toasted alternator? (1 Viewer)

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DustyFJ

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Location
Woodbine, MD
I had to winch out of a sticky spot, now Im having issues.

I can jump the truck and it starts but if I do anything that takes electricity I can watch the battery meter go down till the truck finnaly dies.

I read on another post about a fuseable link, is there such a thing, and should I checking that before replaceing the alternator?

The truck is about two hours from me so what ever I do it will be a couple weeks before I can get to it.
 
sooo, sound like a fuseable link???
 
It sounds like the alternator.

That situation could defiantly fry it. If you winch often a second battery with an isolator that will split the 2 when the main battery drops to low is a good idea.
 
Sounds like the alternator to me too. The same thing happened to me a few months ago. Did you test the battery to see if it still has juice?
 
Sounds like the alternator to me too. The same thing happened to me a few months ago. Did you test the battery to see if it still has juice?

The battery is definately dead, if I hook it up to my pickup with jumper cables it takes a charge and will start. But once I unhook the jumper cables, any use of the power windows etc causes the voltage meter to go down. Once ive used enough power the truck will sputter out and die.

The biggest problem is I dont have the truck here to look at it. I need to come up with a solution and drive over there to fix it in order to get it home.
 
Just go buy a new battery, If you buy a good new battery since you need a new one anyway and then make sure its charged up you can drive for 3-4 hours without an alternator as long as its during the day. If you have a friend with a boat borrow a marine starting battery. Take an extra one of your other cars or a friends battery just in case.

Changing the alt doesn't take to long either but if you wanted to get it home before you bought anything you shouldn't have any trouble getting it home especially if you bring 2 charged batteries.
 
Last edited:
Hi All:

You need to find a bon-a-fide auto electric shop that can test both the battery (for CCA) and the alternator (to see if it is producing any electric current.)

Good luck!

Alan
 
Drove up to the cabin lasat weekend and got the alternator changed. Had a great day hanging out with the kids, riding dirt bikes and playing airsoft, but.....I forgot the key to the yota. :bang:


So I had no way to see if changing the alternator fixed the problem. I took the factory alternator to auto zone to have it tested and it failed. So I'm thinkning with a new alternator the truck should start after I charge the battery.

I ordered the fuseable link from cruiser dan. I'll bring it with me next time I can make it up there just in case.
 
New problem....

New problem....

I drove the tuck to the gym in some heavy rain a week ago. On the way home the alternator seemed to be having a hard time keeping up I had to turn off my headlights and wipers to keep the voltage up, But I made it home.

Then the truck sat for a week while I was out of town. It started under its own power to my surprise. Alternator still couldnt keep up though. Volt meter says 11.7v comming off of the alternator.

Sooo, should I guess pull it and take it to autozone? I think there must be some kind of warrenty. It was only last july I bought the alternator.
 
Sounds like a aftermarket rebuild alternator. Do you still have the factory one or did you turn it in as a core? If you still have it find a local alt rebuild shop and have them re-build it.
 
I turned the factory one in for the core charge.

Just talked to auto zone and they are ordering one for me under warrenty. But its still a giant pita to change it out.
 

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