weel my wife took my truck to town yesterday and when she got home she said the dash gauges, radio went out.
when she got home they started working again.
i went out today after work to look at it and when i leaned over on the engine to prop myself up i leaned on the alternator and it was to hot to lay my arm on.
it had set up for over 24 hours with out being cranked so i dont know why it would be hot,
i was thinking this might be some of my problem.
i also have an oil leak some where in the engine vally.
the oil is from the front of the vally running out the back.
i found a wire that was unpluged. it has 2 wires going to a clip that was on the drivers side of the fuel filter bowl close to the bottom.
i dont know how long it has been unpluged or what is does.
im going back out to check voltage with the truck running.
and check the fuses, and wires under and arround the steering colum for worn insulation that may cause the crazy gauges.
if anyone knows what the wires on the filter go to i would be thankfull.
as always thanks in advance.
dont know what id do if i had not found such a helpful site withe great members.
probably spend alot of money to let someone else work on my truck.

 

Some folks unplug those wires for fear of the fuel bowl heater shorting out. Causing a road side call.. I would leave it unplugged and tape up the end if your not in cold climate.

 

i found my turbo pedistal orings leak, and fill the valley with oil then dump it out under the truck when it gets enough in the valley.. wash it good with low pressure and simple green then get some pics after a drive. you can jam a camera down in there if its a slim pocket type.

 

thanks guys.
i got side tracked my wife made a big pot of coona$$ red beans and rice.and a pan of cornbread. i like to put the cornbread in a big glass of milk like an after dinner dessert.dont know if thats a south thing or if everyone does it. but you should try it.
with me being half french(mom was a revia) its hard for me to pass up her cooking she is also half french(geatreaux--thats gotro).
but anyway.
i dont know if i was checking the batteries the right way i have a digetal meter but cant find it, so i used an old one that has a swing arm on it.
i had it on the 0 to 50 dc volt setting and got 12 volts not running.
and 12 with it running ac and lights on and then off.
did i check it on the right setting and does this sound low.
the batteries or 2 years old they or interstate i think like platinum or premium.
i checked the alternater where the big wire comes off it to the batts and got 12 volts.
also checked the fuses, all good and no visable wear to wires under colum.
luckely i have a work car i drive and dont have to take the truck.
funny my 3/4 ton 4x4 - 4inch lift spring truck rides better than my snuff can of a car.lol
if it did not run me $ 100 to $120 a week to drive the truck id sell the hyundai.
man i kringe at the thought of being in a wreck in that tin can.
i was in a hit and run first of the year in it and i think thats the root of my back problems.
im a pretty level headed guy but id love to find the guy that hit me then took off.

 

Man that sounds good.. I would stop working on the truck as well, I wouldn't miss that.

You batteries look ok. Hard to tell 10/13 volts with the swing arm type sometimes. I have one like that also. I know what you mean.

Just for giggles, Remove the access panel under your steering wheel and look to the right along the wall. Right hand side, towards the radio.. There are grounding wires there. I wonder if one is loose..

 

This is usually an indication of the diodes in the alt giving up and drawing current with it being that hot I am suprised that it didnt drain your battery,

 

jim. i dont know much about alternators but i was thinking that something may not be opening or closing, and keeping voltage going through it.
when i felt it that hot i was thinking maybe it was due to the outside temps today,
but nothing else was near that hot.
dan, im going back to check the grounds and see if ones loose now.

 

well the grounds were tight. im at a loss.
i was thinking back and if i remember right i unhooked the wires goung to what is the fuel filter bowl heater.
im kind of scared to take off to work in it.
i have a pretty good drive 40 to 45 miles one way.
hate to waste a day of vacation brokedown on road side. we dont have personal days .have to burn vacation to be off.

 

It should have been the same temp of everything else around it. If it is that warm then it is on its way out via a leaking diode. If you disconnect the wire from the back of the alt and the temp is the same as ambient and everything else around it then that is a tell tale sign.

 

thanks jim.
im going out to see if its hot today then ill unplug it for a day.maybe that is what caused the gauges to act odd.

 

O wow i missed that part about the alternator being hot to the touch after 24hrs of not running. Why i don't read novels. I don't catch everything.

How it go? Hot? Sounds like it could be the culprit. Good catch Jim. If you take alternators into autozone for testing will it be tested for Diode leakage? Will it show up?

 

dont forget to check the muffler bearings as ive seen this be the problem many times over.

 

Your welcome Don. make sure that you take the wire off that hoes to the batteries and not the small ones that plug in,

I dont know if that test will show that Dan. Great question!

 

forgot to post last nights results. well the alternator was stone cold.
i did crank it the day before so maybe it like reset itself or worked right that time?
im going to have some cortizone shots for my back pain friday morning, so if i feel good saturday i think ill take it to autozone and have them check the voltage and the alternator.
thanks again