[formulafan]

Hi guys, I hope someone can help me? When i went to start my truck nothing works, no lights,radio,horn,nothing, just a red flashing light in the gauge cluster beside the temp gauge. I tryed boosting it and everything worked but the truck would only run if i kept the rpms up, as soon as i took my foot off the throttle the truck would stall. I tried to start it again & same thing nothing . Any help would be great thanks.

 

[jacksonsnorth]

Have you checked to see if the alternator is bad? start it and have someone unhook the neg battery terminal and if it stays running its good if not then theres part of your problem. but I am not a tech. This would be the first thing I tried.

 

[formulafan]

Thanks for the advice, just after i posted my message my fatherinlaw came by he had a volt meter & checked the battery it read 1.6volts. So we boosted it with his truck and my truck fired right up & ran fine. We then unhooked the cables & checked the battery with the meter & it read 14.3 volts. Not sure whats going on, any ideas. Thanks again.

 

[bigdaddyII]

Change the battery. Crank the truck after and see how the volt meter on your dash reads. Dont overthink this, change the battery and go from there.

 

[formulafan]

Well as of today the truck starts & runs fine & the volt gauge is reading the same as it did before this problem. I think you might be right about the battery being the problem, but i was wondering if the alternator could be an issue also? Is it one of those parts that either works or it doesn't or could it work off and on? Thanks for your help.

 

[HemiLonestar]

If you read 14.3 volts on the battery while the truck was running, then it isn't your alternator. Normal reading would've been 13 and change, but it's reading 14+ trying to charge your battery that won't charge properly.

 

[jacksonsnorth]

Yup, HemiLonestar is right about that, good call man. Battery is pooched evidently.

 

[bigdaddyII]

Chances are it was just the battery.

 

[formulafan]

Thanks for your help guys i will be changing the battery. I'm glad that it wasn't something more serious (expensive). I've only owned the truck for 4yrs but know the history of it & sure its the original battery so its probably due to be changed. Thanks again.

 

[Tommycat]

Honestly with the temps warming up I would check to see if the battery was actually bad, or if the terminal was just loosening up.

Always happened with my truck in the spring