I started my truck up this morning to warm up to go to work, and it died on me, just shut off. I started it back up and it started smoking from under the hood (and got sucked into the heater vents), so I shut it off. Something electrical, and it went out when I shut it down.
Got to looking under the hood, and found the AIH wires were crispy and the insulation was burnt off. I removed the wire coming off the solenoid to the AIH, and started it back up. Barely cranked, started but barely. Charging light came on, checked it with a meter and saw 12.2V. Pulled the alternator, put the charger on the PS battery, went to pick up a new alternator.
Put the new alternator in, and only got 12.2V at the battery, 1.96V at the alt charging post. Checked the fusible links on the solenoid, and one was burnt through. I couldn't find any 12 ga fusible link at the parts stores, so I got two fuse holders and wired them in parallel with 20a fuses. Started the truck back up, now getting 18V at the alt charging post, 12.5V at the battery (batteries were at 13.5V before starting). Checked the new fuses, both blown.
Where do I go from here? Is the new (rebuilt in China) alternator junk, do I replace the fuses with 30a fuses (max for the fuse holder)? I looked over all the other wires in the engine compartment and under the dash, everything looks good.
Got to looking under the hood, and found the AIH wires were crispy and the insulation was burnt off. I removed the wire coming off the solenoid to the AIH, and started it back up. Barely cranked, started but barely. Charging light came on, checked it with a meter and saw 12.2V. Pulled the alternator, put the charger on the PS battery, went to pick up a new alternator.
Put the new alternator in, and only got 12.2V at the battery, 1.96V at the alt charging post. Checked the fusible links on the solenoid, and one was burnt through. I couldn't find any 12 ga fusible link at the parts stores, so I got two fuse holders and wired them in parallel with 20a fuses. Started the truck back up, now getting 18V at the alt charging post, 12.5V at the battery (batteries were at 13.5V before starting). Checked the new fuses, both blown.
Where do I go from here? Is the new (rebuilt in China) alternator junk, do I replace the fuses with 30a fuses (max for the fuse holder)? I looked over all the other wires in the engine compartment and under the dash, everything looks good.