Is the suggestion in the following video correct, or dangerous to car electrical components?

[leadfoot6]

Remember to avoid the mistake often made where people set the multimeter for current measurement and then proceed to connect it across positive and negative! Remember, current measurements are made in series.

And if it's not auto-ranging then start on a higher range and work down.

Thanks for that information.

I will try to get organised later today.

 

[R-fur]

I think the guy is talking sh!t. You are more likley to cause problems doing what he says. Far simpler to just check the voltage across the battery, should be about 12V with the engine off and about 13.8-14v with the engine on. If the voltage is much below 12 with the engine off then the battery is faulty, if the voltage doesent rise with the engine on then the alternator is faulty.

 

[leadfoot6]

I'm sorry that I have not replied sooner.

Thank you to those taking the time to respond.

My car is now running properly again after I had a genuine Bosch alternator fitted.

NEW GENUINE BOSCH ALTERNATOR MITSUBISHI MAGNA & VERADA TE TF TH TJ TL TW & KE | eBay

Mitsubishi Magna & Verada V6 (6G72 & 6G74). Mitsubishi Verada KE, 1996-1997. Mitsubishi Magna TJ, 2000-2002. Mitsubishi Magna TF, 1996-1999. Mitsubishi Magna TW, 2004-2005. Mitsubishi Magna TE, 1996-1997.

www.ebay.com.au

In the meantime, I had to get by just by "jumping"/recharging/only driving short distances.

I did not want to risk driving further than the local small town and risk the battery going flat between towns.

The multimeter now reads 14.7v at idle.

No other work(fuses/relays/check/adjust drive belt - all OK) was done.

Starts/runs fine for the last week, after being off the road for almost a month as it was difficult to:

a. Get the genuine part at the "right" price,

b. Have it delivered to my non-urban address,

c. Have the extremely busy local(competent/honest) mechanic have the time to fit me in.

1 hour labour charge = $120 AUD.

My question is why the alternator warning light did not illuminate from the beginning of my problem?

It took 2 weeks or more of the battery going flat before it started glowing continuously when the engine was on.

A brand new alternator fixed the problem, so I am wondering why the alternator light did not start illuminating right from the beginning of problems.

Thank you again to those who responded.

P.S. I did not get around to doing any voltage drop tests, or try to delve too much into problem solving.

I just went and had the complete alternator swapped out, and it has turned out to be the correct solution

 

[Simon47]

So much boolocks in such a short video
If the battery is flat enough that you need to jump start, removing a battery connection with the engine running is liable to create a massive voltage surge that can blow your electronics (including the alternator).
Also, don't remove the negative - always remove the negative first and connect it last (assuming, as I believe all modern cars are, negative earth). That way, if you touch the bodywork with your spanner, it's not going to short the battery out and make a big flash. As we al know, it doesn't matter which end we disconnect - it still disconnects the circuit.