How do I know if my alternator is going bad

Question

My Acura MDX has a slow crank every time start vehicle and also my battery dies very easy something as simple as leaving light on in car for 10 minutes what should I suspect this is, I was thinking maybe my starter , bad battery or worse of all my alternator

Answer 1

How old is the battery? You can get a battery tester (costs around 10 bucks) and test the battery. You can also test the battery with a multimeter, but you won't be able to do a load test. After ruling out any problem with the battery then you should move to other components like alternator. Check the voltage on the battery when the engine is running and a few accessories running like the AC. If its above 14 volts, then alternator is fine.