# Alternator Failure Frequency?



## Dubhicks (Oct 28, 2013)

I honestly can't remember the last time I heard of someone's motor not charging the battery. My system is super simple so the likelihood of a failure occurring is minimal. And I suppose it is like that for most 2 strokes. Really just a stator and windings, so no moving parts to fail.
There are 2 options I recommend for monitoring. A volt gauge or an amp gauge. The volt gauge will tell you the raw voltage at your battery (usually over 13v when charging), but the amp gauge would really tell you the state of the charge. It would show you how much (negative AH) you are putting back in the battery, and could also show you how much consumption you have with the charging system off.
However you monitor it is up to you. I have a multimeter at my house and test the batteries before every trip. This includes starting the motor and checking voltage. It might not be the best way, but it's worked for me.


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