Got an issue I cant figure out...


Drove from Bend Oregon to Phoenix Saturday. About 3/4 of the way down here I noticed my volts gauge was reading 13v or so. Not a big deal, drove non stop, figured the regulator was just hot.


Sunday night on the way to the jobsite I noticed it was now at 12v...
Ok, lost another Alt, not the end of the world, I average about one a year or so. Lifetime warranty from Napa, 30 minutes to swap and your on your way.


New alt in, no charge. Check all the fuses, nothing blown, replace all the fuses anyway and still nothing.


Found the fuseable links at the starter solenoid were cooked. Replaced with a MAX fuse holder and a 30 amp fuse. Start truck, starts charging for a few seconds and nothing. Replace 30 amp fuse with a 60 (I dont know the rating for the factory fuseable links so...) Worked, but the wire harness gets HOT, so I know I have a short there somewhere.


I am in AZ, 1300 miles from home, so I dont have all my tools, sitting in the NAPA parking lot trying to figure it out...



Bandaid for now, a battery cable from the output of the ALT, to the drivers side battery. Not right, not safe, but it keeps me going from the hotel to the jobsite.


Anyone ever run into this issue?

 

Can you get the batteries load tested? You may have a bad battery or two!

 

I have seen starter solenoids fail like that twice. A big high impedance short to ground. They still function ( as in start the motor) but suck the charging system way down.

 

Didnt think about the starter solenoid... It works perfect, but that makes sense.

Its got an issue, driving around town, pop the hood and the ALT is hot to touch.

Anyone have a Top of motor harness laying around?

 

If you have one at home I'll pick it up and fedex it to you.

 

I had one off the Excursion when I converted it to a pickup PCM, but I did a bit of a shop purge a few weeks ago and threw out about a short bed pickup's worth of crap...

 

Love the binder, one of my favorite body styles of all time.

 

Another project I picked up a few weeks ago... LOL

 

Well, you don't say what year your Truck is so that makes it somewhat difficult to suggest a way forward. If you post that information I can provide all the information you may need.

Fist of all, the Starter can draw as much as 750 Amps on a healthy unit. More if it's worn. You need the Fusible Link as it's designed to dissipate heat and not separate until it's heated to the predetermined point. A fuse does not work the same.

But, before that, we need to determine where you're finding Earth.

I know you don't have tools. But, perhaps you can find a few inexpensive ones for a few dollars.

a. Disconnect the Starter from the Relay, See if it still gets Hot. If not you have identified the issue.

b. Disconnect the Feed Wire to the Solenoid, See if it still gets Hot. If not you have identified the issue.

Now you have eliminated or identified the bad "Part".

2. There is nothing incorrect about the way you have it connected. The Voltage Regulator will not over-charge the Batteries (unless of course it's defective).

 

It is a 2001 F250...if it is the one in his profile...

 

Sorry I forget that not everyone on here knows who I am...

Truck is a 2001 F-250.

 

This will refresh your memory of the who, what, where, and how to test.

http://bit.ly/1FeErDA

 

Did you find the swamp donkey in Prineville or La Pine?

 

LOL... Eugene area.

 

Anyone driving there truck that could pull over and feel there Alt? Mine is HOT to the touch, maybe that is normal, I dont remember, but the damn thing wants to burn me in a few seconds...