fullymatted.
Back to search
Rennlist

Need help. Alternator issue or not? Update: SOLVED?

Add to repair workspace
Open repair workspace
Original source
4 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW

Discussion summary

YOUR RESEARCHNeed help. Alternator issue or not? Update: SOLVED?

Leading reported evidence

Tighten engine positive terminal

Suggestion or failed attempt

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context

Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.

Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster

After tightening the engine positive terminal, it now registers 13.8 volts consistently.

Original post Read captured discussion
Need help. Alternator issue or not? Update: SOLVED?
Read full discussion summary

Leading evidence: 'Tighten engine positive terminal' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Tighten engine positive terminal' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.

Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.

Read captured replies

1 matching discussions · 4 captured posts examined · 0 partial discussions

Frequently discussed actions (1)

These are separate views of the same evidence. Frequency alone does not establish a fix, and these counts must not be added together.

Tighten engine positive terminal

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Suggestion · Original poster

After tightening the engine positive terminal, it now registers 13.8 volts consistently.

Original post Read captured discussion
Need help. Alternator issue or not? Update: SOLVED?
Coverage and how to read this overview

Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.

4 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.

  • Rennlist: 1 discussions

0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.

0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.

Generation: 20261026T063944Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

2004 996 C2. I thought I fixed this with a loose positive terminal post but apparently not. Car still will not start even with a full charge from a battery tender. Just clicks. Have to jumpstart. When engine on, voltage at battery and dash panel is 12.9v. At the positive post on engine, it is 13.8v which tells me the alternator giving out that much voltage(?). Should it be getting at least 14v from alternator? Is 13.8 acceptable (with no load or lights on)? It seems when I start driving and engine at normal temp, voltage fluctuates from 12.0 to 12.8v. Not sure where to start looking. Is this a symptom of an dying alternator? Or maybe the regulator? Grounding issues? Would like your thoughts. Thanks in advance! It seems I solved this one. Loose connection at the positive terminal post on the engine. Battery voltage now registers 13.8v same as on the engine pos post. Will take for a drive later and confirm.

POST 2Original post

Those readings seem normal. If you cannot start even after a full charge, but a jump start works, then your battery isn�t delivering the current required by the starter, assuming you are jumping the car directly at the battery (which is actually not correct procedure, but it�s often how I do it). So bad battery maybe.

POST 3 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

Quotes source post: 15470624

The battery gets a full charged from the battery tender. I think because the connection is loose at the engine positive terminal, the starter is not getting enough voltage to start car. It also hinders the recharging of the battery from the alternator. After tightening the engine positive terminal, it now registers 13.8 volts consistently. After taking it for a drive, voltage doesn't fluctuate anymore. I believe that is it but you'll never know with a 14-year-old car. :-) Thanks for you input.

POST 4Original post

Have you had the battery tested? A fully charged battery can have a bad cell and not allow enough cranking amps to start.

This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.