My alternator was diagosed as bad based on the same test and, lo and
behold, it was!  If you're still not sure, pull the alternator and take
it into a local FLAPS where they can put it in their alternator-testing
machine.

On Fri, 2 Jul 1999, Horace K. Sawyer wrote:

> Enter "Advance Auto Parts" where manager put some contraption with leads on
> the battery.  Battery has no date stamp, so service life unknown.  He says
> battery fine, alternator bad.  I asked how he could tell.  Said "pulling a
> heavy load on it now, so alternator should be working better" or something
> to that effect.  The van was idling.  All he did was read the meter on his
> 'charger' looking apparatus.  I asked if the alternator was doing anything,
> and he said 'its only putting about 50% of what it should."   I did not buy
> a new battery.
>
> The alternator light has not come on, and the van drives fine for as long
> as we want.  Does not seem to be running out of charge.
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Tom Young               young@sherlock.SIMS.Berkeley.EDU
Lafayette, CA  94549    '81 Vanagon
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