This morning I went to start my 2003 CTD and would hardly turn over. Out came the charger and after an hour, it started right up.( I noticed a little corrosion on one of the neg batt. poles.) I drove the truck on some errands, one hour, the alternator gauge was showing 13-14 volt charge.

This afternoon, I started the truck to check things out. The alternator gauge showed only about 11-12 volt charge.

So my question to you is, do you think I have a battery or alternator problem.

(The truck has 204,000 miles on both the battery and alternator)

Your input is appreciated.

Art

 

Did you let it run long enough for the grids to stop cycling?

 

jharwick,
That's a good question, I think the grids were still cycling. I only let it run for about 2-3 minutes.

Art

 

unless he only drove it at 14 mph and lower the grids stopped. after 15mph it will shut the grid system down (or 3 minutes of ideling).

clean terminals and take to autozone or some place to test batteries. they do it for free. if 1 is low, replace both as a pair.

 

X2 on the cleaning of the terminals and replacement in pairs. Also check the ground(s). Don't just loosen and tighten, take them off and brush them clean. If you have a VOM, do a resistance check between the battery post and the battery terminal; do the same with the ground connections. If the connections aren't clean and tight, it will screw up all manner of things!

 

It never hurts to keep the terminals clean, but you have to let the grids stop cycling before the gage reads anything useful.

 

Thanks, I'm going out this morning to start the check, will report my findings.

Art

 

Mine was acting really peculiar a couple weeks ago. A couple places thought the alt was shot but it tested good. Then one of the batteries tested bad but it was new. Ended up just needing cleaning on the terminals. Mine lost connection through the bolt on the pos. post of the drivers side battery. See, the alt charges the pass side batt but that current never sees the rest of the system until it goes through the cable to the other batt. My gauges were reading 11 so the computer told the alt to charge, so it was sending 18 volts to the pass batt, but the current wasn't getting to the computer. I cleaned that bolt and the terminal and everything was fine.

 

Well I checked both batteries and they read 12.6v. After ideling for 10 minutes my volt gauge read about 16v charge. So I guess all I needed was a good cleaning of the post/cable connections.
I didn't want to have to shell out the bucks for two batteries right now.

Thank you all for your input, it helped .

Art