Ok, Well I have been driving around the country like no other over the past week and now I am down in south east Texas. As I was heading south I noticed my charging gauge slowly start to drop and drop and drop and once I got onto the drill site my headlights went really dim and flickered the check gauges light came on and such. The truck still ran so I was able to park it out of the way once I dropped my trailer off. I just want to check with everyone on here to see if everyone else's opinion is that my alternator went out on me before I pull it off of my truck tomorrow and beg someone to bring me about 35 miles into town to get it checked/get a new one. Whats everyone think??? Thanks for the advice!

 

Check it out - it's about time for a Sunday drive anyway!

 

see if the a/c still works after battery charge, if not go to crank position sensor. this may take care of no charge problem.

 

I think you need to recharge you batteries and start testing with a fresh charge. Don't have the batteries load tested until they are fully charged. The CPS could be bad and cause the MIL light, no tach, no speedo etc but if the battery is low that may cause the same thing.

As was mentioned check the CPS by first verifying the voltage going to it. My CPS is above the crank dampner on my 97 but it may be above your atarter if you have a 24 v. My voltage was 5 v. That voltage comes from my PCM (or ECM on yours). The PCM or ECM provides the charging function for the ALT. The Alt doesn't have an internal voltage regulator but its done thru the -neg lead of the field winding of the Alt.

There is a test that you can do in this thread:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...d.php?t=200658

and here:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...lternator+test

I would start by charging and testing the batteries and check connections to battery and alt. You could try the alt GND test listed in the above thread and see if the Alt is working by eliminating the PCM or ECM with the test. Make sure you alt belt is tight and check the 120 amp fuse in the PDC on drivers fender...that is the fuse for battery 12v to the alt thru the big red lead to the alt. Make sure its not blown.

 

It was only the alternator. Thanks everyone