thsboss99

I have an 05 that I am having some problems with. I had a 40' trailer hooked to the back of it Friday night. I smelled something like rotten eggs the whole way home. As I was disconnecting the trailer, I heard an alarm on my dash. I looked and saw the batter gauge has gone all the way to the left. I opened the hood and noticed the battery on the passenger side was smoking and acid was going all over the place. I figured that for some reason that battery was bad. I went and bought two brand new optima batteries and hooked them up. Thought everything was good to go. I drove it a few miles, and smelled the same smell coming from under the hood. The same brand new battery on the passenger side was smoking. I put a meter on it. When the truck is running, the passenger side battery is showing between 18 and 19 volts while the dirvers side battery is showing under 12. I'm not sure if this is a voltage regulator problem or an alternator problem, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Spooler

Check the voltage on the back of the alternator. If it is high then it has blown the internal regulator. Not sure if our trucks use an isolator or not. Have to look at it. They may be wired in parallel which is how I think they are wired.

Hounddog

There is not a internal regulator its the PCM.So eaither a bad alternator or a bad computer.I bet computer.

thefermanator

If you have 18-19 on one and under 12 on the other. You most likely have a connection problem in your battery connect cable(the one that connects them together). Your alternator probably only hooks up to 1 of the batteries, and the large interconnect cable carries the current across. If you had an alternator or PCM problem, both batteries would be cooking. Not just the one.

RAMRODD

My 06 the passenger battery did the exact same thing. High voltage and the drivers side was low. I just replaced the bad battery and everything has been fine since.
The bad battery was producing its own heat hours later and was still hot, all I can think of is the plates mus be leaking internaly to cause this.
Your truck will run on one battery unhook the one that is giving you trouble and tape it up and check the voltage on the drivers battery.

Spooler

I vote bad connection. Also, check the red battery wire going over the radiator on the passenger side. Mine was rubbing so I tie strapped it out of the way. So, the PCM is the regulator? Only glanced at the charging system.

Hounddog

Computer is the regulator since way back in the 90s.I think its also a major ground? Very seldom go bad but it does happen.There was a issue with eaither 05 or 06(I think 05) trucks with Pcm. Some were affected before they left the lot.Others it took a while.The ones I read about were a under charge issue.I figured you knew about the PCM Spooler? Same as Nissans and probably ever vehicle made in this decade if not earlier.

Spooler

All Nissan's have internal regulators in the alternator. Been that way since 1977. Just one unit. No external regulator. Nissan ECM does nothing. Need a factory repair manual to read to see how it is all done in the Dodge. I do remember the issues when they went to a CAN bus with undercharging in 06'.

Hounddog

I would have thought Nissan also did its regulating through Ecm/Pcm. Well I was wrong.

Spooler

No problem, I will say this about Dodge vehicles. They have a great charging system. I have 177,000 miles on my 2001 Durango and still am on the original alternator. It is abused to say the least running a power inverter so I can run a laptop and test gear at the same time. It would have killed an alternator in a Nissan by now.

Spooler

I checked my truck over tonight. Both batteries main grounds go to the sides of the block and had additional body grounds on each fender well. Both batteries are in parallel. The alternator output is wired to the passenger side battery. Passenger side battery has hot running over alternator, over radiator and connects to the drivers side postive terminal. The alternator has an internal regulator. It may be controlled by the PCM by varying the voltage on the reference signal. My truck's wire from the positive of the passenger's battery was rubbing on top of the alternator. I tie strapped it up out of the way before it rubbed through. Check the ouput of your alternator. Most vehicles are around 13.8 to 14.6 volts depending on how weak the batteries are. Hope this helps.

Casey Swapp

[QUOTE=thsboss99;1832075]I have an 05 that I am having some problems with. I had a 40' trailer hooked to the backi