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13.4/13.7 is fine, especially if you are using a lot of accessories...like A/C...or the battery was low and is now fully charged. You'll see higher alternator output when battery is low, or constantly needing charged because of bad cell, and voltage will drop off slightly when the alternator feels as though everything is up to snuff. The alternator has a built in regulator, so when it senses that everything is good...it pulls back on output. No sense putting out, when it doesn't have too.
Yes, clean that ground cable at the alternator bracket...now...before you are replacing the parking brake cable also.
So, besides having the CD changer resurect itself, the resf of my issues seem to remain unchanged after the new 150a alternator. I cleaned the ground at the engine block below alternator mount, and the one that runs, secondarily, from the netgative battery terminal to the fender, then down to the frame. As well as the negative on the alternator. None looked corroded, but I used the dremmel wire brush to clean them.
three quesions:
Can someone explain the SRS light? I have read if it is intermittent it is a low voltage code. I was under the impression the airbag ecu checled the voltage at startup? Mine seems to come on after 10-20 minutes if not at startup. But there really seems to be no pattern.
The negative wire from the Alternator. What does that attach to? Mine looks pretty shady and just sort of disapears as it routes back towards the top of the engine.
Can any autoparts atore test my starter in the truck? Never had that done so not sure how it works.
UPDATE: So, everything seemed to be working okay for a week or so, but then the SES light came on for P0441 on the way to the lake for a week. This (or P0442) comes on every several months or so. I replaced the purge valve and gas cap, but it still randomly comes on so maybe lines? Anyway, when I cleared this I noticed a pending code for P1668, which frightened me a bit, but I knew my youngest was clicking the FOB while I was unpacking, so I figured it was from that. I drove it a bit and pending codes were 0. Then the SRS light came on again a day later. Then gone again.
My wife and kids left in it yesterday and it died on the highway on the way home. Just shut off. I had her dump water on the crank position sensor after a bit, but that didn't allow it to start. She was randomly cranking it while waiting for AAA as she was only about a mile from the next exit, but eventually that got the battery pretty low. By the time I got there the pending codes were: P1668, P0560, P1563, P0650, which seem like some may be because of low voltage due to it getting cranked multiple times? AAA towed it home, and he said the battery was dead because of a loose negative battery terminal. I charged the battery, put a lead shim on it and it is dead tight now.
So, now when I crank it, it starts, then immediately dies. Fuel pump? I don't think the pump is priming when I turn to position 2, but I can't tell for sure because there is another buzz from the instrument cluster. Good battery, good alternator, solid grounds, and Crank Position Sensor was replaced in the last two years. Through the forum searching I've done it seems like either this or a bad fuse box? But, I'm at a loss. Any help would be greatly appreciated. My wife is officially ready to burn this truck now.
Just to update this thread in case anyone searches upon it at some point down the road...
These problems ended up not being related. The bad alternator was causing the dead battery and occasional limp mode. Over two months later and zero of these issues have returned after a full battery charge.
The hard start and eventual stranding of my family on the side of the highway was a bad fuel pump. Swapped it out and after 3 turns of the key it fired right up. Been over a month now and it has started like a champ every time.
The SRS light returned about a week after changing the fuel pump. I bought some electrical cleaner amd sprayed the seat belt recepticals as well as the air bag relays. It came back after about a week. I recleaned the relays and lightly sanded the contacts. It disappeared for awhile only to come back on the way home from camping. I repeaded the cleaning and swapped the relays. Two weeks later and it hasn’t returned. Only time will tell on this one.
Thank you for all the help! Though I do have the return of another weird problem. But that is for another time and another thread.
08-01-2018 | 04:51 PM
