No, what I meant was that we were looking around at every other thing that
could have generated your symptoms. I guess there's just too many little
things nowadays that go bad, so we forget the obvious.
I just went out and checked my '95. Been sitting for 10 hours in 45 degrees.
12.85 volts, both at the posts and the cable ends. It's a recent Group 27,
with recent factory cable set.
As to the voltmeter, I don't know GenIII's yet. My GenII has been very
consistent. But it doesn't have numbers on the dial. Best guess is that when
you get your truck back to perfect condition, put the meter on the battery
several times under different conditions and see what it reads compared to
the dash meter. Question: Did the needle move under different load
conditions? When you get it right, observe where the needle sits at idle
with no other load, other than maybe radio, but not heater or headlights.
There should be a small difference between summer and winter. Biff
----- Original Message -----
From: <bfitchett@comcast.net>
To: <dakota-truck-moderator@bent.twistedbits.net>
Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2007 10:30 AM
Subject: Re: DML: Having some troubles with the truck...
>
> Had you fooled with what? Regardless... I tried to get the nut off the
> terminal and may have to get a new one (OOPS! little round over). I got
> the voltage from the posts, just stuck the meter on the top (without
> corrosion) of the posts and got that value with the engine off. That was
> all i did, just a quick 10 sec measurment. alternator may also be a place
> to look as well. will depend on the battery test, I reckon.
>
> I dont know if it matters, the dash indicator sits at 14 or just above all
> the time. I would not count on that gauge for accuracy, but it should be
> close, right?
>
> Brian
>
> In article <00f801c74499$dbc93470$a1275142@biffe516235871>,
> bbyrum9@foothill.net ("Biff Byrum") writes:
>>
>> Well, you sure had us fooled. When I read that, I wondered if that was a
>> typo. As to the negative terminal, get a can of Liquid Wrench, small
>> size. Put it on the thread and around the nut. Then let it sit for at
>> least an hour, if not more. I suggest the red and green felt washers for
>> your next battery.
>>
>> Mr. Block, I kinda disagree with some of your numbers. I find good
>> batteries to vary between 12.48 and 12.61v when cold. CC charging systems
>> put out between 13.51 and 14.25 volts, and that's at idle, with no other
>> electrical load than the engine running. Those values depend upon the
>> outside temp. At 45F the higher values apply. As the outside temp
>> increases, output decreases.
>>
>> Brian: Better check your alternator output also, that 12.1v just doesn't
>> seem right. Was that battery check between posts or cable ends? And did
>> you alternate checks between posts and terminals and post-cable end?
>>
>> Was it here on DML a few months back where that person claimed their
>> system was charging at 18 volts? Now that was a REAL bad battery. Biff
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