Suspect Alternater issues

[icanfixall]

My dash lite has started blinking that tells me something is wrong with my alternater. Its the battery figure that lites up. My charge indicater is farther over chargeing than it usually is. If I turn on the head lites the blinking battery lite stops blinking and goes out. I have a serpentine belt alternater and its got the internast voltage regulater. I'm thinking its the brushes needing replacement or the regulater. What do you guys think. The blinking seems to almost be a warning sign telling me something is not normal like when the od lite blinks telling you there it E4OD trans issues. Any ideas as to whats going on..

 

[riotwarrior]

Brushes are cheap and easy to replace...take a look at what U got if worn replace em and go from there..ONE thing at a time or you won't know what did it.

Me I'm thinking VR myself.

 

[icanfixall]

Al Thank was my guess first off too. I removed the brush pack. The deepest brush was worn more than the outer brush but they had plenty od spring in them. I will post what the mom & pop shop finds right or wrong today. I found out how cheap the brush pack is but the voltage regulater appears to be around $90.00. I need to look into that a little deeper cause that sounds like half the cost of a completer rebuild.

 

[Can30Diesel]

Yeah if the brushes look to be in good shape, then its probably the regulator.

 

[icanfixall]

If the regulater is going bad why would turning on the head lites cause the dash lite to stop blinking. Is the draw on the voltage regualter causing the regulater to work. I also see the dash gauge showing more of a charge than usual too. I'm not smelling rotten eggs from boiling the battery acid... Yet...

 

[Mulochico]

Check what your voltage is at the battery when the dash light is on. The VR could be allowing a little to much voltage to the system, then when you turn on your headlights it draws enough to bring it back down. Had an old Valiant do this many years ago. Back then I just replaced the alt as the VR was internal and the alt was old (kinda like me now ).

 

[typ4]

a bad diode will put ac in the circuit and turn the light on, just had it happen on a newer truck. Also the regulator should only be 35/40 bucks. look online, try to find a transpo, and MOST rebuilds do not put in a reg unless they have too.

Also check the dash ground.

 

[icanfixall]

Just called shop... Nothing wrong with alternater.. Bummer... Now to find whats wrong. Might just buy a set of brushes anyway cause one of mine was worn more than I'm confortable will and its simple to replace now.. Found out my alternater is a high output alt. It was putting out 180 amps. Glad to know that..

 

[cpdenton]

I have been waiting for my alternator to go out. A starter and alternator shop back in my hometown in north arkansas, that it highly trust, will rebuild mine. I talked to them about a high output rebuild. After trying to convince me to swap to a gm style alternator, because it is cheaper to rebuild, I finally convinced him to price my 3G rebuild. He told me a dollar per amp at 240 amps...with a warranty.

I have had them rebuild several alternators and never had one of their rebuilds die on me.

Not to hijack a thread, but how does this price compare to your experiences?

 

[icanfixall]

Well 8 year ago I paid $200.00 for my 200 amp serpentine belt alternater on ebay. Don't recall the seller. Now having it tested and finding it puts out 180 amps I'm kinda wondering why but I'm not unhappy about it. I changed the brushpack. Installed it and ran it. Found I had 14.45 volts going to the batterys so I feel I'm good. Checked for ground issues and broken wires but nothing found. I will be driving about 2000 + miles hauling a ton of sand tomorrow so we will see what happens.