Bad Alternator, again?

Tex Star Detail

Tex Star Detail

Formerly TexasTB
Question. 92 chevy S-10. 4.3 motor/auto. New battery maybe 2-3 months ago, if that. My cigarette lighter must be bad, because it sparks when I plug in anything...radio shuts off and back on. Anyways, while driving I noticed the VOLT gauge was dropping pretty low so I headed straight to the house. Took the alternator in and checked. BAD. Got a new (reman.) one under warranty. Put it in today and took off down the highway to charge up the battery a little. Noticed when I'm at idle, the VOLT gauge is still low. When I get up to 40MPH of higher, it starts to "overcharge" well over 14V. Get back to the house ASAP. Leave the truck running, unhook the negative battery cable, and the truck dies. Won't be able to get to the parts store to get it checked til the end of the week. So do you think I got a BAD alternator??? I know I need to remove/replace the cig lighter ASAP, but it's unplugged at the moment.

Thanks in advance.....
 
I would trace the wiring and make sure it's not grounding out somewhere. Not sure if that makes sense or not but I had a similar issue with my wife Taurus. Went through 2 batteries and 2 alternators.
 
Stop at nearly any repair shop, parts store, Walmart TLE and have them load test the alternater/charging system. You could have a bad cell in the battery and the alternater just over charges the system. Check the wiring also, especially the grounds. Could be something real simple.
 
Sound like you have a serious electrical issue, your 12 volt sparking is either bad contacts in the outlet or the object your plugging in. Look inside your 12v and make sure no foreign debris, dried coffee, or corrosion in it. For your radio dropping in and out, you have to test the power and ground to it. if both are steady while the radio drops, then you have a bad radio. Your alternator/battery issue. sound like you have a bad alternator. i have dealt with many issues using aftermarket reman units. the only reason the alternator will overcharge is a bad regulator. That could cause both your over and undercharging symptoms. If your not experiencing the overcharge, and just undercharge, grab a test light and make sure you have proper signal to the alternator. If thats good then i reccomend going to the dealer and grabbing a REAL ALTERNATOR, you'll pay lots of money for it, but its well worth it. "CHEAP TURNS EXPENSIVE IN THE END"
 
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