Need some help / input here. Replaced my alternator in my '00 TLC a few months ago with a denso reman unit with lifetime warranty. So Friday I leave my office and as I'm coasting up to a stop light all the lights on the dash come on - can't say for sure if power steering was lost - two seconds later they're off and truck is running. I didn't have to restart it and never took it out of gear. Went to my appointment puzzled by what happened and when I got back in the truck an hour or less later the truck won't start - no lights other than door open, no accessories, nothing. Get on the phone with my shop and we're all scratching our heads - wondering if something in the ignition switch. I have a jumper pack with me so I hook it up and truck sluggishly starts - great - but wait. So I'm calling the shop back as I'm sitting in the drive out of the business and a vehicle approaches from the rear so I put my window down to wave them around and as I hit the flashers the truck dies. I'm able to get it started again With the jumper pack so I pull back into a parking spot as I talk with the shop - everyone is thinking alternator at this point. A guy from the shop is swinging by on his way home so I stick tight. Decide to test drive it in the lot and it dies within 100 yards or so so I drift back into a parking spot and wait. He was unable to jump it and couldn't get the battery to charge while attached to his running vehicle for a while.
I took the battery back to Sams since it was only 18 months old - at first they tell me it's good but needs to be recharged. They put it on the charger and call me 45 mintues later to tell me the battery won't hold a charge and there may be a couple of bad cells and to come back and they give me a new one. Walk out with new batter in hand. Call O'Reilly after that about how we need to work the alternator warranty replacement and I decide to go buy the new one and will take the bad one back for full refund per their suggestion. Go install the new battery myself and the truck starts as normal. Leave the alternator there assuming it will be installed.
Just got the call from the shop and they alternator is testing fine. What?!?!? Thought the alternator took over once the truck is started.
Guy at the shop calls a buddy who rebuilds alternators and starters since he's puzzled too. He was told that if a battery is completely toast it could cause the vehicle to die because the alternator is trying its hardest to charge the battery and any additional load by accessories, etc. may be too much.
Any ideas here? Do I trust that a new battery is all that was needed since the alternator apparently tests normal? Can alternators have intermittent issues - such that it tests normal, but may not tomorrow? Is there some other part that could be in play here?
I took the battery back to Sams since it was only 18 months old - at first they tell me it's good but needs to be recharged. They put it on the charger and call me 45 mintues later to tell me the battery won't hold a charge and there may be a couple of bad cells and to come back and they give me a new one. Walk out with new batter in hand. Call O'Reilly after that about how we need to work the alternator warranty replacement and I decide to go buy the new one and will take the bad one back for full refund per their suggestion. Go install the new battery myself and the truck starts as normal. Leave the alternator there assuming it will be installed.
Just got the call from the shop and they alternator is testing fine. What?!?!? Thought the alternator took over once the truck is started.
Guy at the shop calls a buddy who rebuilds alternators and starters since he's puzzled too. He was told that if a battery is completely toast it could cause the vehicle to die because the alternator is trying its hardest to charge the battery and any additional load by accessories, etc. may be too much.
Any ideas here? Do I trust that a new battery is all that was needed since the alternator apparently tests normal? Can alternators have intermittent issues - such that it tests normal, but may not tomorrow? Is there some other part that could be in play here?