Truck battery/charging system question

[bobbytheboozer]

2006 chevy 2500hd gas, single battery set up.

The truck would usually run anywhere from 13.6v to 14.2v. Yesterday morning I had to jump it to get it started. Omw to work yesterday I noticed on my tuner screen (Edge cts2 evolution tuner) the truck was running at high 11v to 12.4v. I unplugged the tuner and didn't have issues yesterday.

This morning, it fired right up (tuner still unplugged) I got to work and parked. With the truck running at idle, the truck gage is showing a little over 10v. I just took it around the block and the voltage goes up on the truck gage to 14v.

I figure the battery is taking a shit because of all the recent heat. What does everyone think?

It's a crap triple A battery that I got in a pinch 2 years ago.

 

[Gramps]

battery is going south

 

[bobbytheboozer]

battery is going south

That's what I am thinking [emoji20]

Thanks, Gramps!

 

[Jefftowz]

Don't trust the factory gauge, also call AAA and have them replace the battery to be safe. They will check the alternator output also.

 

[fishing fool]

Check your alternator voltage regulator.

 

[Rsqfxr]

have batt and charging system checked

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Don't trust the factory gauge, also call AAA and have them replace the battery to be safe. They will check the alternator output also.

Check your alternator voltage regulator.

have batt and charging system checked

Yea I am going to have to do all of this. After I shut my truck off to go into work, I waited 30 seconds and turned it over again. Slow chugging for a second then it fired up.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

have batt and charging system checked

I have a few more questions. What are the amps on a stock 6.0 gas chevy alternator? If I run a high amp alternator, do I have to run a special battery like an optima?

 

[jones performance]

check your cables both pos and neg for any corrosion at both ends and make sure they are tight.

stock alt are either 105amps and 145amp if i recall correctly.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

check your cables both pos and neg for any corrosion at both ends and make sure they are tight.

stock alt are either 105amps and 145amp if i recall correctly.

They both looked good yesterday morning when I jumped it. I never jump off the battery though.

I'll double check it when I get a chance today. Thanks for the reminder! [emoji106]

 

[Justfishing]

A bad battery can make an alternator go bad. Also a bad alternator can make a battery go bad.

Inspect all cables. Also check over any grounding straps which are frequently over looked as they are not in the open. Adding extra grounding straps is a good insurance policy with all the electronics in cars.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

A bad battery can make an alternator go bad. Also a bad alternator can make a battery go bad.

Inspect all cables. Also check over any grounding straps which are frequently over looked as they are not in the open. Adding extra grounding straps is a good insurance policy with all the electronics in cars.

Right on. I do have quite a bit of electronics in my truck. Light bar, good sized stereo, tuner ect.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

So I just let the truck sit for 2 hours, it fired right up.

 

[nowski]

We just got the AAA runaround early last week on my daughters vehicle. It took 3 days and a dozen calls before we finally got a battery, luckily for us she hasn't started school yet. They said they were out of stock that is until my wife finally got on the phone and went up the corporate ladder. Like I said we got the runaround (with not a single battery in So. Cal) and when we finally did get a battery the date code was 3/17. What that means to me is they confirmed their story was nothing but a bunch of BS.

My advise to you is to make sure that battery is dead and gone before you make that call to AAA. When on the phone with AAA let them know exactly what battery you need so when they do arrive they won't come empty handed. When they do finally put that battery on their scanner have the technician not only show you the results but have him give you a printed copy. Your going to need to put up a fight to get a new battery the question is, is it going to happen in the first round or the twelfth round???

When you get a moment check out some of these complaints, after our ordeal it not only became a reality but an eye opening experience...

http://mythreecents.com/reviews/aaa-battery

 

[bobbytheboozer]

We just got the AAA runaround early last week on my daughters vehicle. It took 3 days and a dozen calls before we finally got a battery, luckily for us she hasn't started school yet. They said they were out of stock that is until my wife finally got on the phone and went up the corporate ladder. Like I said we got the runaround (with not a single battery in So. Cal) and when we finally did get a battery the date code was 3/17. What that means to me is they confirmed their story was nothing but a bunch of BS.

My advise to you is to make sure that battery is dead and gone before you make that call to AAA. When on the phone with AAA let them know exactly what battery you need so when they do arrive they won't come empty handed. When they do finally put that battery on their scanner have the technician not only show you the results but have him give you a printed copy. Your going to need to put up a fight to get a new battery the question is, is it going to happen in the first round or the twelfth round???

When you get a moment check out some of these complaints, after our ordeal it not only became a reality but an eye opening experience...

http://mythreecents.com/reviews/aaa-battery

I'll have to look at that link later. I hope it's not that much of a pain to get a battery. I'll flip on them.

It was nice meeting you last weekend at eliminator!

 

[jones performance]

why the hell would you buy a battery from AAA?

