truck is a service vehicle that has had timely service its entire life

1997 FORD F-350
15,000 MILES
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AVG
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battery charge light on while idling goes out when accelerating , huge power loss battery and alt check good what else can it be?
Sep 21, 2011 at 9:31 PM
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PROMECHANIC
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I would first try getting the battery tested.
This could be a problem with your alternator belt as well. You should inspect it. See if it is nice and tight.
Check your battery cable connections. They should be clean and tight.
I don't know how the alternator was checked but it should be "load tested". This is a specific test that is more reliable than simply checking to see what the voltage is when it is charging.
Sep 21, 2011 at 9:57 PM
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AVG
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ok one more time the battery and alt cheked good what else could it be I wouldnt be here if it ha dtured out to be either and they were properly tested and the battery cables and connectors are in good shape so whats next on a priority list im not an expert but is there something after those have been found to be good.
Sep 21, 2011 at 10:43 PM
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PROMECHANIC
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OK. What is the battery voltage when the truck is not running? What is the voltage when it is running?
Let me know and I can help you more.
Sep 21, 2011 at 10:45 PM
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AVG
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ok while the engine is running the voltage from the battery reads 12.42 with engine off it reads 12.06
Sep 22, 2011 at 12:00 AM
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PROMECHANIC
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OK. The first thing that needs to be addressed is that your battery needs to be charged. It should have a minimum of 12.65 volts with the engine off.
The second thing is that your alternator is not working at all. With the engine running it should read a minimum of 13.5 volts or so. This may be because the alternator is bad, or it might be because the belt is slipping or it might indicate that there is a wiring problem in your charging circuit.
Sep 22, 2011 at 1:36 AM