Originally posted by BrApple:
..first 10 minute driving impression, no loads, ie lights or ac and my volt gage is reading dead on at 14.7 ... turn the lights on or the ac and the volts drop at idle to 14 or just under ... might be ok since it has a underdriven pulley ... the weird thing is just with the lights on the volt gage will bounce around when about 3k rpm with lights or the ac on, it will not with nothing on ...
This is normal. My contour changes idle when I turn the lights on and when I turn the lights off. I am more aware of this because I park in a covered parking lot at work (for 8 of the 10 years I have owned the contour). Getting in, (while waiting to enter) I turn the lights on (if the lights are not on) just before entering, and getting out, (sometimes) I turn the lights off when I am at a stop sign/light just outside the parking garage/deck. I have not run a real time scan of the voltage during these times but I can hear the idle speed change slightly.
"Always do the cheap and easy ones first."
1996 V6 ATX 96K miles
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