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07-21-2024, 06:50 PM | #1 |
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Location: Burbank, CA
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Battery, alternator or something else
I was driving today in my 62 c10 with a small block 350 and a 700r4 and it’s about 92 degrees outside. I start hearing a clicking sound from my ac which is running at full blast. I also noticed that my radio was cutting out when the ac was ticking. I thought o crud is something wrong with my ac motor. I turned off the ac and went to roll down my power windows and noticed that the radio goes out when the windows are running. I stopped at an auto parts store to buy a sun shade for another car and when I tried to start the truck it just made a ticking noise. I didn’t look at my volt gauge at that point. I removed my battery and had it charged for 30 minutes and then checked and it was bad. 6 year old battery. So I bought a new one. The truck stars right up like normal. I start heading home with ac running and radio playing and when I am around a mile down the road I look at my volt gage and it’s reading around 11 volts which seems low. So I turn off the ac and it stays in the same spot. I get home and let it idle and it doesn’t move it just stays at 11. I am used to it being around 11 or 12 volts. Did I get a bad battery? Is my alternator bad and I killed the first battery? I have plenty of ground strap going from engine to frame to cad. Maybe my engine to battery ground is loose. My wire to the alternator is tight and my belts are tight. I have hydro boost brakes and when I first started the truck I could hear a belt squeal when I pushed on the brakes but that went away quickly. The belts are tight.
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07-21-2024, 07:05 PM | #2 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
One more thing I noticed when trying to start it again when I got home was that when I was trying start it up it made a single click noise (like the one that happened when it would not start) once then started right up.
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07-21-2024, 10:28 PM | #3 |
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Location: washington
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Your new battery is likely fine. It takes 13V or so to charge your battery.
The clicking without turning over is typical of an undercharged battery. Something is wrong. If you can't test it get someone who can. Throwing parts at electrical issues seldom works out. Diagnosing is difficult but not impossible over the internet. Need to know the type of alternator, if the regulator is still installed or is it one wire setup. The list goes on and you will need a volt meter. You mentioned a Volt gauge, so I suspect the system isn't stock. Cheers |
07-21-2024, 10:44 PM | #4 |
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Location: Sonora California
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Electric is not my favorite subject, but I always heard that if your gauge reads negative voltage, it's a bad alternator because it is not charging the battery but if it shows excessive positive voltage, it's the battery because the alterneter is supplying all the power not the battery. It sounds correct to me but let's see what a better electrician has to say. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in.
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07-21-2024, 10:45 PM | #5 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Electric is not my favorite subject, but I always heard that if your gauge reads negative voltage, it's a bad alternator because it is not charging the battery but if it shows excessive positive voltage, it's the battery because the alterneter is supplying all the power not the battery. It sounds correct to me but let's see what a better electrician has to say. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will chime in.
I hate electrical issues. |
07-21-2024, 11:25 PM | #6 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
It sounds like you guys are feeling like it might be an alternator problem. I will remove it and get it tested. I hate trying to diagnose electrical over the computer also. It’s a power master one wire internally regulated alternator. Hopefully the local parts store can diagnose it. I will check back in with you guys if the alternator gets a clean bill of health.
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07-22-2024, 04:54 PM | #7 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
I hate electrical gremlins. Easy to first check with a volt meter at the battery while running. Should be around 14 volts I think if the alternator is working properly. Then check the wiring to the alternator and check directly at the alternator. I figured out that mine was bad that way.
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07-22-2024, 09:40 PM | #8 | |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Quote:
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07-23-2024, 03:24 AM | #9 | |
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Location: Elkhart, Texas
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Quote:
Based on what's happening now, I doubt the first battery was bad - just improperly tested.. A 30 minute "quick charge" will not build enough charge in a dead battery to give an accurate test.. 90% of the time, the battery will always test "bad".. A dead battery needs a slow charge for a few hours to bring it to full charge.. Never use the alternator to charge up a dead battery. Alternators aren't built to work like that. |
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07-23-2024, 10:54 AM | #10 | |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Quote:
Don't worry I didn't try and use the alternators to charge a dead battery. It was the auto parts store that tried to charge the battery and then tested it on Sunday. So at 12.01 volts we are definitely thinking that it is a bad alternators? |
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07-23-2024, 02:11 PM | #11 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
bad alt if the fan belt is tight
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07-23-2024, 04:32 PM | #12 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
I was just talking to a coworker and he said that a good way to check your alternator is to start the vehicle and then unplug the battery. If the truck keeps running than your alternator is working. If it stops then you know that the alternator is not working.
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07-23-2024, 06:14 PM | #13 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
if you want to check the alt, lay a screwdriver behind the alt at the bearing if it is charging there will be a magnetic field that will pull the screwdriver to the bearing while it is running
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07-23-2024, 08:41 PM | #14 | |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Quote:
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07-23-2024, 08:46 PM | #15 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
NEVER EVER DO THAT!!!!.. The alternator will not have a place to put the output, plus it will "see" a totally dead battery, go wide open, and it will almost instantly blow the alternator.. Is your "coworker" a trained automotive technician??? With that statement, I doubt not.
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07-23-2024, 08:52 PM | #16 | |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
Quote:
It seemed sketchy when I heard it. Unplugging anything with the engine running sounds like a bad idea |
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07-23-2024, 08:56 PM | #17 |
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Re: Battery, alternator or something else
I will have it checked
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