Alternator needs a little rev before it charges

[1jeep4me]

After I give the engine a little goose it begins to charge even at idle. MY jeep starts with nothing more than a bump each day every day with out a problem.. lucky I guess. Even when cold it immediately idles at a nice 700 RPM. If i dont give her a little goose the alternator will not charge at all but once I goose her she starts charging immdiately at all rpm ranges.

Is my Alt. heading for the dumps?

[LRRH]

usually...most alternators cannot put out a full charge at idle. i think they need about 900 rpm or so.

[joe]

That's normal on earlier FSJ's. The alt needs to hit a certain rpm for the exciter to light it up.

[J4GRAND]

Mine does that every morning and it's less than 2 years old. Like -joe said, normal for the older FSJs.

[89grand]

Mine does the same thing but I don't remember it doing it when I first got it. It just seemed like one day it started. I almost think it started after I added the MSD 6A and with it I needed to run a diode inline to the small wire on the alternator. That might not of caused it but something did.

[oddfire]

check your belt tension.......phil