help please, not battery probs after all

[surf-wejd]

hi all
posted the other day about my battery being dead so i got a new one, drove 160 miles since.
just went to start her and its dead, so what could it be, alternator, a short, etc?
cheers will

[Predictable Bob]

Starter motor contacts possibly - do you get a click went you try to start ?

[blackpoolsparks]

First place to start is at your alternator. You need to get a cheap voltage tester and put it across your terminals when thebtruck is running to see around 13 to 14 volts

[surf-wejd]

not that i have herd

[blackpoolsparks]

not that i have herd

Dead battery, do what I said above

[Vultch]

When you say dead, lights dead, clock on dash dead etc etc? if so sounds like your alternator is not charging but you should get a dashboard warning light (red battery symbol)
Put key in ignition turn to ..just before you start and all the dash lights should come on, are you seeing a "red battery symbol"

[blackpoolsparks]

There's another way to test it, but I'll get told off if I tell you

[Apache]

Stick your tongue on it?

Are you in Malvern at the mo Will, or up north of the border?

[surf-wejd]

electrics work, i.e dash lights, blowers, radio ect. just nor enough to crank her over.

up in dundee still unfortunatly not home 4 chrimbo, so no not im malvern.

[Apache]

Borrow a meter off someone. You need to get it started and see what volts you have at the battery with the engine running about 1500rpm.

[surf-wejd]

Borrow a meter off someone. You need to get it started and see what volts you have at the battery with the engine running about 1500rpm.

cool man, will do tomorow.

[Apache]

cool man, will do tomorow.

Report back what you've got. If its around 14 - 14.5V, alternator is OK, and your problem could still be starter contacts related.

[blackpoolsparks]

Or
Start the truck, take one of the battery leads off the battery, if it keeps running, alternator is ok, if it stops, alternator is not. Some say this can mess up your ECU, but I've been doing it for years without any problems.

[Apache]

Goran, that will tell you if the alternator is dead, not if it's output is low. Its possible that there will still be sufficient current to power the ECU though.

However, I would definitely NOT recommend you do this as it approximates the 'load dump' test we perform on military vehicles to see if the electronic systems onboard are hardened to load dump type transients - which can easily be over 200V for a few milliseconds. ECUs are normally protected from this by transient suppressors, but these can fail, and then the ECU's next transient will be its last!

If you are confident that your battery is fully charged when you do it, then you'll get away with a fairly small transient, but if your battery is flat and your alternator is busy shoving 70 or 80A into it and then you lift the terminal... well, thats when you get the voltage pulse, or transient. I've destroyed a Wolfhound gearbox ECU, and all of its headlamp bulbs by doing this test.

Have a read here, particularly DIT04.A. Valuable info for anyone playing with vehicle elctrics really.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Are the battery clamps clean and tight? The original Surf ones are rubbish, they 'feel' tight but rarely are. Remove the plastic liner from the inside of the clamp.