:( Replaced everything... Still no charge

[JBro06]

Soo i have been having trouble with my charging system in 92 sport... SInce the problem has started i have replaced everything from alternator to battery cables to fuses and nothing wil work... im sooooo lost and i just wanna drive my truck...

Bench tested alternator = good
Bench tested battery= good
replaced pos and neg battery cables
replaced 12g fusable link cable


PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME

 

[KillerB74]

What symptoms does the truck have. Is the battery dead in the morning? Does the dash gauge show no charge? How many volts at the battery and alternator when the truck is running vs. turned off? I am trying to get a complete picture of the situation.

 

[JBro06]

I can start it and it will run fine until the battery runs dead... IM not getting a charge while the vehicle is running... Its just running straight off the battery and then dies... When i hook the multimeter up to the battery while its running the voltage is in a constant drop...

 

[little x]

voltage regulator? seems like one of the few things you haven't tested/replaced

 

[JDraper]

voltage regulator? seems like one of the few things you haven't tested/replaced

It's part of the alternator.

 

[JBro06]

sorry i didnt mention when i took the alternator to get tested they checked the voltage regulator also... it is good

 

[Josh]

Did you check the output of the alt to see if the voltage is coming out of the alt via the cable between the alt and the battery? If you are not getting roughly 14 volts on that cable then your battery wont charge. Thats the one thing that charges the battery.

 

[chezoom]

check the wire that goes from the alternater to the battery. I had this on my camaro. replaced that wire and she was good as new

 

[JBro06]

check the wire that goes from the alternater to the battery. I had this on my camaro. replaced that wire and she was good as new

my truck doesnt go straight from hge alternator to the battery.. it goes from the alternator to the starter relay switch and from there goes to the battery...the funny thing with the wire that goes from Alt to starter switch is that it has that 12g fusable link.... I cut into that and it was corroded on the inside so i cut the wire off and put a new 12g wire on it and still got nothing... i get continuity through that wire....

 

[Josh]

I would think that if you run it straight to the battery you would be fine. I dont know why it would run to that solonoid. My 91 has what I believe is the same charging system.

 

[JBro06]

Do you knowq wshat gauge wire it should be?

 

[Josh]

I dont remember the gauge, but I think it was about 3/8 in diameter. Just be careful moving things around without first verifying. A haynes manual should verify the wiring.

 

[joe doe]

couple things you could try
start the vehicle,then remove the positive battery post
if the vehicle dies ,your alt is bad ,no matter what the auto place said .
if it keeps on running then the alt is providing enough power and amps .

you said power goes from alt to solenoid,so get a vom ,test the voltage at the solonoid where it enters ....should be up around 14 volts(vehicle running of course).if it is then test again where power leaves the solenoid to go to the battery and see if the voltage is correct at that point.

if you have voltage drop thru the solenoid then i,d replace that .

something else to try

the other end of that solenoid goes to the starter,you could remove the hot lead going to the starter and test voltage again .if voltage came up then the starter is drawing current(aka...going bad)

i have seen alot of battery problems from starters going bad and drawing current.

when you had the alt tested i wonder if they put a load on it?its possible to put out enough voltage to fool a meter but its the amperage that needs to be tested.

good luck ,these things can make you pull your hair out .i hope i was of help even a little.

 

[JBro06]

soo i replaced the pos battery cable and the starter relay switch... still nothing... im not getting 14 volts out of my alternator when its running no matter what... i didnt replace my neg battery cables could that be the problem if so does some one know where the battery to engine ground is located? when i disconnect the battery with the vehicle running it dies instantly... ive had my brand new(not refurb) alternator bench tested and they said it was good.... IM sooooo freakin lost guys and i need your help.

 

[JBro06]

when i do the KOEO computer check it gives me 513 code.... replace processor internal voltage failure... so i guess i should replace the processor huh?

 

[Josh]

If the motor is running and you get no voltage off of the terminal lug then the alternator is bad.

 

[JBro06]

i get a voltage... it just reads as if im going from positive battery terminal to the negative one... so it reads whatever the battery has for voltage.. which is odd to me...

 

[Josh]

If you pull the pos off the battery while the truck is running and it dies, then I would say that the alt is bad. If you get no out put from the alt at the the terminal lug the it is bad.

 

[TedJ]

I think we have determined the alternator is not charging.... and that the big battery cables are good... BUT this is NOT everything you need to get output.

The red battery light on the dash MUST turn on with they key on, engine off. If it does not, you will have no alternator output. The indicator lamp is actually part of the circuit. The regulator must also have +12v input on one of the small wires.

This schematic is for a 93, but I believe it is correct...

First check the light with the key on, engine off. If it is off, then unplug the wiring connector from the regulator and check for battery voltage between the y/w wire from the distribution box and battery - with the key on. If there is voltage there, then (with the connector still disconnected) verify the battery light is off. Short the lg/r wire from the indicator to the battery - with a piece of wire. The light should be on. If you do not get the intended results, check the fuses especially on the +12 feed to the regulator. They sometimes blow when the alternator goes bad.

If this all checks out, then you probably have a bad voltage regulator... I wouldn't be surprised, the made in china ones on rebuilds have about a 5% chance of working.


EDIT (to comment on some more things from this thread): I see no reason to be pulling the battery cables while it is running. You can tell very easily if the alternator is charging via the battery voltage. The battery acts to smooth out any inconsistencies in the rectified AC output a working alternator produces, so disconnecting it exposes the vehicle's electronics to dirty power. There is also the chance of sparking from the cables, and we all know what happens with sparks and batteries....

when i do the KOEO computer check it gives me 513 code.... replace processor internal voltage failure... so i guess i should replace the processor huh?

Nope... the ECM is expecting the 14+v of a properly working charging system when the engine is running running, not the battery voltage of a battery that is probably half dead to begin with. That code should go away when you fix the alternator. Nothing you can get from codes is going to help you fix this, so don't bother pulling them.

 

[JBro06]

with the key on the batt light does not come on at all... when i jump the lg/r to the battery it still does not come on... so the light needs to be replaced? and can that be the sole cause of all my charging issues?