Battery, Alternator?

[Dick Langendorff]

The last couple of times first thing in the morning, I get a stammer when the starter is turning over.
It then starts up and will be fine the rest of the day. It does not look like the batteries are getting a charge by the gauge.

Any ideas as to what to check.

thanks for any and all help.




'04 QC 216,000 miles

 

[B.G. Smith]

Check the voltage on the batteries with the engine running with a reputable volt meter should see 13.8 to 14.5 volts. If so, turn on the head lights and put AC fan on high and recheck. Should be near the same. If a battery is going bad you will have to isolate each to see which one. If all is well with the batteries and alternator it could be the starter contacts. How many miles on the truck and how old are the batteries? bg

 

[Dick Langendorff]

216,000 miles on the truck. Batteries are 4 years old.

 

[B.G. Smith]

With that mileage, if the starter contacts have not been replaced or the whole starter then that could be the problem. Age of the batteries also make them suspect. bg

 

[Dick Langendorff]

Thanks Bg, I'll go do some checking and go from there.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Then, instead of guessing at parts to replace, drive to your local Auto Zone. They can test your batteries, alternator and starter. It only takes a couple minutes and it's free. And, their parts warranty is awesome.

 

[Dick Langendorff]

Thanks, I'll give them a try. We have a new Auto Zone in town.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

7609 Brentwood Blvd, I already scoped it out ahead of time. Good luck!!

 

[Tuesdak]

I don't set foot in an Autozone anymore. Not only are their parts bottom of the barrel "what quality"? They fire "Hero" Military Veteran employees for stopping an armed robbery with their own gun.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...d-for-using-his-gun-to-ward-off-armed-robber/

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Well, I've had excellent luck with parts and service from Auto Zone. Good luck finding another auto store that gives a five year warranty on parts.

 

[Tuesdak]

Let me share my Autozone experience with you. Warranty depends on the part. I get lifetime on most parts from O'Reilly Auto Parts. But compressors and hub bearings are like 1, 2, or 3 years. Autozone doesn't offer 5 year warranties on compressors. Regardless how many times you going to change a part out under the warranty? I am willing to pay more for a part I don't have to change out again and won't let me down north of the middle of nowhere where cell phones don't work. Not saying O'Reilly is the absolute best, but they offer some better quality parts. Parts quality in general is pretty miserable.

The top of the line brake linings at Autozone are horrible. Top of the line elsewhere, like O'Reilly's, would be Wagner Quiet Stop. Not only does the Autozone junk take longer to stop you would be surprised that they don't cover the rotor when the pad comes off the backing plate. You know the sound of a nail coming out of a tire? That's what the pad coming off sounded like. I expected a flat. The next stop was a cookies in my pants 'pump the pedal several times' before I could stop. The rotor change job required pounding studs out compounding my dislike of their no quality parts. (GM brakes need all the help they can get anyway.) Ok, One can forgive a single bad part. The reman alternator of theirs that lost it's balls and about burned the truck to the ground was enough to make me look elsewhere for parts.

No, excessive wear would be a smooth surface on the pad remains in the holes. This pad simply broke off looking at the broken texture in the holes and pad life remaining on the other pad and side of the truck.

Passenger side with good pad life left:

Driver side rotor ground up:

Backing plate missing it's pad - note the outer pad life left below it.

I had the pin out of the fire extinguisher till this alternator stopped smoking.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I've never purchased brake parts from them. I've only purchased parts that the OP referred to. Starters, batteries and alternators all have five year warranties.