Electrical Gremlin or Alternator?

[Lock93]

My factory temp gauge has just now started bouncing beyond the "H", and then drops to normal range when at a stop, or slowing down. It doesn't do this right away (has to be at normal operating temp before it starts). Started to do this after I replaced my battery last Wed (see below).



History:

I posted some time ago about a weird grid heater behavior (would turn on like normal on a cold morning, but stay on constantly until up to temp, instead of cycling on & off). Now it does cycle normally some mornings, and other mornings stays on for its entire cycle.

I had to replace my battery last Wed (truck wouldn't start; instantly dead; truck ran great Tues). Got a 1025CCA Die Hard commercial group 30H.



Any ideas as to why the temp gauge is bouncing around? Seems like it has to be connected to the battery replacement, but I can't see why...

 

[dpuckett]

Sounds to me like a ground somewhere. Check the one with the little ~14ga wire that goes from the NEG terminal to the radiator core support just in front of the battery. I've had it make the gauges do funny things. It was summer the time I had it happen, so the grid heaters werent an issue then. I have since moved it to one of the bolts in front of the battery box, (still on the core support, just down in front of the battery) where it has a little more positive contact, and had no trouble since then.



Daniel

 

[JLEONARD]

Yes... the grounds should be the first things to check out.