Archived Truck dead in water in Cartersville, GA at Hardee's

[Doc Holiday]

[h=2][/h]

I helped a buddy move this weekend from Indiana to Florida and on my way back the battery gauge pegged to nothing and I got about 30 miles before it stopped in its tracks. I am awaiting the auto parts store to open to test the batteries and the alternator. Anything else I should be looking for?​

 

[BigPapa]

A few questions:

• Did this happen all at once or did you just not notice it until it was dead?
• I'm assuming you had been driving at night with all the lights on?
• Is everything else working ok? A/C working?

 

[Doc Holiday]

A few questions:

• Did this happen all at once or did you just not notice it until it was dead?
• I'm assuming you had been driving at night with all the lights on?
• Is everything else working ok? A/C working?

All at once as far as I know, check gauges light came on and it was at the bottom.

Yeah I had lights on while driving at night and I'm towing a 30' enclosed

A/C had blown a line earlier in trip so no it wasn't working

 

[Doc Holiday]

317-474-5975

 

[BigPapa]

Thinking a bit more, is your belt still on?

IF, it went all at once, you have a blown main fuse or a connection/cable that has come loose. For both batteries to fail at one time would be an amazing coincidence. Have it all tested. Obviously, your batteries are going to be dead, so they'll need a good charge before you'll get accurate test results.

Hopefully, your alternator has gone out and you just didn't notice it.

 

[MichaelOverfield]

I had a Battery manufacturer flaw of some kind, it took out both batteries in the process. If your alternator was slowly dying and batteries were weak.. about 30 minutes reserve from alternator fail is probably typical. How old is the alternator, and how many miles?

 

[Wayne M.]

Good Luck- hope you get it sorted! My vote is alternator, but that's so rare!

 

[Doc Holiday]

Two. Batteries and an alternator later.

I am about 3 hours from home finally

BTW alt. Looked OEM 203K

 

[MichaelOverfield]

Two. Batteries and an alternator later.

I am about 3 hours from home finally

BTW alt. Looked OEM 203K

Alternator died a slow death and took batteries down with it.. 203k is well past the life of most alternators in my experience.

 

[Doc Holiday]

Thanks to all that chimed in on this problem. I have it repaired and drove home without anymore issues regarding the charging system.

 

[wyosteve]

Had a similar thing happen years ago with a battery. Drove to restaurant, ate, went out to go home and nothing. Battery was toast!

 

[BigPapa]

Keep an eye on your gauges and you may not have to walk. My '98 cluster has a "Check Gauges" light that illuminates when a gauge is out of the normal range.