Help quick, problems with alt,batt...

[redstangs9308gt]

Ok, on a trip yesterday, the truck started having problems maintaing charge. Either it would be too high or,,,,I could flip the heater on high for a sec and it would drop really low.... Then the radio would cut off every time I would flip something else on i.e headlights, or heater fan, or power windows.... So I replaced the alternator with a BRAND NEW not rebuilt remey delco 130 amp alt......Ok everything was ok after I changed it yesterday and I made it home. Drove the truck today and then tonight,,,same freaking thing...Batt light came on every time I would run my headlights, heater fan, and or radio powerwindows.....I checked the voltage and its running crazy high 15.10 to 16.00 Whats going on here? Also I have noticed for the past 3 months or so I have had lots of venting comning from the battery. The whole battery post was covered in it prior to me replacing the alt and cleaning the battery terminal....Bad battery? Bad battery and fried new alternator? what the heck PLEASE PLEASE help I am sooo agrivated with my truck right now...

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

Alt. have internal or external regulator?If external have you changed it?
How old is the battery?Had it checked?

 

[redstangs9308gt]

Battery is one year old, it hasn't been checked yet. The regulator is bolted onto the back (outside) of the alternator. I am just wondering if I burnt up this new alternator by overworking the alternator with a grounded battery.
Forgot to mention this is on a 2000 automatic 4x4.

 

[feellnfroggy]

The voltage regulator is bad. Replace it. What happens is the regulator blows itself wide open and no longer restricts current to the battery overcharging and eventually boiling it. Pretty soon your wipers will go nuts and it will be twilight zone for a half hour till you stall out somewhere. Then you will smell really rotten eggs. Or sulfur if you have a degree. I went through this on an 86 mustang. Just make sure you keep cash on you.

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

Crank the truck and check voltage at the battery.
Should be at least in the 13 volt range.Its not as good as taking the alt. off and having someone actually load it on a tester but it will give you an idea if its over charging or not.Have the battery checked also,could be going bad.

 

[dennis461]

wait a minute

The voltage regulator is bad. Replace it. What happens is the regulator blows itself wide open and no longer restricts current to the battery overcharging and eventually boiling it. Pretty soon your wipers will go nuts and it will be twilight zone for a half hour till you stall out somewhere. Then you will smell really rotten eggs. Or sulfur if you have a degree. I went through this on an 86 mustang. Just make sure you keep cash on you.

Wait a minute.
If it is a stock factory alternator in a 2000, then the regulator is in the alternator.

or

Did you swap the $50 regulator from the old alternator to the new alternator?

 

[redstangs9308gt]

Guys I am soo aggravated right now. The regulator is built into the alternator and its brand new. Just got another new alternator with another new regulator. Here is the story Ok yall was right the battery boiled over and smelled like boiled eggs....I just replaced the battery with a red top optimun (spelling) battery with another new (not rebuilt) alternator. Now its not over charging. The alternator has a delay in keeping up with the demand that is being placed on it. If I put lights, wipers, heater fan wide open, the battery hand will go way low and the lights will dim and not get brighter. Then if I am running just the head lights only and put on my flashers, the damn head lights will dim as the flashers come on and off. What is going on with my truck? I didn't have any of this trouble (exception of battery venting) untill I replaced my computer with a new one and disabled PATS. HELP please.

 

[dennis461]

next

Fan belt (serpentine)
Any strange noise?
Is the auto-adjuster working?
.
Check for a GOOD ground wire, you may have to crawl around , check the entire length for cuts, corrosion.
.
I think you have a fender mounted connection for POSIITIVE, follow red wire from battery to the FUSE box (not the wire going to the starter).

Check the alternator control fuse.

 

[SMTGREG]

Clean and tighten the ground from the battery to the body, also clean and tighten the engine block ground. Some trucks had a seprate wire that runs between the engine to the body that also needs to be checked. If you have replacement cable ends on the cables to the battery clean them also. Lastly the cables could be bad. Try a voltage drop test... With the truck running put one lead of the volt meter on the battery neg ternimal and put the other on the body ground or the block, voltage should be less than .5 volts

 

[redstangs9308gt]

Thanks guys for all the help. Here is what happend. A guy at the coal mines I work at told me that he had nothing but problems out of Advance Auto alternators (remey delco) So I went and bought a new one from Napa which is another brand (Powermaster). I brought in the 2 brand new (not a reman) alternators from advance to let napa check them. GUESS WHAT,,,,,both of them tested bad. So the problems I was having to start with was a bad battery, then ended up after I replaced the battery was just the alternators. So be for warned just because your not buying a reman doesn't mean your getting a better quality product. I am not speaking bad of Advance because I have some really good friends that work there and they have went above and beyond to help me but at the end of the day,,,the product speaks for itself......
Nick

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

Glad you got it fixed.
I always take my alt-starters to a mom and pop rebuild shop.I know it works when I pick it up because they check it after they finish just like they did when I first brought it in.
No over the counter parts stores do that.I wonder how many times their parts would fail if when you bought them you had them test it right out of the box.


Things That Make You Go HMMMMMMM!

Great......now that stupid song is stuck in my head!

 

[88_Eddie]

napa is where i got my 180 AMP alternator, napa is the best place for parts, IMO, they're a little pricier for my taste....autozone isnt bad either, they off lifetime warranties on a lot of their parts and they're priced reasonably.

and YES, you can fry your alternator with a low charged battery, usually there is a warning sticker on the alternator.


BTW, did Advanced auto take back the faulty alternators?

 

[feellnfroggy]

So far in florida and tennesse ive not had a problem with advanced parts. But I would take a reman alt over a new one anyday. Kinda like I would never buy a new car when a used one has already proven itself. Ill take a used gun over a new unproven gun etc. (also cuz im cheap).

 

[redstangs9308gt]

Yup advance took them back...Funny thing was when my buddy tested it after pretty much thinking I was full of crap...He looked at me and said whats the chance of this 2 alternators bad right off the shelf

 

[COPPERHEAD85]

When they are built by someone making 50 cents an hour...........odds are pretty good.I see it at least twice a month.

"Check my battery............I have new alt. and it has a lifetime warrenty but my car is still jacked up."

About once a month I hear "It's a new starter it worked fine for a week........it must be the battery you sold me."

I haul the trusty SB-5 Autometer load tester out and crank it down...........battery is fine..........bad starter.T o prove my point sometimes I put a brand new one off the shelf on it..........click....click....click.