Alternator went out!!!

[Beachbumcook]

Wow....

What a morning....

Truck started slowly, but after 2 trys it started and all was well. About 5 minutes from home my dash gauges went out (limp) and the ABS light came on. Then then my radio went blank... then they came on...then went blank again!!!

Got back home, shut truck off... but would not start. It would "click" like a dead battery or something???

Hooked up to a charger for 30 minutes and it started right up and drove to local mechanic. He checked and stated that the alternator is not putting out a charge. He is charging the batteries up to see if they are bad or just drained due to a bad alternator???

Questions:

1) Is this normal for my dash guages and ABS light to go out and or flicker on/off every few minutes?

2) My radio would go off and come back on just in the same manner?

3) Why would the ABS light come but not the "battery or charging light"??

4) I have 92,000 miles on my 2003 and this is the normal for the lights, guages, radio and the like to act like this?

5) If the batteries re-charge am I just flirting with trouble down the road... or if otherwise still OK, just replace the alternator and keep on truck'n?

Thanks,

 

[blacksnapon]

Low voltage will make one do strange things. The abs has a code for loss of battery voltage (thus the light). As far as the charge light, those things are so unreliable, I dont doubt it never came on. The batteries might be ok, have them tested fully. On the other side of the coin, how old are the batteries? It would be cheap insurance to replace them now, instead of in a downpour.

 

[Beachbumcook]

Low voltage will make one do strange things. The abs has a code for loss of battery voltage (thus the light). As far as the charge light, those things are so unreliable, I dont doubt it never came on. The batteries might be ok, have them tested fully. On the other side of the coin, how old are the batteries? It would be cheap insurance to replace them now, instead of in a downpour.

Batteries are the original ones.

They are 3-1/2 years in service (August 2003) and have 92,000 miles on them. Called the dealer and OEM batteries (just for kicks) were a $100/each. Will see what my local mechanic says an what kind of price he will quote me???

One would think that I would have had some earlier warning signs????

 

[blacksnapon]

You can install a gauge, but then you still have to interpret what the gauge tells you. Short of periodic garage testing, there isnt very reliable methods of keeping track of charging system issues on the market.

 

[Bob Ayers]

Having an accurate voltmeter is probably the best indicator of the health of the electrical system. The higher end European cars monitor how low the battery voltage goes when cranking, which is probably the best indicator of battery(s) health.