal tabs (service ports) located at the top of the installed fuse.
Answer all of the following questions to win Knowledge Test:
1) Provide a clear explanation for what it means when both tabs have battery voltage.
2) Provide a clear explanation for what it means when only one tab has battery voltage.
3) Provide at least four separate specific explanations for why neither tab would have battery voltage.
No winner will be declared until one member answers all of the questions correctly.
1 .. when both tabs have voltage. this means that the fuse is not blown and there is power moving through it.
2... if only one tab has voltage... then this means the fuse is blown. and a short may be the culprit. it could just be a overload of the fuse. but the fuse is blown..
if no tabs have voltage.. this could be as simple as the accesory not being on... or a short is present elsewhere in the system, or another fuse link further down the line is blown.
most fuse boxes provide general power to the fuse box to power everything... so if there is no voltage to just one fuse at all... then there is a short in the fuse box..
RonJ
Banned
Good job Chris, but:
(2) and (4) are potentially overlapping answers. Please distinguish.
(3) Please be more specific about the location of the short.
Also, you only mention shorts as possible causes. What else could explain the lack of voltage?
there may be a short in the actuall accesory.
another thing that could be lack of voltage... a relay... or a break in the wire
RonJ
Banned
lencoo12
New Member
The idle control valve controls the cars idle untill the thermostat opens up to allow the hotter coolant to flow.
When the hotter coolant finally reaches the IAVC, the idle returns to normal because it has reached normal operating tempurature. final answer
SnoFox4
Most Boring Car
Answering an age old question that was already answered.. THREAD REVIVAL.
davidwillson
New Member
By the way, anyone interested in learning more about the IACV and how it works should read this thread.
its a test as evan said.. to make sure your s**t works.
single cammer slammer!
single cammer slammer!