batteries
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
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From: south jersey
batteries
1993 na 185,00
this summer my batteries died out of no where i went to work truck started fine 3 hours later the truck wouldnt start so had to be jumped took it home let it sit for a couple hours and it wouldnt start. so i had the batteries load tested and they were dead. got new batteries the truck started fine about a month later the truck wouldnt turn over again so some one gave me a jump and it started fine for about 2 weeks then the truck wouldnt turn over again so had to jump it and every time i tried to start it since that (about 3 weeks) its been fine well i went to school today truck was fine this morning went out to it to leave about 7 hours later and batteries were dead agian. i was wondering if any one had any idea of what could be going on
thanks
mike
this summer my batteries died out of no where i went to work truck started fine 3 hours later the truck wouldnt start so had to be jumped took it home let it sit for a couple hours and it wouldnt start. so i had the batteries load tested and they were dead. got new batteries the truck started fine about a month later the truck wouldnt turn over again so some one gave me a jump and it started fine for about 2 weeks then the truck wouldnt turn over again so had to jump it and every time i tried to start it since that (about 3 weeks) its been fine well i went to school today truck was fine this morning went out to it to leave about 7 hours later and batteries were dead agian. i was wondering if any one had any idea of what could be going on
thanks
mike
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From: Bertha Minnesota
Have you had your new batteries load tested? New doesn't always mean good. From what a mechanic told me on a 2 battery system if one battery is bad it will pull the good battery down to what it's putting out.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
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From: Huntington Indiana
Rule of thumb is when you have one battery go bad it will take down the second. This is why you do both batteries at once. Load testing will tell which one is bad but unless you put it under an actual load (older testers) it might give a false (good) reading. I've had this happen more than once.
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Senior User
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From: south jersey
i had them load tested and the batteries were good just low on charge. the guy there said that the alternator might be bad but im not sure how that could be if the truck started fine for a month
Lead Driver
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,782
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From: Huntington Indiana
Take a volt meter and check the voltage coming off the alternator. It should be around 14 volts. If it is 12 or less then it is not working properly and should be pulled and bench tested.
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Senior User
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From: south jersey
i tested at the batteries when the truck was off they had 12.04 volts when it was runnign they had aroud 14.something volts
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Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Memphis TN
If the thing is charging intermittently, check your voltage regulator, the little silver box behind the passenger side battery sorta near the starter solenoid. They can do squirrelly things like cause intermittent charging when they crap out. I chased what I thought was a power draw for weeks before I changed that out, all better.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Nutter Fort, WV
Did the person that load tested the batteries isolate the batteries from each other?
Few people are used to testig dual battery setups, so they just hook the tester to the batteries while they are hooked together. One good battery will mask a bad battery giving the appearance that the batteries are good, but low on charge.
Dual battery systems must have the positive battery cable removed from one of the batteries while load testing them.
Few people are used to testig dual battery setups, so they just hook the tester to the batteries while they are hooked together. One good battery will mask a bad battery giving the appearance that the batteries are good, but low on charge.
Dual battery systems must have the positive battery cable removed from one of the batteries while load testing them.
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Senior User
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From: south jersey
i pulled the battery cables before the guy hooked up the tester. so yes they were isolated. this morning i went out to start the truck when it started i was watching the volt gauege and it was jumping for the lowest point to about the middle it did that for like 10 seconds then it went to the middle and stayed there
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Senior User
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From: south jersey
i was wondering can the alternator be working but just not as good as it should because the batteries will start the truck fine and run the lites and all that stuff for about 2 weeks than they get low and wont turn it over. i dont think the the batteries would last that long if they were not getting charged but i could be wrong
Post Fiend
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 21,285
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From: Nutter Fort, WV
While it is hooked up to that fancy tester most parts places use.
I had a guy tell me my batteries were good but low on charge.
He also told me the alternator was good, it was putting out 14.1 volts and 7 amps.
I was running a 125 amp alternator.
Turned the engine off and unhooked his test equipment, the engine would not start.
I installed a new alternator right there in the parking lot, jump started the engine and suddenly the alternator was putting out 13.9 volts and 100 amps.
Turned the engine off, removed the test equipment and the engine fired right up.
Test equipment is only as good as the person running it.
When you look at the amps the alternator is putting out with low batteries it should be at least 75 or 80 percent of the max alternator rating.
Most of the replacement alternators are anywhere between 60 and 165 amps depending on where you get it and how much you pay for it.
Advance Auto shows a reman 60 amp for 29.95 and a 165 amp reman for 205.99.
I had a guy tell me my batteries were good but low on charge.
He also told me the alternator was good, it was putting out 14.1 volts and 7 amps.
I was running a 125 amp alternator.
Turned the engine off and unhooked his test equipment, the engine would not start.
I installed a new alternator right there in the parking lot, jump started the engine and suddenly the alternator was putting out 13.9 volts and 100 amps.
Turned the engine off, removed the test equipment and the engine fired right up.
Test equipment is only as good as the person running it.
When you look at the amps the alternator is putting out with low batteries it should be at least 75 or 80 percent of the max alternator rating.
Most of the replacement alternators are anywhere between 60 and 165 amps depending on where you get it and how much you pay for it.
Advance Auto shows a reman 60 amp for 29.95 and a 165 amp reman for 205.99.