My truck broke down tonight

My battery light came on this morning and I didn't think much of it cause my truck started fine and all
Then later tonight I start my truck and it barely starts but it starts so my buddies and I start to drive to Wendy's and about half way there my headlights start to dim the battery light starts to flicker then the radio turns off then random lights on my dash start to come on then I slow down for a red light
I try to start from the red light and my throttle is opening and closing very strangely and me pushing the gas peddle does nothing
I manage to get it around the corner and it completely takes a shit and all the electronics are still acting very strangely
I got my dad to tow me to a parking lot so that is where my poor baby is spending the night

 

Sounds like it is time for a new battery....

 

Bad alternator maybe?

 

I just got a new battery I'm thinking alernator

 

That's what I'm thinking

 

Dont be an idiot like me.. with my mustang, i thought it was a bad battery. Bought a new battery, threw the old one away, and then the new one went. Found out it was the alternator. Try charging the old battery, 9/10 the cells are good and its just drained.

 

Yea, probably the alt. Generally, that light isn't something wise to ignore

 

I wish I felt bad for you...your truck tried to tell you... it was like "hey, this battery is about to shit itself so if you don't want me stranded in a random ass parking lot, then you better replace it now"...



Just playin' bud, hope it all works out for ya

 

My battery has a full charge I'm definitely thinking it is the alternator due to the other random shit that was happening

O and the colts suck

 

Gone through any streams or mudholes lately?

 

This reminds me of a similar thing that happened to me once, only not in my truck but in a single-engine airplane, at night.

My ammeter indicated a significant draw about 12 miles from the airport, then my alternator circuit breaker popped. I pushed it back in and it popped again a minute or so later. You're not supposed to push it back in a second time, because it has potential to cause an electrical fire if you keep forcing the circuit to stay closed -- fires are not something you want to have in a cockpit. So then before I even had time to decrease my electrical load by powering off as many electrical items as possible, my low battery light went on ... then about 2 minutes later my panel went black and I lost all my lights, radios/navigation, and electric powered flaps.

I managed to land uneventfully back at the airport after the tower cleared the airspace for me.

I thought it was a bad alternator but turns out the alternator circuit breaker was bad and popped at too low of a tolerance. Batteries in such a situation are *supposed* to provide emergency power for 30 minutes in small airplanes like that, but mine crapped after about 2. Good times.

Sorry to take your thread off on a tangent.

 

i'll sell you my first gen.....

 

LOL ... damn!

Shot in the back from out of nowhere.

 

take your battery to get tested at an autopart store for free!!!

 

the battery light is normally a sign that the alternator is not charging

 

I take it the engine runs on magneto ignition?

 

Yup, it does. The engine runs independently from the main electrical system, so it wasn't affected.

 

If your truck will start you can test if it's the alt. Just pull the battery cable while running. If it dies, its the alt. Hope it helps.

 

Deffinatly the alt man, a battery has a reserve capacity in miuntes usually around an hour of how long it will last you once the battery light comes on, Just get the battery charged and a new alt and you'll be good as new! Also clean the battery cables and post before putting it all back together just to be sure you have a good connection.

 

100 % you need to replace the Alternator. All lights coming on like that is a classic symptom of a bad Alternator. A bit of elbow grease and a few scraped knuckles and you`ll be good to go.