04 Silverado Battery / Alternator Issues

[djscottymiami]

04 Silverado w/ 5.3L V8 motor.

 

Truck was sounding kind of slugish starting recently, and I noticed that the lights would flicker when the truck was first started up (you could REALLY notice it when it was dark out... the headlights and dash lights would flicker like crazy for the first bit, then it would go away after a few minutes).

 

 

Last week when I checked the truck:

- Battery Voltage Truck Off before starting: 11.8V

- Battery Voltage Truck Started No Loads: 15V-ish

- Battery Voltage Truck Started High load (heater, defrost etc..): 12V ish

 

I took the truck out for a drive and the alternator was HOT to the touch. Couldn't keep my hand on it at all.

 

 

Today (Truck had been sitting for a 3-4 days not started):

- Battery Voltage Truck Off before starting: 11.6V

- Battery Voltage Truck Started No Loads: 15V

 

 

 

I took the battery and the alternator out and i'm going to bring them in to an auto electric place in brandon and get them tested tomorrow. The guys at the shop here said it might be the alternator is getting weak or the battery is fubared (even though it was saying it was good on the battery testers?). Sounds to me like the battery isn't holding a good charge.

 

 

 

Anyone have some input?

 

sorry for the links on some of the words.. copied this from another forum where i posted it.

[jro909]

whats the alternator guage do...if its erratic its the battery...

[djscottymiami]

battery was toast. got a new one and all seems to be well

[jro909]

i had my 7 year old factory battery finally give out about a month ago, i went to leave and the truck was weak to turn over the engine..finally it started and the voltage guage would not settle it kept bouncing, so i drove it to an autoparts store shut it down...went inside and came back out to move it closer to the building for a load test...same sluggish start...later on found out the battery started the truck twice with 0 charge i was going to go with another ac delco battery but the dealer claimed it would cost me atleast 180-250 bucks lol