Archived '05 alternator problem!

[Palmtree]

Went to start the truck today after it had been sitting for 28 days and the "check gauges" indicator light was on. The alternator gauge was dead, flat lined. All the lights and so on were fine. Desperate to get home - 650 kms- drove to the nearest town. By the time I arrived, my lights were dim and the truck was stalling. Luckily I was able to limp to a Safeway parking lot and fire up the Yamaha generator and hook up the battery charger, charging up the batteries to 66%. I started the truck and drove another 10 minutes until the gauge lit up again and the battery gauge had flat lined again. I hooked up my charger to the battery and left the generator running, suppling the battery with a charge as I continued down the highway. After an hour I pulled into a servivce station and shut off the truck to fuel up the generator, and when I restarted the truck, the battery charge indicator had come back to life. I figured it would crap out after another 10 minutes. But this time it didn't die... What the heck is this new intermittent electronic problem?? Has anyone else experienced this? Is it a relay or what? Any ideas??

 

[Hoefler]

Alternator over heating from prolong full output will pop the breaker. Alternators are not for charging, they are for supplying operating voltage to run the vehicle. In older alternators you could literally burn them up trying to charge a dead battery. When the battery came up in voltage from you running with the charger going, the alternator took over because the load had decreased to a level it could handle.

 

[JFaughn]

I would suspect the connection , lose an , or dirty .

 

[Palmtree]

Thx for the reply's. I had to call the dealership this a. m. and have them check it out. Service tech said it's the voltage reg/alternator. new is $400 or rebuilt $150. No warranty!

 

[JFaughn]

That sound fishy , regulator is in the computer , and no warranty on a 2 yr old truck , I would get a second opinion .

 

[Palmtree]

yea. . , fishy is right but that what the dealer said only up to 60,000 klm on the electrical. Not to happy. I mean I let the truck sit for 28 days in the parking lot then this . Something is really strange here. Trouble is Ill be heading down south for the winter soon hauling a trailer so I need to get this issue straight before I go. Fishy is not what I want!

 

[Palmtree]

software update

tech just called. . , looks like theirs an issue with the computer system re-alternator/regulater. A software update addresses this problem which they are doing this a. m.

 

[MA2LA]

I had my 06 do the same thing, it just need a reflash.

 

[Palmtree]

I had my 06 do the same thing, it just need a reflash.

How much did the dealership charge you? Southside here in Red Deer is telling me $200+.