 

[bobbytheboozer]

why the hell would you buy a battery from AAA?

I needed one in a pinch and the price was right for me at the time

 

[nowski]

why the hell would you buy a battery from AAA?

It's all about safety and convenience that's how we ended up with ours. My wife's battery died late one night and called out to AAA for Help. The original battery in her vehicle was 6 years old so it was time for a replacement, it just decided to die at a bad time. She got home safely that night and that was my number one concern. I try to buy nothing but Bosch Batteries but in this instance it slipped through the cracks...

 

[SBMech]

Either something is not turning off, or you have a bad plate/cell.

Occasionally I see these delco alternators not want to charge till they are running at 2k+ RPM, a failing alternator.

At idle it should be putting out 13.2 volts minimum, 14.8v max with the lights/AC/stereo on. Less than that you have a charging system problem.

I have seen batteries cause charging system problems and alternators kill batteries. Get a volt meter on it so you can stop guessing.

The right way is to check the amperage output, but a simple voltage test will usually suffice in a situation like this.

BTW I LOVE AAA batteries...they make me so much money when I replace them :skull

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Either something is not turning off, or you have a bad plate/cell.

Occasionally I see these delco alternators not want to charge till they are running at 2k+ RPM, a failing alternator.

At idle it should be putting out 13.2 volts minimum, 14.8v max with the lights/AC/stereo on. Less than that you have a charging system problem.

I have seen batteries cause charging system problems and alternators kill batteries. Get a volt meter on it so you can stop guessing.

The right way is to check the amperage output, but a simple voltage test will usually suffice in a situation like this.

BTW I LOVE AAA batteries...they make me so much money when I replace them :skull

I was going to get home and work on it today, but this weather is something else. It's pouring and lightning just structure a few blocks away.

 

[Kailuaboy89]

Battery sounds like it has a bad cell, or more going south on you, and the alternator is struggling to keep up, on maintenance free batteries the cells sometimes just take a shit, and then you will not have full voltage or cranking amperage for proper starting, and also being able to properly run accessories on the vehicle.

 

[Rsqfxr]

why the hell would you buy a battery from AAA?

Who makes AAA batteries?

 

[SPL2K]

You need to check the voltage at the battery with a hand held digital multimeter (Fluke) while its running and then again after its been off for awhile. Doors closed, all lights, etc off.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Who makes AAA batteries?

it's interstate

 

[bobbytheboozer]

I am going to swing by autozone after I get out of work and have them run a charging system/battery check.

I just got to work, shut off the truck for a few minutes and then fired it back up. The subwoofers were making a muffled sound and made a deep pop sound when it fired up. [emoji20] It wouldn't surprise me that the problem is the stereo. The guy that installed it, supposedly was a good stereo guy. I beg to differ. I always get a funky distortion sound. Tony (DT1000) told me a while ago to go to al and ed's to get it checked out. I'm gonna have to do that this weekend.

 

[jones performance]

I am going to swing by autozone after I get out of work and have them run a charging system/battery check.

I just got to work, shut off the truck for a few minutes and then fired it back up. The subwoofers were making a muffled sound and made a deep pop sound when it fired up. [emoji20] It wouldn't surprise me that the problem is the stereo. The guy that installed it, supposedly was a good stereo guy. I beg to differ. I always get a funky distortion sound. Tony (DT1000) told me a while ago to go to al and ed's to get it checked out. I'm gonna have to do that this weekend.

it amazes me how many hacks there are installing car audio.

 

[nowski]

it amazes me how many hacks there are installing car audio.

You can also add boat audio to that list...

 

[bobbytheboozer]

it amazes me how many hacks there are installing car audio.

You can also add boat audio to that list...

Oh yea. It amazes me what install guys will pass off as "professional installation". The mounting bracket for my head unit is broken, the truck has a bose sound system which sounds great but with an aftermarket head unit needs a decoder that was probably installed wrong since I've always had this annoying distortion problem. It'll work well and sound good for 1 or 2 days up to a few weeks, then go back to shit.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Went to autozone and had them test everything.

Battery: good
Starter: good
Alternator: bad. Not charging the battery at idle. So it's just eating up the battery.

So I know what I'm doing this weekend. Lol.

 

[fishing fool]

Went to autozone and had them test everything.

Battery: good
Starter: good
Alternator: bad. Not charging the battery at idle. So it's just eating up the battery.

So I know what I'm doing this weekend. Lol.

Why wait until the weekend? It's only a hour job at most

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Why wait until the weekend? It's only a hour job at most

I have ton of crap to do around the house. Getting ready for some people to come into town.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

So before getting ready for bed, I decided to go poke around the truck and check everything out. I went through all the bolts that go from the battery to the alternator. The yellow arrow pointing to the main bolt in that Positive block next to the alternator was very very loose. Another 2 or 3 turns and it would have fallen off. I tightened it up and it seemed like the lights were brighter, drop down side steps moved faster.

