electrical issues

[jsomedaysoon]

the other day my girlfriend was driving the truck and it just cut out on her. it sounds like the battery is low or dead when you try to start it but she has full headlights and accesories. also when i tested it with the volt meter in the truck i couldnt get it to settle on any one reading. it was jumping all over the place like from 7 all the way to the mid 30's. when i pulled the battery out of the truck it reads a steady 12 + or - a little. the altenator is new but i'm kinda stumped on this one. i'm almost positive its an electrical issue but i dont know where to look next. as soon as i can get back to the truck i'm going to take the starter off and have that tested too but the thing thats baffleing me is the reading on the battery. does anybody know what could cause the reading to jump all over the place so randomly? oh one other clue is that for like a week leading up to this every time she would slow down or come to a stop it would die on her but always started back up. not sure if thats important but thought i'd throw it out there.

 

[Burns]

the other day my girlfriend was driving the truck and it just cut out on her. it sounds like the battery is low or dead when you try to start it but she has full headlights and accesories. also when i tested it with the volt meter in the truck i couldnt get it to settle on any one reading. it was jumping all over the place like from 7 all the way to the mid 30's. when i pulled the battery out of the truck it reads a steady 12 + or - a little. the altenator is new but i'm kinda stumped on this one. i'm almost positive its an electrical issue but i dont know where to look next. as soon as i can get back to the truck i'm going to take the starter off and have that tested too but the thing thats baffleing me is the reading on the battery. does anybody know what could cause the reading to jump all over the place so randomly? oh one other clue is that for like a week leading up to this every time she would slow down or come to a stop it would die on her but always started back up. not sure if thats important but thought i'd throw it out there.

How old's the battery? Can you check the electrolyte level in it?

Personally, if it's more than 4 years old, I'd just replace it either way. I'd take a shot at it either being low on electrolyte/water, causing the plates and/or cells to go bad, or it just not holding a charge anymore. Because pulling 7 volts from a battery that was supposidly just charging isn't good, no matter how high it jumps the next second. And 30 volts is just dangerous in any situation.

 

[jsomedaysoon]

cool, well the battery is a cheapo with a one year warnty on it and its exactly a year and a month old haha go figure. it just kinda threw me for a loop when the numbers went all over the place while it was in the truck but stabalized at 12.7 when i pulled it out of the truck. i was hoping it wasent a sign of a short in the system or anything.

 

[illinoisbronco]

cool, well the battery is a cheapo with a one year warnty on it and its exactly a year and a month old haha go figure. it just kinda threw me for a loop when the numbers went all over the place while it was in the truck but stabalized at 12.7 when i pulled it out of the truck. i was hoping it wasent a sign of a short in the system or anything.

an alternator can bind up and do that. take it off and see if it spins freely and have that checked and not the starter.

 

[rostheiceman]

i would also check the voltage regulator its the silver box next to the batt, when thay go bad it can cause the batt to over and under charge. pluse it should be replaced when you replace the altenator

 

[crazyhorse85]

I agree...check your voltage reg.i had a similair problem with my light flickering and batt.not charging...it was a lose wire going to the regulator...carquest carries the replacment pigtail for about $12.00...you might want to just go ahead and replace the regulator too.... B)

 

[jsomedaysoon]

cool i'll have to check that. the altenator is less than a year old but i'll check that too.