thinks i will try that…
ok again no money to do that…
ok, boy’s
thinks for the help but it was something none of you all thought of…
battery acid was really low…
so good thing i did not go spend my money to get it looked at… but like i said thinks for the help…
now i know how to trouble shoot, a car if i come acrossed it again…
here’s some additional troubleshooting ideas:
try removing the fuses for any unnecessary circuits. Replace them one at a time while monitoring the parasitic drain.
look to circuits that are always energized even when the car is parked. I’m especially thinking of the circuits for the power door locks. Intermittant and/or high resistance shorts in the wiring bundles that pass from the car’a chassis to the lock mechanisms are common failure points. The wire bundles flex there every time you open the door. You could also disble the lock circuits and use the key for a few days to see if that makes a difference.
Can’t you do the same with an amp meter? The current draw should be next to nothing in a normal situation. I am not sure what the normal Amp draw would be on this truck but it should be very very low.
All of the other replies I read are good and well though out. Here’s another idea from the Old School of diagnostics that will help you to determine if your alternator and voltage regulator are working correctly. With the engine running disconnect the positive battery cable (be careful not to touch the car’s body as it has a negative charge and will short if you do). If the engine continues to run then the alternator is working and the problem is elsewhere. If the engine dies then the alternator is not putting out enough current. That would cause the car to run off the battery instead of the alternator. Remember, the battery is only supposed to start the car then it runs off the alternator. You can also get the entire electrical system checked out at any reputable garage.
got a 800 watt amp.
Yes you certainly can. Today, clamp-on ampmeters that measure DC amps can be had for about $125 or so. No need to disconnect any wires, the jaws of the meter just open and shut to surround the wire that you wish to measure the amps on. DC clamp-ons usually have to be zeroed before using, most of them have a simple zeroing button that you push to tell the amp meter that what it is measuring now is zero amps.
When looking for such a meter, make sure it can measure DC amps, clamp-ons that measure AC only are usually cheaper.
I have one of these because I work with electricity a lot. It makes trouble shooting your car’s alternator really fast. Clamp it on your car’s positive battery cable. It should read zero amps. Turn on the ignition and it should read maybe ten or so amps positive. Start the car and it should read negative amps, usually around 30 or 40 which tapers off to a low trickle after the alternator charges the battery back up. If the amp reading stays positive, the alternator is not recharging your battery.
You can also clamp on the ground cable but the positive and negative readings will be reversed unless you turn the meter around.
Another old school trick is to hold a screwdriver against the rear bearing of the alternator while the engine is running. If the alternator is working, the magnetic field of the rotor will attract the screwdriver.
Ok.I just had the same problem and it took most of the day to track it down.I do not know if you have checked what i am about to say but if not,do.There is a fuseable link hidden.At the power distribution box under the hood.The battery cable goes to it and then another cable comes off of it to the alternator.Disconect both cables and under them is a 25 amp fuseable link.Hopefully that will work for you.The auto parts stores do not know it is thetr.