Battery warning light
#13
06-07-2014 | 11:54 AM
Thread Starter
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Rock Crawling
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
Crap not again
Exactly one week after installing new alternator and battery went out to crank it today, dead battery! Checked all the connections, no corrosion all tight. Cable from battery to frame looks good. Cranked fine yesterday. Put battery charger on battery, it reads around 35%. Lights and accessories working. Gonna get a volt meter when wife comes and run through RAVE checklist.
#15
06-15-2014 | 11:03 AM
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Rock Crawling
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 257
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This is driving me nuts! Went out this morning and battery dead again! I had the shop check for voltage drops for 2 days. Nothing. Final determination, my new battery is defective. Took it back to where I bought it no questions asked, put in new battery. (2nd new battery in less than 2 weeks) I asked the salesman, is this normal brand new battery defective. He said yes sometimes we get in bad batch. Hmmm. Now newest battery is dead. Same brand same store. What he said about a batch being bad rings in my ear.
Here's strange part or at least to me. Put multi meter on it the day I brought it home and everyday after. It reads almost 12 volts. Everyday same reading. Today it's dead same reading just under 12 volts. Put battery charger on it reads only 35% charged.
Not sure what to do at this point. Does it sound like I have another defective battery?
Here's strange part or at least to me. Put multi meter on it the day I brought it home and everyday after. It reads almost 12 volts. Everyday same reading. Today it's dead same reading just under 12 volts. Put battery charger on it reads only 35% charged.
Not sure what to do at this point. Does it sound like I have another defective battery?
#16
06-16-2014 | 03:52 AM
Super Moderator
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 16,322
Likes: 84
From: Savannah Georgia
No. A defective alternator. Try these:
charge battery or replace with another
Volt meter across battery should be 12 - 13 before you start truck.
Switch on head lights - battery should maintain volts above 11 The head lights are a load test.
Lights off and crank truck. Volts should go up to 13.8 - 14.4 volts.
Now turn on head lights and everything else like AC, wiper, radio, aux lights - volts should drop a little but not below 13.2 (minimum charge voltage).
You can also verify good battery ground by bridging a jumper cable from (-) battery to alternator case (not terminals). If volts go up you have found a bad connection causing a "voltage drop". The voltage drop of the battery terminals can be measured by putting one meter lead at center of post and then reading along the connector or cable. Ugly connections sometimes drop a volt or more right there.
The alternator is a 3 phase AC generator with diodes that convert that to DC. If a diode(s) go out you can have a 33 amp alternator instead of a 100 amp one. So it looks ok at idle, but put normal loads on it and it "steals" from the battery (your reserve minutes) and you end up with dead battery. With everything "on" my 97 D1 draws 85 amps from alternator. And maintains 13.2 volts.
Now you could have a parasitic drain that remains after you switch off the engine. Weird things have included rear door subwoofer amp staying on, etc. On non-meter trick is to use a brake light bulb and hold in series with battery lead and truck off. A big drain will make filament glow brightly.
Warning - Rover alarm systems don't like power switching on/off with hood open, they can remember their last condition and wake up believing they are under attack, at which time the immobilze the ignition etc. Best to hold down the alarm switch or disconnect it like many do (hoping that some one will steal that posh pile of pre-owned sheet metal).
charge battery or replace with another
Volt meter across battery should be 12 - 13 before you start truck.
Switch on head lights - battery should maintain volts above 11 The head lights are a load test.
Lights off and crank truck. Volts should go up to 13.8 - 14.4 volts.
Now turn on head lights and everything else like AC, wiper, radio, aux lights - volts should drop a little but not below 13.2 (minimum charge voltage).
You can also verify good battery ground by bridging a jumper cable from (-) battery to alternator case (not terminals). If volts go up you have found a bad connection causing a "voltage drop". The voltage drop of the battery terminals can be measured by putting one meter lead at center of post and then reading along the connector or cable. Ugly connections sometimes drop a volt or more right there.
The alternator is a 3 phase AC generator with diodes that convert that to DC. If a diode(s) go out you can have a 33 amp alternator instead of a 100 amp one. So it looks ok at idle, but put normal loads on it and it "steals" from the battery (your reserve minutes) and you end up with dead battery. With everything "on" my 97 D1 draws 85 amps from alternator. And maintains 13.2 volts.
