1998 Toyota Rav4 BATTERY VS ALTERNATOR

1998 TOYOTA RAV4
250,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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MZGLOEE
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  • 1 POST
How do i know if my battery is dead or if I am having problems with my alternator. I open my car door and the lights came on dimly and then went out, when I put the key in the ignition nothing happened.
Feb 8, 2009 at 2:15 PM
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MMPRINCE4000
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Get a jump and take to any autoparts store for a free diagnosis, they will check the condition of battery (amps) and alt. output loaded and unloaded.

Make sure you tell them you may need a jump to restart because the engine will have to be shutoff and started to complete the procedure.

OR,

A simple test is to use a multimeter, with engine running, connect to battery in DC volt mode. Multimeter should read 13.5-14.5 volts, if less than 13 then alt. is bad.
Check loaded (high beam lights on, blower motor on) and unloaded (electrical loads off).
Feb 9, 2009 at 7:14 AM