I need some help.. I was driving home friday and the dash display said Check Charging System. Then the engine light came on. Shortly after that my gauges went out. Didn't know how fast I was running or anything. A/C wouldn't work, radio didn't work and my truck started to shudder and then it finally stalled out and died. It wouldn't start, so I had to have it boosted off to get it home. It did the same thing all over again before I got it to the house. I had the battery tested at the parts store and they recharged it. I am thinking the alternator but I have been told otherwise. I am having the alternator tested today.

Does anyone else had this problem? Is the the alternator or the battery or could it be something else? Need advise please.

 

if it happened while you were driving it is most likely a bad alternator

 

I agree.

 

It did it to me again. So from what y'all are saying, looks like I am going to be replacing that. Should I replace the battery while I am at it?

 

Alternator went out for sure. Charge the battery fully otherwise you'll burn up the new alt trying to charge the dead battery

 

Replace the alternator first. No use throwing money at a battery when yours may be just fine. Besides, getting/installing a battery is a minor inconvenience in most cases. The alternator requires a bit more time, but is still an easily-serviced item on this truck.

 

Alternator.

Over the years as a stste police officer I encountered many on the highway at night under simular circumstances, always wanting to believe it was just a battery even as I explained to them that a battery is a reserve storage tank and the alternator is trying to keep it full while providing other juice needed to run systems. When the alternator stops working, when there's no juice being made, the juice to run the vehicle is drawn from the battery until it is depleted and then the vehicle stops running. A battery will bounce back sometimes just a little, just enough to operate a light maybe. A jump from a running engine will just give a little juice back.

 

Thanks y'all. I will have to get a new one and get it installed. Luckly I have a backup vehicle until I can get the alternator this weekend.

 

Put a digital meter across the battery terminals. Start it up. The meter should jump up over 13.8 volts on fast idle. If not, alternator is kaput. If it does go over 13.8, turn on the headlights. Should still be over 13.8 volts on fast idle. If not, alternator again kaput.

 

Alternator. A good DIY job

 

I had the Alternator tested before I spent 200 bucks on something I didn't need and the meter was bearly pulling over 12 volts. So I replaced that. Now my truck idles at about 300 RPM and will stall out and dye. Had them pull the code on that and the code said ignition coil A was bad. I replaced the spark plugs at 131,000 miles. Guess I should have relaced the coil packs while I was at it. Simple fix just not going to be very cheap at 181,000 miles now.

 

How long has it been since you replaced the alternator? (meaning how long has it been run?) You know that when you disconnect or change a battery your PCM has to relearn the idle and all, they can run pretty crappy for a little bit, but it doen't usually last but a short while. Low idle is one of the things affected, but shouldn't last long at all. Doesn't seem like replacing the alternator would cause a coil to go out, or that a bad coil would cause a 300 RPM idle. You do know when you pull codes you don't necessarily rush Code3 to the parts store to buy parts. Codes are arrows POSSIBLY pointing to a problem. Codes are like people, they are sometimes wrong too. Swap the coil to a different cylinder and see if the code follows it.

 

I replaced the alternator about a week ago and don't have a problem there. I have driven it many times to make sure it charges and all. Then it started to run really ruff and the check engine light came on. So I had the parts store pull the code and it was P3051 ignition coil A. I bought one and I am still trying to find which one A is. The idle has come back up until it starts to stall out again. I replace the plugs about 2 years ago and not the coil packs.

 

If you replaced the alternator with a reman that could be the issue with the code....

 

That's cylinder #1 - front one on the passenger side.