Now you could have a parasitic drain that remains after you switch off the engine. Weird things have included rear door subwoofer amp staying on, etc. On non-meter trick is to use a brake light bulb and hold in series with battery lead and truck off. A big drain will make filament glow brightly.
Warning - Rover alarm systems don't like power switching on/off with hood open, they can remember their last condition and wake up believing they are under attack, at which time the immobilze the ignition etc. Best to hold down the alarm switch or disconnect it like many do (hoping that some one will steal that posh pile of pre-owned sheet metal).
Last edited by Savannah Buzz; 06-16-2014 at 03:56 AM.
#17
06-16-2014 | 12:56 PM
Thread Starter
|
Rock Crawling
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 257
Likes: 0
No. A defective alternator. Try these:
charge battery or replace with another
Volt meter across battery should be 12 - 13 before you start truck.
Switch on head lights - battery should maintain volts above 11 The head lights are a load test.
Lights off and crank truck. Volts should go up to 13.8 - 14.4 volts.
Now turn on head lights and everything else like AC, wiper, radio, aux lights - volts should drop a little but not below 13.2 (minimum charge voltage).
You can also verify good battery ground by bridging a jumper cable from (-) battery to alternator case (not terminals). If volts go up you have found a bad connection causing a "voltage drop". The voltage drop of the battery terminals can be measured by putting one meter lead at center of post and then reading along the connector or cable. Ugly connections sometimes drop a volt or more right there.
The alternator is a 3 phase AC generator with diodes that convert that to DC. If a diode(s) go out you can have a 33 amp alternator instead of a 100 amp one. So it looks ok at idle, but put normal loads on it and it "steals" from the battery (your reserve minutes) and you end up with dead battery. With everything "on" my 97 D1 draws 85 amps from alternator. And maintains 13.2 volts.
Now you could have a parasitic drain that remains after you switch off the engine. Weird things have included rear door subwoofer amp staying on, etc. On non-meter trick is to use a brake light bulb and hold in series with battery lead and truck off. A big drain will make filament glow brightly.
Warning - Rover alarm systems don't like power switching on/off with hood open, they can remember their last condition and wake up believing they are under attack, at which time the immobilze the ignition etc. Best to hold down the alarm switch or disconnect it like many do (hoping that some one will steal that posh pile of pre-owned sheet metal).
charge battery or replace with another
Volt meter across battery should be 12 - 13 before you start truck.
Switch on head lights - battery should maintain volts above 11 The head lights are a load test.
Lights off and crank truck. Volts should go up to 13.8 - 14.4 volts.
Now turn on head lights and everything else like AC, wiper, radio, aux lights - volts should drop a little but not below 13.2 (minimum charge voltage).
You can also verify good battery ground by bridging a jumper cable from (-) battery to alternator case (not terminals). If volts go up you have found a bad connection causing a "voltage drop". The voltage drop of the battery terminals can be measured by putting one meter lead at center of post and then reading along the connector or cable. Ugly connections sometimes drop a volt or more right there.
The alternator is a 3 phase AC generator with diodes that convert that to DC. If a diode(s) go out you can have a 33 amp alternator instead of a 100 amp one. So it looks ok at idle, but put normal loads on it and it "steals" from the battery (your reserve minutes) and you end up with dead battery. With everything "on" my 97 D1 draws 85 amps from alternator. And maintains 13.2 volts.
Now you could have a parasitic drain that remains after you switch off the engine. Weird things have included rear door subwoofer amp staying on, etc. On non-meter trick is to use a brake light bulb and hold in series with battery lead and truck off. A big drain will make filament glow brightly.
Warning - Rover alarm systems don't like power switching on/off with hood open, they can remember their last condition and wake up believing they are under attack, at which time the immobilze the ignition etc. Best to hold down the alarm switch or disconnect it like many do (hoping that some one will steal that posh pile of pre-owned sheet metal).
So far this is what I have: battery reading engine off 12.45v headlights on engine off 12.22 engine on no lights 13.58 engine on all accessories on 12.73
Are these number telling me my new alternator is not doing job?
