<< Ok, just to make sure things arent really really really screwy, I tested
the
battery. It came up like a tad over 12 volts. Once the truck is running, I
test the battery and it reads 14.1-14.6 volts. Even the scan tool confirmed
this by showing a reading of 14.2 volts. I even turned all all the lights
and accessories and the voltage never fell below 14 volts. Is the charging
system supposed to put out this many volts or do I have yet another problem
area.
Kyle
93 Dakota 4x4 V6 >>
Kyle, the only problem I see is the battery. Make sure it is charged well.
Inside your battery there are 6 electrode plates. Each plate makes 2.1
volts. That should mean 12.6 volts on a properly charged battery. If it
only reads 12.3 or so volts, you may have a cell in it going bad. About the
charging voltage, it is fine. As long as it doesn't go over 15 volts it is
fine. Staying at or above 14 volts with full lights on is pretty damn good.
I have seen systems fall down to 13.8 volts lights on and they were actually
still just fine. As long as you don't drop below ~13.5 volts with lights on,
then you have no charging problems. Another quick check you can do, pull the
coil wire (get ready to reset the computer after doing this to clear out
trouble codes) and crank the motor over for about 5 - 8 seconds. Give the
battery a rest. Crank it again for 8 - 10 seconds. Now jump out and put
your hand on the battery cables. If one of the large cables is fire hot,
then you need to replace the battery wiring harness, as that cable is
corroded internally. It is normal to be warm, just not burning hot. Now
that the battery has set for a few minutes, put your volt meter on it. If it
is below ~12.2 volts, replace the battery with a better unit as there is a
cell going bad in the old one. Now reset the computer and crank the truck
and let it run (preferable if you actually drive it) for about 15 minutes to
recharge the battery. Hope this helps.
Will
96 Paxton huffed NOS intercooled 408 Dakota
89 Shelby Dakota
69 Dodge Charger
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 11:58:49 EDT