alternator light
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2003
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alternator light
I need some help again (you guys are great at this)! My alternator night flashes/blinks at me occasionally. It doesn't stay on, and the truck is running fine, actually is smooth and quiet and purrs! Also, when I turn the key to start it after the motor is already warm, the temp gauge goes past the middle briefly, the slowly floats back to normal position (1/3 of the way over). Any thoughts? Thanks again. 
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 289
Likes: 1
From: Raleigh, NC
My alternator light was flickering for a while then my regulator died and the light stayed on. Check your battery voltage before you start the truck and then check the voltage during idle and then again at fast idle. The exact voltage isn't critical but some ranges to expect are 12.5V +/- .5V when off, 13.3V +/- .5V at idle and no more than 13.8V at fast idle.
The regulators are fairly cheap and I discovered that the replacement solid-state regulator can have its top pried off and you can then re-install your old original-looking top by drilling a few small pilot holes for the self tapping sheet metal screws. This is because the replacement's cover was only about 1/2 inch tall vs. the original 1.5 inch top that was needed to clear the internal electromagnetic breaker/regulators.
Don't forget the obvious stuff like tight and clean battery cables at both ends!
Steve
The regulators are fairly cheap and I discovered that the replacement solid-state regulator can have its top pried off and you can then re-install your old original-looking top by drilling a few small pilot holes for the self tapping sheet metal screws. This is because the replacement's cover was only about 1/2 inch tall vs. the original 1.5 inch top that was needed to clear the internal electromagnetic breaker/regulators.
Don't forget the obvious stuff like tight and clean battery cables at both ends!
Steve
Laughing Gas
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 957
Likes: 3
From: Winchendon MA
Check the ground of the regulator! If your rad suport is rusty you might wish to run a 14 awg wire to the reg and to the alt to battery.
Oh and spend the $2 more if replaceing the reg and get the life time unit.
44dwarf
Oh and spend the $2 more if replaceing the reg and get the life time unit.
44dwarf
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 3,613
Likes: 6
From: Coal country
Your temp gauge is working normally; this is by design.
The coolant continues to absorb heat after the engine shuts down, but the water pump is no longer moving the heated water out of the block.
So the coolant around the sending unit gets much hotter than normal, but cools down once the waer starts flowing again.
You will notice in the old radiators that the rule for coolant level was 1" below the fill hole. This extra air space was to allow for the coolant to expand when it gets hot, instead of burping it out all when the engine shuts down.
Today's engines use a colant recovery system now,but the principle is the same.
The coolant continues to absorb heat after the engine shuts down, but the water pump is no longer moving the heated water out of the block.
So the coolant around the sending unit gets much hotter than normal, but cools down once the waer starts flowing again.
You will notice in the old radiators that the rule for coolant level was 1" below the fill hole. This extra air space was to allow for the coolant to expand when it gets hot, instead of burping it out all when the engine shuts down.
Today's engines use a colant recovery system now,but the principle is the same.
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