Remco wrote:
>
> I suspect you solved your problem. Most likely your ALT light would be
> on if it wasn't charging right. The previous battery must have not been
> able to hold a charge. When they go like this, the alternator's voltage
> is supposed to be around 14V when running, but - because the battery
> was bad - the voltage was most likely much less than that.
>
> The headlight test is good but a better way is to put a volt meter
> across the battery and make sure you see about 14V across it with the
> engine running. This would indicate that the alternator is working
> properly.
>
> (you can still go to sears, though -- they have a cheap digital
> multimeter on sale this weekend for sub $10
>
> Remco

To be more exact, the Helm manual specifies 14.5 V +/- 0.6V for a
healthy charging system. Have someone step on the brakes while
measuring, as this defeats the fuel saving low-output mode.