DODGER BOMBER

So the past little while, i have been having problems with my truck over charging. So the other day, it finally went ka put. The alt gauge went right down to 0 from 12 and would not come back up. So i called the local dealership, to ask them about it, and i got the usual bull from them. O just bring it to us so we can take u for a ride. But i just wanted to know if the volatge regulaor was in the computer(cause apparently they have been since 88) or is there one in the altinator also.Well apparenly there is both. So i spend the 400 bones on one and put it in.( I had removed my boxes just to make sure it was not one of them causeing this problem.) So i installed the new one and all is good. So as i went to leave the driveway last nite, i get down the street and same thing again.So now im confuesed on what the hack it could be. I will say this also though, the same thing happened in December/06 and i installed 2 new batteries and problem solved.So do u guys think my batteries could be fried already, or is it something else??? The truck only have 120100KM on it and this is starting to make me mad.

FYI::::: Pass battery charging @ 18.4V and drivers was at 11.47V. Im confuesed and really dont like takin my truck in as i always walk away with a 1500 bill each time.

Haulin_in_Dixie

18.4 will fry your battery. You also must have a bad cable or contact between them, they should be the same.

DODGER BOMBER

ya i know.once the new altinator was installed, they were both at 14.4v. so it was all good for a few hours but then that was it. ill lookinto new cables and hopefully that helps.

DODGER BOMBER

o ya,the pass abttery is fried now, goin in monday to get a free warrenty battery. good thing for 60 month free replacement.

DODGER BOMBER

no one else has any ideas

DODGER BOMBER

so i thought i had it all figured out, until today. We went out quadin and after that i started my truck and same thing. So i started driving home and no charge on the gauge. So i pulled over and shut my truck off and waited for the other two guys. Then i had a brain fart and decided to hook the booster cables from one side to the other. Then i looked at the gauge and all is fixed. So i removed the negative and the problem came back. So then i just hooked the negatives together and it started chargin again. so after a new bttery and altinator, i learned an easy leson of to maybe check the grounds first and go from there.

Haulin_in_Dixie

Ok glad you figured it out. Now there is still a problem, neither battery is making a complete circuit. When all is right, you should be able to run on either battery just with less starting power. Looks like you have lost the ground on the battery that connects to the power box and then maybe the positive on the other battery. At any rate, you need to check the grounds of both batteries and the positive cross over on both ends.

See you are not getting any battery power to the altinator which is why it gets to flare up to 18 volts, when the battery is connected it ballasts it back down to charge rate. Almost sounds like the fuse or the connection in the power box might be inferior.

XLR8R

X 2 on the batteries' main ground & crossover cables....

Which fuse in the PDC do you suspect?

Haulin_in_Dixie

The only fuse involved is a large one right near the cable entrance of the power box. I should be 140 amp. It is held on with two nuts.

XLR8R

That's the one I thought of too - you think it might be loose?

DODGER BOMBER

can u take a pic of that so i can check that also. i went and startd it this morning and it took a little more than usual, but it went, and no problems. so i unloaded my quad and turned the truck around and shut it off. but then i realized i had to get my quad in the garage after. so i started it again(booster cable negatives still hooked up) and the gauge started falling. so i jumped out and took the volt meter and there it is again. So i hooked positve and negative onto both batteries and then i was chargin fine again. so im confused. my parts store is not open till monday so im gonna get all new cable and battery clamps and just redo all of the wireing for the two batteres and all of the grounds.