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Power changes

Hydrolock

NAXJA Forum User
Location
New York
Hey,

For the past few days I have been noticing my battery gauge has been moving a lot more.

I put on the heat when I left my house and it dropped and stayed at about the 3rd bar.

I put on the radio and it dropped even more. then I turned up the fan to deforst my windshield and my check gauges light turned on and my battery power was at zero.

I drove to my friends house to pick him up for class and shut my truck off went inside and when I came back out it turned right ove and the gauge kept doing the same thing.

WHat could be wrong?
I have heard so far
-Need a new battery
- Bad terminals
-Need a second battery ( I am running a sub and upgraded speakers with that stereo)

Thank you
Jordan
 
Definitely check the battery voltage static and then with the engine running, w/o turning on all the loads (radio, heater fan, amp, subwoofer, etc.).

You should have 12v static and 13.8+v with the engine running and minimal load, assuming charged battery and functioning charging system. This does not, however, test the battery's ability to hold a charge/load. A quick and dirty load test would be to turn on your headlights and observe them while a friend starts the engine. Dimming of the lights would be normal, but a brownout/blackout indicates trouble. This is assuming good grounds and clean terminals.

After all of that, my first best GUESS by the indicated VOLTAGE drop would be a dying alternator. But that would be a guess.
 
Around here the local parts store has a tester they wheel out to your vehicle that has the ability to load test the battery and test alternator output...

My charging system was doing the same thing as yours and I had the local advance auto use their tester on it and quickly pointed to a failing alternator which wasn't putting out the proper amps.....
 
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