Need help ASAP, truck is dead!

Farmer Rock

just a fella' without a 10mm socket
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Update!
I was getting ready to tear the dash apart and inspect the battery light wiring/bulb, but figured I should check all the fuses for the fourth time to be sure. Soooooo........I somehow confused #29 fuse for another, and didn't realize that #29 has been completely missing this whole time-cuss:frustrate:frustrate......
Put a fuse in, and I heard the alternator kick on, and the voltage jumped from 11v to 13.5 just like that!
I don't know why the fuse was missing in the first place. I do know that I have been running around on just batteries for the past week.
I'm happy that I can trust it again, I really need my truck.
Thank you guys so much for your help and time. I really appreciate it.


Rock
 

Farmer Rock

just a fella' without a 10mm socket
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Hmmm. Wonder why it was missing....
If you ever saw how the PO drove, it would remove all wonder.......
I thought we were gonna die before we made it to the notary...
My guess is, it happened right before I bought it, and he was just keeping the batteries charged without mentioning it.


Rock
 

greenskeeper

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Update!
I was getting ready to tear the dash apart and inspect the battery light wiring/bulb, but figured I should check all the fuses for the fourth time to be sure. Soooooo........I somehow confused #29 fuse for another, and didn't realize that #29 has been completely missing this whole time-cuss:frustrate:frustrate......
Put a fuse in, and I heard the alternator kick on, and the voltage jumped from 11v to 13.5 just like that!
I don't know why the fuse was missing in the first place. I do know that I have been running around on just batteries for the past week.
I'm happy that I can trust it again, I really need my truck.
Thank you guys so much for your help and time. I really appreciate it.


Rock
Hopefully that fuse wasn't removed for an unsolved issue. Without alterator output a PSD can discharge batteries quickly especially in colder weather.
 

Farmer Rock

just a fella' without a 10mm socket
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Hopefully that fuse wasn't removed for an unsolved issue. Without alterator output a PSD can discharge batteries quickly especially in colder weather.
It's been 3 days now, and the truck is doing great. It's holding voltage at 13.5v no problem. It seems like it has more power too. Obviously it starts a lot better since it's not sitting at 11v.
I would really like to know why the fuse was missing, but I did notice there was also a fuse in a blank fuse port. I almost wonder if somebody put in the wrong spot.....

Rock
 

CBRF3

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I advise converting to a 1 wire GM 10SI for simplicity and to get away from the external regulator and such Farmer Rock its rock dumb simple upgrade and eliminates a ton of headache and confusion in middle of rain storm or snow storm aka worst time possible if you get my point. The facts are quality of voltage regulators / alternators for our trucks have went down to point i found them to be unreliable and converted all my rigs to the 10si 1 wire for ease of use / simplicity and did I mention cheapness you can rebuild them on side of road with like 3 sockets and a 1/4 inch screw driver for less than $20 and 20 minutes of time and be back on road making money with the vehicle LOL and well they last forever almost and are almost bullet proof.

Did I mention the 10si alternator and rebuild kits can be found at nearly every auto parts store in stock and for nearly nothing I am serious these things are everywhere and dirt cheap and very reliable / simple. I will also say even in a pinch if you find a non self exciting 10si can easily wire it into your injection pump power wire to trigger it on startup or even the trigger wire for the factory alternator voltage regulator I have both setup on all my rigs so no matter what I am good to go in seconds.

I know you have seen my comment of the K.I.S.S. theory and I live by it keep it simple stupid LOL



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Farmer Rock

just a fella' without a 10mm socket
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I advise converting to a 1 wire GM 10SI for simplicity and to get away from the external regulator and such Farmer Rock its rock dumb simple upgrade and eliminates a ton of headache and confusion in middle of rain storm or snow storm aka worst time possible if you get my point. The facts are quality of voltage regulators / alternators for our trucks have went down to point i found them to be unreliable and converted all my rigs to the 10si 1 wire for ease of use / simplicity and did I mention cheapness you can rebuild them on side of road with like 3 sockets and a 1/4 inch screw driver for less than $20 and 20 minutes of time and be back on road making money with the vehicle LOL and well they last forever almost and are almost bullet proof.

Did I mention the 10si alternator and rebuild kits can be found at nearly every auto parts store in stock and for nearly nothing I am serious these things are everywhere and dirt cheap and very reliable / simple. I will also say even in a pinch if you find a non self exciting 10si can easily wire it into your injection pump power wire to trigger it on startup or even the trigger wire for the factory alternator voltage regulator I have both setup on all my rigs so no matter what I am good to go in seconds.

I know you have seen my comment of the K.I.S.S. theory and I live by it keep it simple stupid LOL



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I believe the alternator I have has an internal regulator already. I swapped in a new 180 amp alternator for an ambulance package truck. I'm a huge fan of keeping things simple, there are just a lot more wires on this rig than my IDIs had.


Rock
 

bigd92

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Lol. This reminds me of one time when my 89 D350 SRW was running, I got swarmed by State Police & about 6 Local coppers at 2AM because I had "borrowed" the wrong fuse the night before so I could have reverse lights to see backing out of a driveway & forgot to "unborrow" it afterwards. Turns out I didn't borrow the Radio/Cigar lighter fuse, I borrowed the "every external lamp not named Headlight" fuse.

Idk what they thought they had, a drug smuggling outlaw with gold teeth, a wooden leg & 10 billion lbs of Gold bars hollowed out & stuffed with whatever illegal substance they wanted to imagine in their heads I had.

One minute, on the way to Circle K to get a pack of smokes, next minute I'm on the ground with 3 donut jockeys drooling on my back & saying all kinda crazy stuff. They searched my whole truck. When I finally got them to tell me why they were messing with me in the first place, *ding* I immediately realized what I had done, & under their ~close supervision~ I promptly unborrowed the fuse & boom, all the lights started working again.

They were so disappointed.

Moral of the story: Always keep extra fuses

Immoral of the story: *ding!* "Hey! I can reach down while I'm driving & pull this fuse out if I ever need to make like a figment & disappear in a cloud of black pigment."

Anyways, sorry for the novel of a story, I was bored & just thought it was a dumb, funny memory related to the subject at hand. I started reading this thread in order to try & diagnose, plus, I've got manuals for reference as a good friend DD's a 7.3P֯S lol

ʄʋʂɛʂ ʌʀʒ ʏʘʋʀ ʄɾɨɛɳɖ
ʂʘ ɑʍ ɨ
ɗɸɲɫ ɗʘ ɯɦɑɫ ɨ ɖɪɗ
ʘʀ ʘʄʄɨʗɛɾʂ ʬɪɭɭ ʈɦɨɳʞ ʏʘʋ'ʁɘ ʜɨʛʜ
 
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