Alternator trouble?

[CRuth]

Last night I get a check gages warning and p2502 code. Check with a voltmeter and its not charging. So this morning I get ready to pull the alternator, move the truck over in the driveway and low and behold its acting normally. No codes, warnings and a double check with the volt meter shows normal charging.



I'm heading out on vacation monday so I went and grabbed and alternator, hopefully I don't have to install it on the side of the road somewhere. But has anyone ever seen this kind of behavior before?



Plus, whats the procedure for loosening the serpentine belt.

 

[Blu-meanie]

You put a breaker bar on the tensioner.

 

[rbattelle]

Any chance you were on a rough road when this happened? I wonder if there's some kind of plate problem in one of your batteries that is intermittently shorting the system or otherwise playing havoc with the voltage regulator.

How old are the batteries?

-Ryan

 

[Hoefler]

This is also where I would start checking, especially if they are over 3 years old.

 

[dlmetzger]

Generator or alternator?

I'm just curious. Is it a generator or an alternator?

 

[Bill Stockard]

I'm just curious. Is it a generator or an alternator?

In simple automotive terminology, a generator produces direct current (DC) while and alternator produces alternating current (AC) and changes it internally using diodes to DC.



Bill

 

[dlmetzger]

I had some recent problems with my batteries. So I had been going over the maintenance manual and it stated the charging system used a generator. However, after reading some further references (wikipedia), it looks like the truck does use an alternator. I was just surprised by the maintenance manual calling it a generator. I guess it is using the term from the sense that it is generating electricity.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I had some recent problems with my batteries. So I had been going over the maintenance manual and it stated the charging system used a generator. However, after reading some further references (wikipedia), it looks like the truck does use an alternator. I was just surprised by the maintenance manual calling it a generator. I guess it is using the term from the sense that it is generating electricity.

Yep, the technical writers (some who don't know the difference) and editors missed that one.



Bill

 

[CRuth]

Brand new sears platinum die hards. Been acting okay so far.

 

[TLane]

I've heard of alternators where the brushes were almost completely worn out, so they were at the end of the springs (at the limit of their travel). They would touch sometimes, and the alternator would work, then not touch at other times and not work. A little more wear, and they quit working entirely. Other things like loose connections can cause a similar problem.

 

[sag2]

The official term for all Chrysler products is generator. It is in all the student manuals and service info.

 

[dlmetzger]

Brand new sears platinum die hards. Been acting okay so far.

I did the same. Seems to have fixed my problem with dead batteries, for now.

 

[dlmetzger]

The official term for all Chrysler products is generator. It is in all the student manuals and service info.

That seems strange, since autos before the 1960s had DC generators and now they have alternators that make AC and convert it to DC.



And when viewing the RAM web site for now a new truck, they call it a 160A alternator.

 

[Bob4x4]

The generator used with diesel engines is internally regulated. The generator and ECM communicate for diagnostics, etc. If the generator regulator becomes disconnected from the ECM, it will still operate, but in a default mode.

(From the 08 manual)

Yes it may be odd but wait till you find how many times a part is called one thing in the service info and something completely different in the parts info :-laf