Elctrical System Is Screwed

[Chris]

so over the past few days i noticed mt battery will pretty much die when i hit my brakes. mainly at idle. my accessories dont stay on after i shut the truck down anymore and my stereo constantly resets

[Ranger]

Bad alternator is my guess...

[Zembonez]

Bad alternator is my guess...

I'd check cables, then alternator, and have the battery load tested.

[Chris]

cables to what? the battery is about a year old. how do i check the alternator

[97SierraGMC]

...

[Chris]

which side of thebattery

[Ranger]

Take it to a parts store and have them test the charging system...

[Silverado4x4]

You can check the alternator by starting the truck and then unhook the battery, the truck should stay running if the alternator is good.

[Ranger]

That's easier said than done haha...If the alternator is Overcharging it will deliver a nice little shock when you break the connection haha, been there done that but with a 65 amp on an old chevy truck.

[Chris]

what should the alternator be pushing. autozone did a full test and got it at 115 amps

[Ranger]

Sounds about right if you have a 125 or 140 amp...Did they test the battery?

[Chris]

yea under load it was 10.5 volts

[bill190]

The job of the alternator is to recharge the battery.

 

The job of the battery is to hold a charge for awhile.

 

So get a battery charger and charge up that battery. If the vehicle runs OK for a day or more, then over time begins to die out again, then that means the alternator or its associated wiring is not doing its job.

 

If you charge up the battery, then the vehicle immediately dies, then the battery is not holding a charge.

 

You should be able to charge up a battery, not use the vehicle for a few days, then still have a fully charged battery.

 

Just like with a cell phone or camera. If you don't use it for a few days, the battery stays charged. But if you are using it a lot, you need to recharge the battery. The battery "recharger" for your cell phone would serve the same purpose as the alternator for your vehicle. It recharges the battery.