HOW TO TEST FOR A SMART ALTERNATOR? A beginners guide

How to test for a Smart Alternator? Combe Valley Campers 'Daily Transmission' will explain all.

In this video we show you how to carry out the test on your vans charging system to see if it has 'Smart Alternator' or not.

Keen your eye out for a future video where we show you what options you have to charge a leisure battery if you have van with a Smart Alternator.

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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of Combe Valley Campers Ltd, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. Combe Valley Campers Ltd assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. Combe Valley Campers Ltd recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of Combe Valley Campers Ltd, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Combe Valley Campers.

[mr.matiss]

I think its more complicated than just taking 2 measurements 5 - 10 mins apart. We've had an alternator failure on MB Vito Tourer 2020. We drove the van for 2 hours without charging the battery to the closest point where we can fix the alternator. After the replacement of the alternator I monitored the alternator through the inbuilt service menu of the van. When we got back on the road with a new alternator and drained battery the alternator would keep up the volts up to 14.5V for around (drum roll) 40 minutes. Just when the battery internal resistance got to a point where it is about 80% charged then the alternator would back off and lower the volts to around 12.5 - 12.3 V. Whenever I released the gas pedal then the volts would come up again to 14.5V. So the point is that the voltage should drop only when the battery is charged up to a safe state. 5 - 10 min measurements might lead to false conclusion of a alternator type.

[dustinz]

Thank you this was incredibly simple and helpful! 14.5 on the nose during both readings

[davidmeadowcroft]

Hi Lee. Lovely clear straight forward approach 👍

[kajakmannen]

Thanks! I have a VW Caddy Life 2019 model and not sure if its a smart or regular alternator. Planning to install a Victron Orion DC-DC charger so will definitly try this first.

[mrcliftondiablo]

How can you test to see if your smart alternator has went bad I'm assuming that either it won't put out the 14.7v or the 12-13v my friends Ford c max hybrid keeps of failing to crank and he's constantly having to jump it....

[johnhomles]

Do all t5.1 2012/14 have smart altinators as my battery light dosent illuminate either with igition on or driving???

[thomasglasser]

Hi there, I was wondering if you could help me with my reading?? I've got a Ford Transit mk8 and it's hovering around the 15v mark after 5mins or so. Any ideas?? Thanks!

[PaulKing]

I really don't understand how this test works when i can test my battery after turning the car off and the battery is above 14 volts just from having a charge thrown at it. So how on earth does that test, show the alternator voltage while it is connected to a battery

[jessestrum]

hi lee i did this test and got 14.5v and 10min later 14.5v, a couple of days later battery flat, i think i did the test with a partly flat battery, i think it should have been charged up to get a accurate reading . am i right . cheers john

[kevgermany]

Ta, just a comment. The meter should have a scale that reads up to about 20V, not 12. As far as I know, smart alternators were a requirement from Euro V standard.

[BrianCanning]

A good guide for none smart alternators, but you never did any follow up on if you do have a smart alternator and what is required

[XRPSAINT]

Sad to hear you say "You have a standard alternator, so what does that mean?" and then go off on what you can do with a Smart alternator and not address what you can do with a Standard alternator.

[oneeyedphotographer]

I have a very stupid alternator. It killed my Dick Smith multimeter, and its replacement records 14V+.

It also reckons my AGM battery is 13.6V days after charging. Puzzles.

[HighlandWoodsman]

Hello, excellent straightforward video as always. I carried out the test and the reading on my multimeter was 14.7 before and after. I have watched other videos that say having a black computer chip on the negative terminal is a sure sign of a smart alternator, I have this also so I'm a bit unsure. What do you think? Thanks for your time. (It's a 2015 Transit Custom)

Yeah but 12.5v is too low to charge an AGM so it would ruin it. Right?

[CalmeRyowl]

The battery will say AGM on it if its has smart alternator. ( just in case you dont have a multimeter )

[quadcoreigen]

How to test a smart alternator. Shows testing a traditional alternator.

[hugheszie]

I hate them. Everything’s so expensive to replace now and work on. The slightest battery issue now throws a billion faults and the car is stranded.

[inherent]

Smart alternator doesn't kick in in lower Temps. Beware

[ashleym]

A massively exspensive dc to dc charger is needed instead of being able to use a cheap isolator smart alternators are a scam