[iamcosmos]

Hello all!

So Problem with my truck starting and it is leaving me out of ideas...

It has been pretty cold in Minneapolis and it finally warmed up and it much of the snow melted. On the same day that it warmed up I tried starting my truck and the battery was really low, and had to get a jump.

When it finally started and while driving home I could hear the sound of the alternator over the speakers.

I have let the truck run for several hours and the battery has not charged at all and you can still hear the sound of the alternator whenever I drive.


I was thinking that it is possibly the alternator has gone bad or some of the ice leaked into someplace in the electrical system and it is draining the battery.

any ideas?

 

[chipsndukes]

what is battery voltage directly on the posts?
clean battery connections and check ground cable.
what is battery voltage on the posts when the vehicle is running?

this will help diagnose your problem.

 

[SilverTipTaco]

Just a few simple ideas:
1) check the connections on the alt, make sure it's grounded well, (assuming your hearing a whinning sound through your speakers?) a bad ground can cause that.
2) Make sure your battery terminals are clean. Not a bad idea to take them loose and clean them even if they look ok.

If it was mine, I would try to tighten all the nuts and bolts on those electrical connections just to be sure.

Had a starter issue on my "96" for months because it only did it every now and then. (would only click when turning the key, would do it once or twice sometimes more, then fire up like nothing was wrong). Got under the truck and loosened the starter power wire and put it back on, no problems since.

Goodluck, hope it's as simple as one of the fixes mentioned above!

 

[LuvTRD20]

One or more rectifier diodes in the alternator is shot. The "alternator noise" you're hearing is actually AC voltage. Replace the alternator or find an auto electrics shop that will replace the diodes.