Charging and Running Problems
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Cross-Country
Joined: Mar 2016
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Ok I drove the truck around a little bit yesterday with the new spark plug wires after I replaced them because I havent driven it around after I replaced them until yesterday when I cleaned off the spark plug and I drove it today and checked the spark plug that was black before I cleaned it. Good news it has a good fuel to air ratio because it was the color it was supposed to be, a brownish color. Now my pickup runs extremely well and Im glad that was the problem. I also will be getting a new bigger battery because the one on there is too small for that pickup but all in all everything is fixed. Thank you guys for the help.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Central Florida
Anyway, you found and fixed the problem and you got off easily and cheaply. Good show! Enjoy the ride.
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Cross-Country
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Thank you and yes I bought a set with the coil wire but it was the precut set and the coil wire was too short. I am going to get a highdollar set of wires from a buddy of mine to replace the ones I just got and keep the ones I just got for a backup set.
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Cross-Country
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Okay I am back for round 2 of the charging problem. I replaced the alternator, battery, starter solenoid, and the regulator. The truck ran perfectly fine until today. I go to start my pickup and the alternator light comes on. I drive it around to see if it would just shut off and it didn't. Thinking that I had gotten a bad alternator I took it back and exchanged it for another one. I put the new one on and it did the same exact thing. I would let it run for maybe 10 minutes and watched the volts drop. when I shut it off at 11.5 volts and tried to charge it back up and it was really hard to start after that. I was told to check the belts, so I replaced them and the battery would still drain as it was running. This is very frustrating especially after you think you solved the problem.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
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From: Waterloo, Iowa
http://www.aa1car.com/library/voltage_drop_testing.htm
See earlier post where I linked charging system checks. These are simple tests, no disconnecting or disassembly required really, just an accurate voltmeter needed.
Keep the battery on a charger and (probably) disconnected till you get this sorted out. There may be a "phantom" or parasitic load draining the battery as well. See the AA1 website on testing for parasitic battery drain. Let us know what you find.
Remember too, the alternator will choke trying to run all the lights and ignition and charge up a dead battery all the time. Always pair a good battery with a good alternator.
Spring for new cables and ground straps, grind down to bright shiny metal at block, frame, and firewall and tighten securely. This is important.
See earlier post where I linked charging system checks. These are simple tests, no disconnecting or disassembly required really, just an accurate voltmeter needed.
Keep the battery on a charger and (probably) disconnected till you get this sorted out. There may be a "phantom" or parasitic load draining the battery as well. See the AA1 website on testing for parasitic battery drain. Let us know what you find.
Remember too, the alternator will choke trying to run all the lights and ignition and charge up a dead battery all the time. Always pair a good battery with a good alternator.
Spring for new cables and ground straps, grind down to bright shiny metal at block, frame, and firewall and tighten securely. This is important.
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Cross-Country
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Ok so I tried checking the voltage and sanding down the connections to make sure they were all good. I put a tighter belt on and a new regulator to see if that would work. None of the above fixed my problem it still comes on with the alternator light when you turn the key to accessories or to start it and the battery still drains. I checked the voltage on the battery when the truck is turned off and it stays constant so nothing is draining the battery while it is off. The only other thing that I can think of would be to check the starter solenoid because we did have to go through 2 new starters.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
Likes: 97
From: Waterloo, Iowa
You mentioned in your first post that the battery is being drained in a few hours, and then needs a jump. Checking for parasitic load or "phantom" drains means testing for milliampere drain. Not voltage.
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Cross-Country
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ok when I have the motor running I have the volt meter hooked up and it was at around 13.48 and as I let it run it would bounce from 13.48 to 13.47 back and forth a couple of times and then down to 13.47 and the same thing happens as it goes farther down in volts.
What would I test for the milliampere drain?
What would I test for the milliampere drain?
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Cross-Country
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I also just found out that there is supposed to be a Field Terminal. The wire is connected to the alternator, but there is no actual terminal, it just goes from the alternator to the regulator box. Also there is a cut wire that comes out of the A spot on the Regulator plug along with another wire that is connected.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 19,311
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From: Waterloo, Iowa
Post #4 has a link to all the charging checks needed to make. A later post has the link to the voltage drop testing.
Same website, if you dig around has the parasitic drain test.
YouTube has some good parasitic drain testing instruction as well. Eric the Car guy for example..
Short answer: Need to see 14.x in order for charging to occur, basically.
Same website, if you dig around has the parasitic drain test.
YouTube has some good parasitic drain testing instruction as well. Eric the Car guy for example..
Short answer: Need to see 14.x in order for charging to occur, basically.
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Ok I spent a lot of time looking at the wires cleaning them and making sure that they had all good connections. I did some searching and came across wiring diagrams and read what each of them went to and how they hooked up. I checked the wires that were on my alternator and some of the connections were missing. I have never put a new alternator in so I took the old alternator and matched the wire locations to the new one. It turns out the previous owner did not know what he was doing because he had the field wire from the regulator box hooked up to the ground spot and the ground spot needed a ground. So what I did was put the field wire where it was supposed to go and added a ground. The alternator light went off and I measured the volt reading and it was a little bit above 14. All in all the previous owner did not know what he was doing and it was the wiring job that was bad not anything else, even though most of the charging system could probably be replaced anyway. Thank you for all the help!
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