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View Full Version : Anyone ever seen a VoltBooster fail?


NOTACARLO
03-19-2006, 02:17 PM
I just got a new alternator last week and everything was fine until two days ago. The alternator was not putting out anything. So today I am going through all of the wiring and such, ahen my father in law asks "what's this thing?". I explained and he said "maybe it doesn't work.". So I humored him and re spliced the wiring for the old weatherpack. Started the car and 14 volts appeared. At the pump, at the alternator, and at the battery.

Just curious if anyone else has seen this before.

Keller
03-19-2006, 09:24 PM
I've heard of them failing. Who's unit is it?

I always keep the old pigtail with a connector on it in the car, just in case...

Phatman
03-19-2006, 09:26 PM
They have been discussed to death in years gone by. Some people seem to have no problems while others like myself pitched them after going through a couple of alternators. I'm convinced that they are bad mojo. I think if your fuel pumps are wired direct, and if needed an upgraded injector harness is the ticket. I don't think trying to put more voltage through inadequate wireing is the answer. :2c:

Dave Burchfiel
03-22-2006, 12:20 AM
I got a new alternator and had a problem with the voltage being too low and it was intermittent. I'd wiggle the field plug and get good voltage then a little while later the voltage would go down again. ANY corrosion onthe field terminal or plug will cause this. I twisted the field terminal on the alternator to get better contact and haven't had a problem since.

sandt38
03-25-2006, 12:28 PM
Yeah, I had the same issue. My VoltBooster let go after about 6 months. I pitched it, and never got another. My gains were nominal if anything, and full fielding the system, and opening up all the electronics to voltages higher then their design intends, is not really a good thing. While the increases may be slight and infrequent, it is there, and pushing our components beyond design is not a good thing. Even bulbs burn out faster.

Also, I don't feel it is illogical to assume there will be an increase in referance voltage, due to increases in system input voltage. The computer is designed to scale back volatges to 14.4 back down to 5 volts, and pushing 16 will likely affect referance step down. I have seen referances over 6 volts on Chryslers in the shop when the regulator fails (they are integral with the ECM, no kidding, if the regulator fails you replace the computer), and they can do some very strange things when stock TPS volages at idle are coming back at 1 volt over expected, and MAP voltages read 2.5V at idle, making the computer believe the vehicle is cruising at roughly 45 MPH :what: , while it sees 0 MPH.