long story short, my battery isn't getting a charge from my alternater. I dont have a voltometer but i'm pretty sure its making a charge because it get hot as a stovetop when the car is running off the battery. I want to go pick up a meter from walmart but my other car craped out on my this morring too (merry christmas by the way ). I read that the wiring can sometimes go bad but I'm not sure where to start looking so if anyone could elaborate it would be helpfull. also, I was wondering if I could double up some 10 gauge wire and run it strait from the alternater to the battery as insurance that i wont be walking home from the store. I know the battery will run the car for a while but the charge is getting a little low and I dont want to risk it.

thanks for any help and hope your holidays are going better then mine.

 

If your alternator is super hot, then there's a problem. First check for burned wires, and make sure the connector is plugged in at the back. Run the car for a while with the hood off to see if the alternator gets hot.

However, if your battery is not charging and the alternator is hot, it's likely the alternator is bad.

 

it does it super hot very fast, i was thinking it was because the current didn't have anywhere to go, but untill i find a ride to the store i guess i'm in the dark. the wire connecting to the alternater does look a littleblackend but i cant tell if its from a spark or just time.

 

The alternator will only generate as much current as the electrical system draws, so there's no "excess" current to burn up.