If it decreases and starts to drop until vehicle eventually dies you have a defective alternator.
Pull battery cable to test alternator.
Community answer test alternator by connecting voltmeter on dc 20 red on positive battery terminal and black on negative battery terminal.
In the pre computer days you could pull it off without damaging anything.
Connect it to the battery and it should read a little above 12 volts when its off and 13.
Testing alternator by removing battery cable was a valid test back in the day before computers.
Start vehicle and voltage on voltmeter should increase to around 13 volts and stabilize there.
What are your thoughts.
If the engine cuts off it is a sure sign that the alternator has died.
If you re tempted to test an alternator by disconnecting the negative battery cable don t do it.
But it s no longer a safe test to perform on a modern vehicle.
Use a volt meter to test the voltage.
Today you risk frying every electrical device in your vehicle.
Can you test an alternator by removing battery cable.
A good alternator may indeed keep the engine running without the negative cable but this was never a good test.
Doing this would allow you to check whether the alternator is putting out enough current to run the vehicle.
Some newer cars will turn off even if the alternator is working good.