I am having trouble with
the Evap Not reading and CAT not reading, and all they tell me is to drive it around
now my battery ligh has come on and I put in a new battery and it still conmes on when in Idle( it did that before)
Help

I did tghe altenator test with removing the Ground of battery and the car shut of ( wondering if thats still a sign)
let me know if any one can help the car has 250k miles and when i drive it up a hill it does ping I have replaced the spark plugs at 120k should i do that a again
cost me a fortune last time
thanks

 

What's the voltage the alternator is putting out while idling?

 

I need to buy a voltmeter but when its idled at a stop sign it battery sign pops up

 

Most auto parts should be able to test for free. Should be 12.6v when the truck is off and 14-14.5v while idling. And if the battery light comes on, there's definitely a problem with the charging system.

Get the battery and alternator both tested.

 

do i just go to Oreillys to get the altenator tested and the battery?

 

Now question if i need an altenator could that be the cause of my not passing smog due to the evaps and Cats not reading on the when i take it in?

 

also can i get the genarator from ebay or is that a bad idea they seem to be OE and 1/3 of the price

 

Honestly, get your truck checked out first before buying anything. Are the ones you're talking about motorcraft? And if so, I'd bet they're remanufactured.

I'd go for a quality name brand new unit. The reman units can still have issues as not every part is replaced.

 

Yes, you should definitely change the plugs since they have 130k miles on them. That should help the smog test.

Checking the voltage with the engine off and then again when running should tell you something about the battery and/or charging system.

If the engine off battery voltage is low, charge it and check it again. Take it to a parts house and get it tested.

 

Sounds like the brushes are shot in the alt. If you can get to it, tap the alt with a wooden hammer handle to see if the light goes off. If it does then it needs the alt replaced soon.