Electrical problem,,need answers!
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 431
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From: Hampton,Va
Electrical problem,,need answers!
This problem started a few weeks backs only slightly at first but is more persistant now. Here goes, sometimes it seems it is running soley off the alternator, for example today everything was going good , gauge was reading fine then I hit the button for the window , then my amp for the stereo stopped working, gauge was eractic , the tranny was shifting hard , engine revved a little while sitting at light, got worse as I drove on ,I was scared to turn it off, wanted to get home.when I do cut the truck off when it does this there is NO POWER at all, after a little time it will start up.
My ideas: maybe my MSD 6a box is going bad , it started shortly after installing it.OR?
I stopped halfway home disconnected the box from power and the harness to coil and just went with the coil , started right up ,no problem for half an hour on the road.
Anyone ever heard of this? gonna drive with the 6A disconnected to see if that is the problem or could it be something else?
Sorry for the long post
Mike
My ideas: maybe my MSD 6a box is going bad , it started shortly after installing it.OR?
I stopped halfway home disconnected the box from power and the harness to coil and just went with the coil , started right up ,no problem for half an hour on the road.
Anyone ever heard of this? gonna drive with the 6A disconnected to see if that is the problem or could it be something else?
Sorry for the long post
Mike
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,372
Likes: 14
From: West Cornwall, CT
This sounds more like poor connections at one or both battery terminals. The connection could be bad or perhaps one of the battery cables is internally damaged.
For sarters I would clean each terminal and make sure the connection is solid. With good connections and a decent battery, all of your accessories and lights should work OK when the engine is off. This is easy to check.
Crummy electrical connections are common on older trucks and can cause some strange symptoms. If your MSD system worked OK in the past, it is probably not the cause of your problem.
Lou Braun
For sarters I would clean each terminal and make sure the connection is solid. With good connections and a decent battery, all of your accessories and lights should work OK when the engine is off. This is easy to check.
Crummy electrical connections are common on older trucks and can cause some strange symptoms. If your MSD system worked OK in the past, it is probably not the cause of your problem.
Lou Braun
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Hampton,Va
So I should check all my wiring then , sounds good to me, I'll give it a try. They work most of the time , but when it snaps off, things still work but I can tell something is not right, like it is starving for voltage.
Mike
Mike
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
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From: New Jersey
Check the battery connections first, then make sure your ground strap between the engine and the frame hasn't rotted off. I had the exact same symptoms when my ground strap decided to fall off.
The alternator's ground is the engine block - and if that block isn't grounded the frame and the radiator support then you essentially have potential for many, many oddball electrical problems.
And the ground straps always rot off eventually - it's just a matter of time. They're bare braided wire so salt, water, etc, gets trapped in them and they rot faster than the frame/body.
The alternator's ground is the engine block - and if that block isn't grounded the frame and the radiator support then you essentially have potential for many, many oddball electrical problems.
And the ground straps always rot off eventually - it's just a matter of time. They're bare braided wire so salt, water, etc, gets trapped in them and they rot faster than the frame/body.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 1,279
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From: savannah,ga
after checking all the connections
the check the alt.
the truck is always running off of the alt.
the batt. is a storage unit
the only time it is used is to crank the truck
or run the acc. when the engine is off
check all the wires on the back of the alt. and then
get it load tested at a local AAP or eq.
these symptoms are possible with a weak alt.
the check the alt.
the truck is always running off of the alt.
the batt. is a storage unit
the only time it is used is to crank the truck
or run the acc. when the engine is off
check all the wires on the back of the alt. and then
get it load tested at a local AAP or eq.
these symptoms are possible with a weak alt.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 431
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From: Hampton,Va
Ok , went to the local Advance and had the alternator checked, it's final reading was 60.6 amps w/ the A/c running, whats the verdict ,is it enough amperage to have my stereo amp and ac and 6A box going?
I posted on friday and since unhooking the 6A box there has been no problems since, I drove for a couple hundred miles since Friday with no problems.
Mike
I posted on friday and since unhooking the 6A box there has been no problems since, I drove for a couple hundred miles since Friday with no problems.
Mike
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