alternator question

[gserlenga]

Hello knowledgable 60degreeV6 people, I own a Chevy Beretta with the 3.1L VinT motor. Recently I noticed that when i'm idling at a stoplight or stopsign with my foot on the brake and the tranny in Drive, the needle for the battery voltage on the gauge cluster seems to fluctuate up and down, not radically, but noticable. This fluctuation coincides with an rise and drop in idle rpm speeds. Whtat could be causing this? The alternator had some power steering fluid spilled into it a couple years ago when the pressure line burst all over it, and it makes a high pitched scraping/rattling sound when driving, again not loud but noticable to me. Sounds like a bad alternator, whadda you think?

[napatiger]

check your connections from the grounds and positives.
On my engine 3.4 they have the wire from alt to starter to post ect with some rather weak wire.

my light still dim a little at low rpm