No charge from Alternater.

[Dylkinson]

On my way to work the other day my truck started overheating and it got to the point where it was looking pretty steamy. Pretty quick after the heat dial started overstepping it's bounds the battery shut off but I was stuck moving on the highway so I threw my hazards on and pulled over after a pretty lengthy period of gritting my teeth trying to find an opening. When I got it towed the guy let me use his volt meter and it only said 3.4 or so.
So he said it's for sure the alternater since it wasn't charging. I still need to take a closer look at the wiring and fuses before I spend on a new alt. Just wanted to know if it was caused by the over heating and smoke since I have most of what I need for that to be fixed. Basically half a cooling system is chilling (punny) in my closet and I wanted to hear any other possibilities of why I can't play with my poor Genie.
Everything happened at once and so fast.

 

[Centaurious]

Remove and charge the battery first because it is bad to leave it in a discharged state. Pull the alternator and flush with distilled water then blow dry with compressed air or place in front of a fan for 24 hours. This removes the coolant residue which is mildly acidic. Flushing the Engine Compartment is a good Idea as well.

After the Alternator is COMPLETELY dry you can take it and the charged battery to your local NAPA and have them tested.

 

[lvin4jc]

Was the 3.4 volts read while the engine was running or with it turned off? I'm guessing it was while the engine was turned off and in that case yes, I would agree with your gut that the heat fried the battery. How old is this battery?