Battery or Alternator?

unicorncomputer · Feb 12, 2017

2003 Ram 2500 5.7L with Hiniker Plow.

The last couple of times I have gone out to plow, I have noticed that when I pick the plow up, my battery gauge drops dramatically.

I am not sure if its my alternator going or just a weak battery. I am not sure of the age of the battery, I have only had the truck a year. I am also not sure if the truck has the 130A or 160A Alternator?

I came back out the following day of 45 mins of plowing zero degree weather, and it wouldn't start, had to have charger on it for a few hours.

Is the battery gauge showing voltage of battery or alternator?

Any suggestions would be great.

Thank you,

Steve

bhonshell37 · Feb 12, 2017

unicorncomputer said:
2003 Ram 2500 5.7L with Hiniker Plow.

The last couple of times I have gone out to plow, I have noticed that when I pick the plow up, my battery gauge drops dramatically.

I am not sure if its my alternator going or just a weak battery. I am not sure of the age of the battery, I have only had the truck a year. I am also not sure if the truck has the 130A or 160A Alternator?

Any suggestions would be great.

Thank you,

Steve

Test the battery yourself if you have the tool. Another option is to have the alternator and battery tested at a parts store if one is close.

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justin13703 · Feb 12, 2017

Chances are that it is your battery. Once the truck is running the alternator pretty much runs the truck. So if it will run everything, including lifting the plow, your alt is probably fine. But yes you can either go get the battery checked, or just replace the battery since it is the cheapest and easiest thing to do first.

unicorncomputer · Feb 13, 2017

I have had the charger on it since 5pm, went out to confirm battery size and if there was anything retaining it, in case I needed to change it while I was out.

Battery charger showed it at 100%, just from opening doors so dome light came on, looked at everything before coming in, battery charger was reading it at 75-85%.

Gonna pick up battery tomorrow, walmart EverMaxx65N 850CCA for $100, 3 yr full warranty, plus 2 additional prorated years.

pajeepman · Feb 13, 2017

Make sure to clean all your terminals real well. Even check the other ends of the cables if you can.

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derekp · Feb 13, 2017

Yep. Battery. Replace it and make sure it is grounded well to the frame.

Devin1349 · Feb 13, 2017

Make sure you clean terminals and areas around the battery just to be safe.

unicorncomputer · Feb 16, 2017

Put new battery in, no problems starting now, haven't had plow hooked back up yet, will be doing that this weekend.

I put volt meter on terminals while its running, getting 15.01 V

I am used to seeing 14-14.5 is 15 too much? Can that damage anything?

I was also previously getting random cylinder misfires, and sputtering at 2500 RPM, both of those have gone away now also.

Thank you,

Steve

lharrell79 · Feb 17, 2017

The following was taken from AA1car.com. If it's cold and you just started the truck, it will read high. I would let the truck get up to a normal operating temp, and then test again.

"ALTERNATOR CHARGING VOLTAGE

Most alternators that are charging properly should produce a voltage of about 13.8 to 14.2 volts at idle with the lights and accessories off. Always refer to the vehicle manufacturer's specifications. Many Asian vehicles, for example, have higher charging voltages of around 15 volts.

When the engine is first started, the charging voltage should rise quickly to about two volts above base battery voltage, then taper off, leveling out at the specified voltage.

The exact charging voltage will vary according to the battery's state of charge, the load on the vehicle's electrical system, and temperature. The lower the temperature the higher the charging voltage, and the higher the temperature the lower the charging voltage. The "normal" charging voltage on a typical application might be 13.9 to 15.1 volts at 77 degrees F. But at 20 degrees F. below zero, the charging voltage might jump as high as 14.9 to 15.8 volts for a short period of time. On a hot engine on a hot day, the normal charging voltage might drop to 13.5 to 14.3 volts."

unicorncomputer · Feb 18, 2017

Thank you for the info lharrell

I had never seen charging that high before so I wasn't sure.

Thank you,

Steve

lharrell79 · Feb 18, 2017

unicorncomputer said:
Thank you for the info lharrell

I had never seen charging that high before so I wasn't sure.

Thank you,

Steve

My guess is that it's been colder than a witch's teet, since you're in Vermont. The cold will cause it to charge at a higher voltage.

Battery or Alternator?

unicorncomputer

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