I fired up the truck, grabbed my multi meter, put it on 20v. It was showing 14.25v. When I stopped by autozone, when they tested it, it was showing 12.2-12.3v.

Could that loose bolt be the reason for my electrical demon headache? It seems too easy for my luck.

 

[Jefftowz]

So before getting ready for bed, I decided to go poke around the truck and check everything out. I went through all the bolts that go from the battery to the alternator. The yellow arrow pointing to the main bolt in that Positive block next to the alternator was very very loose. Another 2 or 3 turns and it would have fallen off. I tightened it up and it seemed like the lights were brighter, drop down side steps moved faster.

I fired up the truck, grabbed my multi meter, put it on 20v. It was showing 14.25v. When I stopped by autozone, when they tested it, it was showing 12.2-12.3v.

Could that loose bolt be the reason for my electrical demon headache? It seems too easy for my luck.

Yes, that could of been the issue.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Yes, that could of been the issue.

I'd be amazed if that really is it. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all. Lol.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

I think that loose bolt was the problem. Smh. I'm amazed because, with my luck, whatever the fix usually is, it's the most expensive one.

I brought my multi meter with me this morning. After I get out of work later today, I'm going to test everything again. Battery voltage, voltage drop ect.

 

[mjc]

Who installed the wire on that stud? They never tighten in down afterward.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Who installed the wire on that stud? They never tighten in down afterward.

It could be the shop that added a bunch of accessories to my truck about a year ago. I'm thinking that it over time it backed itself out. I'm gonna have to keep my eyes on it.

 

[JordanDangerfield]

100% the loose nut. Also, it's possible it backed out due to vibration.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

100% the loose nut. Also, it's possible it backed out due to vibration.

Yup, I just went on break right now and checked it. 14v indicated on the dash, tuner and multi meter.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[fishing fool]

Question???? It's bugging me that auto zone tested and said "bad alternator"
Where did they test it at? If they tested it right from the alt then the loose nut it not the problem.
Yes the loose nut is a issue and can cause a bad connection making it not to charge the system.

 

[nowski]

Sometimes in Life, the best fixes are the cheapest if you investigate the problems yourself. Just imagine what it would have costed you if you took it to a dealer? An arm and a leg would be my guess...

About 7 years ago we found ourselves stranded on the beach at Avi, boat wouldn't even turn over. My first thought was something electrical. I got it towed to the ramp by a fellow boater and put it on the trailer. I opened up the hatch and looked at everything that could be the culprit. I noticed a washer that was corroded on the neutral safety switch. I removed the star lock washer and the boat fired right up. I later went to the hardware store and the grand total for that fix was a whopping twelve cents...

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Question???? It's bugging me that auto zone tested and said "bad alternator"
Where did they test it at? If they tested it right from the alt then the loose nut it not the problem.
Yes the loose nut is a issue and can cause a bad connection making it not to charge the system.

They tested from the battery.

 

[bobbytheboozer]

Sometimes in Life, the best fixes are the cheapest if you investigate the problems yourself. Just imagine what it would have costed you if you took it to a dealer? An arm and a leg would be my guess...

About 7 years ago we found ourselves stranded on the beach at Avi, boat wouldn't even turn over. My first thought was something electrical. I got it towed to the ramp by a fellow boater and put it on the trailer. I opened up the hatch and looked at everything that could be the culprit. I noticed a washer that was corroded on the neutral safety switch. I removed the star lock washer and the boat fired right up. I later went to the hardware store and the grand total for that fix was a whopping twelve cents...

Hahaha, that's awesome. I'm still a little wiry that something will go wrong, but for now, I'm crossing my fingers

 

[SBMech]

So before getting ready for bed, I decided to go poke around the truck and check everything out. I went through all the bolts that go from the battery to the alternator. The yellow arrow pointing to the main bolt in that Positive block next to the alternator was very very loose. Another 2 or 3 turns and it would have fallen off. I tightened it up and it seemed like the lights were brighter, drop down side steps moved faster.

I fired up the truck, grabbed my multi meter, put it on 20v. It was showing 14.25v. When I stopped by autozone, when they tested it, it was showing 12.2-12.3v.

Could that loose bolt be the reason for my electrical demon headache? It seems too easy for my luck.

This was 100% caused by the installer, and it's doubtful that "vibration" would have loosened it, the moron just forgot to tighten it...

So either your stereo guy or the guy who did your steps/lights almost fucked you good...you are lucky as shit it did not fry anything..:eek

 

[bobbytheboozer]

This was 100% caused by the installer, and it's doubtful that "vibration" would have loosened it, the moron just forgot to tighten it...

So either your stereo guy or the guy who did your steps/lights almost fucked you good...you are lucky as shit it did not fry anything..:eek

Yea, it had to have been the stereo. The steps were on the truck when I bought it.