Ok where do I start? My wife called me the other day and told me the battery was dead in the truck , she got a jump and drove it home but barely made it because she said the radio died and voltmeter was going down. I came home charged the battery and started the truck, pulled the pos side off the battery and it shut down so I had her take the alternator to the parts store to have it tested and they said it was fine. I got out my test meter and I have continuity between ground and pos evrywhere under the hood. I did find that the small wire going from batt to the starter was rubbed bare frome rubbing on the motor mount but I pulled it away from the mount and still I have cont. at the alternator connector and from pos connector at the battery (not conn. to battery) to the neg side of the battery. has anyone had this problem? any ideas?

 

Could be the voltage regulator, either external (89-91) or integrated to the PCM (92-93). I've had both go bad and cause problems.

Daniel

 

Do you think that it could cause a short? or the appearance of one?

 

I would expect it to shut down pulling the battery lead off. That would have the same effect at the IP's shutdown solenoid as turning off the key, unless you have the shutdown solenoid jumped.

How many volts does it read running? Should be around 14v if it is charging. Something killed the battery.

 

Yes it could fail so that it looks like a short. But so could a lot of other things.

First verify that something is killing your battery. Disconnect the Neg. connector on the battery and then put your meter on volts DC and check the voltage of the battery.

Now reconnect the Neg. connector on to the battery while watching the volts on the meter. If the volts go down then something is drawing current and may be your problem.

If something is drawing current then you just have to figure out what it is. Be careful because things like key switch lights (and the heater/timer thingy), interior lights (if the doors are open), and others that I'm not aware of, can throw you curve *****.

Keep plugging away,

JP.

 

Thanks I reconnected the battery and it stopped giving continuity I put the alternator back in and started the truck I checked the voltage at all the connections on the alt. an got 12.4 volts I still do not think its charging I also got 12.4 at the battery. should'nt I get more voltage at certain points? also can anyone direct me to a thread or somewhere to figure out how to read the codes because the check engine light is on

 

Probably just time for a new alternator. But I'd have it tested first.

 

I did as I said in my first post they said it was fine.

 

With the motor running you should see more than 12.4V at the battery. I would think that at this time of year in Plant City the grid heaters are not coming on.

I thought that you meant that you had the battery tested. Wouldn't hurt to have a battery guy check that, just eliminate another variable. Or if you have another vehicle swap batteries and see what happens. If the truck battery charges up past 12.4 in the other vehicle, then like Ace said, might be time for a new alternator. (Edit: Or time for a voltage regulator if its not part of the alternator. Now that I think about it I seem to remember reading that some 1st gens have the regulator some where else. ??)

JP.

 

Thanks for the reply guy's I'll try that tomorrow and give ya'll an update

Clint

 

As to the continuity reading through, like a short, it will read continuity through everything that is connected to ground, i.e. bulbs, motors, etc.

This is normal.

I thought I had a bad short in a big trailer full of lights, when I stuck the tester to a light wire and ground.

Then I got to thinking, each and every bulb is a direct connection to ground, unless the filament is broken.

Think about it.

 

It reads to me, like you had the battery tested.

 

Ace, youre right I fixed that. BearKiller youre also right I think I just freaked out and got way too exited I'll take both up to the parts house today and have them tested. I think Im gonna buy a new alternator anyway Because my wife thought she would help by pulling the wires off and broke one of the small studs on the alternator by turning the wrench the wrong way

 

It was the alternator. I had the battery tested it was good so I bought a new alternator, put it in and WHADAYAKNOW it'a charging. Lesson learned? dont trust Autozone to test my stuff. Thanks for the replies I really do appreciate it.

 

Sounds like the wife's "help" was what solved the problem.
lol