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Battery or alternator?
- Thread starter f311fr1
- Start date
cuttin edge
Senior Member
Do you have any tools to check voltage? A multi meter, a battery tester. Charge the battery over night, start it up, unhook the battery. If it shuts off it's not charging
Camshawn
Senior Member
You need to check the voltage at the battery before and after starting. Before starting, 12.5 or above, while it is running, it should be above 13.5 volts if the battery is very low, 13.8 if the battery is close to normal charge. If the running voltage is very low, you probably have an alternator issue. Cam
Charge the battery over night, if it starts, then the battery is probably fine. Check the voltage running, like Cam said, if it's close to 14V, the alternator is fine, for now. Before you start it, does it have a red battery light that lights up? or a voltmeter in the cab? or is the "low voltage" light on just before you start it? or while it's running? If the voltage while running is less than 13, the alternator is not doing any charging, but you still need to check the voltage at the alternator terminals to see if it's getting the correct signal, otherwise you can have a new alternator that doesn't work either.
RC100 Grass Valley
Member
I just went through this the other day. No charging and dead battery after 4 hours of use.
So I read to check the diode in the fuse box. Well it had continuity one way so I flipped it both ways and tried that...still no charge.
Bought a $100 alternator on ebay and put it in. Still no charge.
Flipped the diode and Yes! It's charging. For once a cheap part works...for now. But it had a year warranty and was easy to replace.
So I read to check the diode in the fuse box. Well it had continuity one way so I flipped it both ways and tried that...still no charge.
Bought a $100 alternator on ebay and put it in. Still no charge.
Flipped the diode and Yes! It's charging. For once a cheap part works...for now. But it had a year warranty and was easy to replace.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
How old is the battery? It would help if you could measure voltage before and while cranking. If it drops a couple volts could be time for a new battery. You could also start it a couple times back to back and check the voltage. A good battery should still be 12.4 volts or better. If the battery was under 12 volts might want to have it checked with a battery tester. Another thing to check for is corrosion on the battery terminals and wiring. Corrosion on battery terminals can be from a battery going bad.
Tom3697
Member
he battery might not be holding a charge properly, which you can test using a multimeter. If the voltage is below 12.6V when the machine is off, it might be time to replace the battery. Also, check all electrical wires for any signs of damage or corrosion. The starter might be failing, which you can test by checking the voltage at the starter while trying to start the machine. A blown fuse could also be the culprit, so make sure to check all fuses. Lastly, there could be an issue with the connectors. One user on a forum mentioned that the cab connector was a common issue and recommended inspecting it for any signs of damage or corrosion.