Help!! Truck keeps falling dead.....

[dedricreed]

I HAVE A 1994 RANGER 2.3L AND I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR. I WENT TO TEST AND STARTED IT AND IT CRANKED UP LIKE NORMAL; THEN, AS IT WAS RUNNING I PULLED THE NEG CABLE OFF THE BATTERY TO SEE IF THE ALTERNATOR WAS CHARGING CORRECTLY AND THE TRUCK FELL DEAD. TRIED TO LET IT RUN FOR A WHILE AND STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ANY SUGGESTIONS??????

 

[JC 97]

Don't ever try that test.Get yourself a voltmeter and test the correct way.Todays cars are not designed to run without the battery. voltmeters are cheap.

 

[Duane867]

Yup yup..... That's not a generator, its an alternator ;-)

 

[modelageek]

I HAVE A 1994 RANGER 2.3L AND I REPLACED THE BATTERY AND THE ALTERNATOR. I WENT TO TEST AND STARTED IT AND IT CRANKED UP LIKE NORMAL; THEN, AS IT WAS RUNNING I PULLED THE NEG CABLE OFF THE BATTERY TO SEE IF THE ALTERNATOR WAS CHARGING CORRECTLY AND THE TRUCK FELL DEAD. TRIED TO LET IT RUN FOR A WHILE AND STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. ANY SUGGESTIONS??????

its probably the fuse. on my truck it is in the distribution box and is called "generator voltage regulator".

 

[Duane867]

As I understand it ( could be wrong ) the battery is a part of the circuit in this system. With out the circuit completing from one pole to another it will not run. Just like about every newer car out there.
Older cars ( real old ) had generators and you could pull out the battery because the generator gave off 100% of the charge needed to run and the battery was simply there to start it. And alternator system relies on the battery as well as its self.