This 2012 Chevrolet Silverado came in with the complaint that the battery would go dead if the owner let the truck sit for a week. No one was able to replicate the concern including myself. I went a couple of steps further and eventually got the truck to act up. I was concerned that the … Continue reading “2012 Chevrolet Silverado, Battery Goes Dead”
This 2010 Ram 1500 Pickup came in with the complaint that the alternator and the battery have both been replaced but the battery still keeps going dead. Checking the voltage at the alternator output post while the engine was running found that the alternator was charging. The image below shows the alternator charge voltage on … Continue reading “2010 Ram 1500, Alternator Not Charging, Code P2504”
This 2006 Chrysler Sebring came in with several electrical problems but the chief concern was that the alternator was not charging. The customer also stated that the wipers did not work and that the check engine light has been on for a while. Codes P0135, P0141, P0155, P0161 and P0622 were stored. The first four … Continue reading “2006 Chrysler Sebring Convertible Multiple Electrical Problems”
This 2000 Honda Civic came in with the complaint that the battery would go dead. There was a slight language barrier between myself and the customer so I performed the usual tests to find out what was going on. I checked for a battery drain condition while the battery was being recharged with my battery … Continue reading “2000 Honda Civic Battery Goes Dead”
This 2008 Buick Enclave CXL came in with the complaint that the battery would go dead while driving. The battery light was on and there was a message on the dash to service the charging system. Something else that I noticed but cannot duplicate here is that there was a steady moan from the engine … Continue reading “2008 Buick Enclave Replacing The Alternator”
This 2007 Ford F150 came in with the complaint that the battery light would come on about 30 seconds after the engine was started. The voltmeter in the dash indicated the alternator was charging. Checking the system with my charging system analyzer found the charging voltage was good at 14.23 volts and the amperage was … Continue reading “2007 Ford F150 Battery Light Stays On”
This 2009 Saturn Aura came in with the complaint that the alternator would not charge. Originally it came in for a no crank condition that was diagnosed as a faulty PCM. The vehicle was sent to a local dealership to have the PCM replaced under warranty. The car only had just over 31,000 miles on … Continue reading “2009 Saturn Aura, No Charge Condition”
This 1998 Ford Windstar with the 3.8 liter engine came in with the complaint that the alternator would not charge. The alternator had been replaced twice and still nothing. Imagine that? I confirmed that the alternator was not charging and then moved onto circuit tests. The main battery lead at the alternator must have battery … Continue reading “1998 Ford Windstar, Alternator Does Not Charge”
This 1988 Ford F250 Came in with the complaint that the battery would go dead while sitting overnight. As soon as the truck was dropped off I checked the alternator and confirmed that it was not charging properly. It had excessive ac ripple voltage. This would not explain the battery going dead overnight but it … Continue reading “1988 Ford F250 Pickup, Battery Goes Dead While Parked”
This 2005 GMC Sierra came in with the complaint that when the vehicle is started cold, the headlights, dash lights and dome light will flicker or pulsate. As the system runs the problem diminishes but never goes fully away. This is a common complaint on many Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC full sized trucks and suv’s. … Continue reading “2005 GMC Sierra, Lights Flicker or Pulsate”