electrical voltage weirdness- no start
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
electrical voltage weirdness- no start
I had my truck parked for a week, started right up at 17 degrees out this morning. I drove it 120 miles, and noticed the voltage gauge was low- at about 9volts. I stopped a couple times, the last time I stopped the engine barely cranked. I pop-started it in reverse down a hill and got it home.
Now that I'm home I was thinking it was the alternator. I tested the voltage at the batteries and they were at 9.5 volts.
I stepped inside for about 30 min and went to check the voltage again. Now it was at 11.5 ish, and kinda jumping all over.
I tried to start it and the glow plug whine didn't happen. So I turned the key to recycle them and it did happen, so I tried to start it and just got a machine gun-like clicking.
What the heck is going on? This is my daily driver, so I'm kinda screwed until I can figure this out. Any sound quick advice? I have recently replaced the starter with a nearly new one.
Now that I'm home I was thinking it was the alternator. I tested the voltage at the batteries and they were at 9.5 volts.
I stepped inside for about 30 min and went to check the voltage again. Now it was at 11.5 ish, and kinda jumping all over.
I tried to start it and the glow plug whine didn't happen. So I turned the key to recycle them and it did happen, so I tried to start it and just got a machine gun-like clicking.
What the heck is going on? This is my daily driver, so I'm kinda screwed until I can figure this out. Any sound quick advice? I have recently replaced the starter with a nearly new one.
Thread Starter
|
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Where is the voltage regulator?
i ain't rite
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 65,613
Likes: 5,632
From: Marlboro Mental Hospital.
low battery voltage will cause all kinds of weird problems.
and the usual cause for low battery voltage is no output from the alternator.
sometimes it is caused by something as simple as the plug going into the alternator melting. or it could be a dead alternator. as for where the voltage regulator is, it could be in the alternator, or a separate unit mounted on the inner fender.
it could also be bad battery cables, or bad batteries. the biggest killers of batteries is temp changes from hot to cold, or cold to hot.
the first thing you have to do is get both batteries charged up to start the engine, the do voltage tests at batteries, and output of the alternator.
and the usual cause for low battery voltage is no output from the alternator.
sometimes it is caused by something as simple as the plug going into the alternator melting. or it could be a dead alternator. as for where the voltage regulator is, it could be in the alternator, or a separate unit mounted on the inner fender.
it could also be bad battery cables, or bad batteries. the biggest killers of batteries is temp changes from hot to cold, or cold to hot.
the first thing you have to do is get both batteries charged up to start the engine, the do voltage tests at batteries, and output of the alternator.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
Hot temps. They stroke out in the summer, but die in the cold. Northern climate dwellers can often get 7-10 years out of a battery, but folks in Texas or Arizona claim 3 years is doing good. I believe them. Batteries meant for the South are made a bit differently, even.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
