You can be sorry all you want, I am asking because I am curious. I tried to search on the internet all I could find was google posts about it, which you never know if they are accurate.

 

Thanks for the info, but I could do without the negative comments. I am also waiting for you to fill us in on the right way to do it? You were quick to tell me how I am wrong, but still waiting for the right way?

 

FYI, I sent a PM to OP to apologize for my sarcasm and edited it out of the original post. My bad.

Now to answer the question.

Battery must be fully charged to test alternator in vehicle. Minimum 12.5 volts. Start vehicle. Attach digital multimeter to battery. Should read minimum 13.25 volts. Turn on lights, blower fan, headlights, etc. and goose throttle. Charging voltage should go up as you increase throttle. If so, do next test. Switch meter to lowest AC volts setting on meter. You should see O AC volts. That's the diode test.

There are more sophisticated tests but they require high end equipment. These are the tests you can do at home with an ordinary multimeter.

 

Here is the dodge neon Charging System check. As you will notice there is NO way to check the alternator correctly without taking it to a shop or dealer. I shortened it so I don't have to type it all.

NOTE: These vehicles are equipped with an OBD system that is useful for detecting charging system problems.

step 1 is checking wire connections

Step2 Use a voltage meter with the engine off, it should be about 12 volts

3.Start engine and check voltage, should be about 13-15volts.

4.If the indicated voltage is less or more then specified charging voltage, have the PCM checked at a dealer or service department. The voltage regulator on these models is contained within the PCM and it cannot be adjusted, removed, or tampered in any way.

5. Due to special equipment necessary to test the alternator... Blah blah blah it says take it to a shop where they have DIAG tools to test load.

6. Talks about the battery light should be off when the car is started.

7.If the light is on while the car is running, there is a fault in the system: Battery condition, alternator belt tension, cable connections, then alternator.

So according the the actual Dodge neon procedure there is no way to test the alternator without the proper diag tools. This is why I mentioned unhooking the cable... It also goes on to talk about the voltage regulator and how it protects the sensitive components during surges and so on... I admit unhooking the cable on a car isnt the best idea, but if I have a 1st gen neon siting at my house and I didn't want to dump money it, I wouldn't think twice. Diag around here is $100, ECU and alternator at the junkyard is about $75 for the both. So in conclusion you need to either take it to a shop, guess and buy parts for it, or risk pulling the cable.

 

I would like to read that acdelco write up about 150volt spikes but I don't have adobe, is there one I can view on a webpage?

Edit: My last post with the neon write up is for the 1st gen, not the 2nd. Not sure of your year.

 

Thanks for all the info it ended being the alt was bad. i like this lil car n gonna try n trick it out some now i need to find a cheap tach dash for it then wheels,lol thanks again Bryan