Erratic voltage problems…
#1
10-07-2010, 10:25 AM
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Savannah, GA
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Erratic voltage problems…
Hi, I just bought a 96 4X4 3.9 V6 and won’t lie: loving it. Never been a Dodge person, but you can’t break this bad boy…
I’m only having two problems: the first is that the heat does not work. It never occurred to me to check when I bought it, being that it was about 100 outside at the time… but I found a forum on another website suggesting to backwash the heater core, and it’s on my agenda to try.
The other is quite odd: intermittently, the voltage gauge will read almost nothing (around 8V) right after cranking. The headlights will still turn on, as will the radio and cruise control, but NONE of the gauges will work and neither will the interior lights. If you try to turn on the inside lights manually via the headlight ****, all the panel’s warning lights light up and the door buzzer sounds until you turn the **** back around to off. Further, when turning on the blinker, it causes the already dead gauges on the dash to *literally* turn to-and-fro according to the blinker’s motion. It’s actually quite amusing.
Like I said, though, it’s only done it a handful of times in the last month. I can’t find any pattern to it (eg, truck hot/cold, pushed hard/not, etc), other than it seems to know when its dark so as to annoy me at not being able to see my gauges.
Any ideas? I was thinking a voltage regulator, but I’d assume that’d also affect the headlights and radio. Plus, I’ve heard it’s built into the onboard computer, which would be a pain to replace… so I’m hoping not. I've had the alternator and battery tested (while the problem was not present), and both are fine.
THANKS!
I’m only having two problems: the first is that the heat does not work. It never occurred to me to check when I bought it, being that it was about 100 outside at the time… but I found a forum on another website suggesting to backwash the heater core, and it’s on my agenda to try.
The other is quite odd: intermittently, the voltage gauge will read almost nothing (around 8V) right after cranking. The headlights will still turn on, as will the radio and cruise control, but NONE of the gauges will work and neither will the interior lights. If you try to turn on the inside lights manually via the headlight ****, all the panel’s warning lights light up and the door buzzer sounds until you turn the **** back around to off. Further, when turning on the blinker, it causes the already dead gauges on the dash to *literally* turn to-and-fro according to the blinker’s motion. It’s actually quite amusing.
Like I said, though, it’s only done it a handful of times in the last month. I can’t find any pattern to it (eg, truck hot/cold, pushed hard/not, etc), other than it seems to know when its dark so as to annoy me at not being able to see my gauges.
Any ideas? I was thinking a voltage regulator, but I’d assume that’d also affect the headlights and radio. Plus, I’ve heard it’s built into the onboard computer, which would be a pain to replace… so I’m hoping not. I've had the alternator and battery tested (while the problem was not present), and both are fine.
THANKS!
#2
10-07-2010, 01:21 PM
Hall Of Fame
Ya try flushing out the heater core. A normal garden hose is fine. A car wash high pressure may be to much and blow the core, but if you want to take the risk try it. If needed try it if the garden hose doesn't work.
Run it in reverse flow first. Then swap back and forth in between the inlet and outlets.
As for the electrical problem, it sounds like a wiring problem. Maybe a short or a bad power or ground feed.
Run it in reverse flow first. Then swap back and forth in between the inlet and outlets.
As for the electrical problem, it sounds like a wiring problem. Maybe a short or a bad power or ground feed.
#3
10-07-2010, 10:52 PM
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intermittently, the voltage gauge will read almost nothing (around 8V) right after cranking. The headlights will still turn on, as will the radio and cruise control, but NONE of the gauges will work and neither will the interior lights. If you try to turn on the inside lights manually via the headlight ****, all the panel’s warning lights light up and the door buzzer sounds until you turn the **** back around to off. Further, when turning on the blinker, it causes the already dead gauges on the dash to *literally* turn to-and-fro according to the blinker’s motion. It’s actually quite amusing.
Like I said, though, it’s only done it a handful of times in the last month. I can’t find any pattern to it (eg, truck hot/cold, pushed hard/not, etc), other than it seems to know when its dark so as to annoy me at not being able to see my gauges.
Any ideas? I was thinking a voltage regulator, but I’d assume that’d also affect the headlights and radio. Plus, I’ve heard it’s built into the onboard computer, which would be a pain to replace… so I’m hoping not. I've had the alternator and battery tested (while the problem was not present), and both are fine.
THANKS!
Like I said, though, it’s only done it a handful of times in the last month. I can’t find any pattern to it (eg, truck hot/cold, pushed hard/not, etc), other than it seems to know when its dark so as to annoy me at not being able to see my gauges.
Any ideas? I was thinking a voltage regulator, but I’d assume that’d also affect the headlights and radio. Plus, I’ve heard it’s built into the onboard computer, which would be a pain to replace… so I’m hoping not. I've had the alternator and battery tested (while the problem was not present), and both are fine.
THANKS!
Can you test for the same problem if the alt is out of the charging circuit? ie: Just running the truck for a few mins or so on the battery to verify gauges, blinkers etc work correctly. (would need to be sure that battery is fully charged before doing this check)
#4
10-08-2010, 01:49 AM
Join Date: Oct 2010
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I'll certainly give that a try; by the time I got time today, it was dark. Hopefully tomorrow or the next I'll give it a shot.
I'm thinking the electrical may be a hanging neutral or something; I just got the truck last month, but I see it is wired for a stereo system. It's highly possible a ground or neutral is faulting somewhere in that work.....
I'm thinking the electrical may be a hanging neutral or something; I just got the truck last month, but I see it is wired for a stereo system. It's highly possible a ground or neutral is faulting somewhere in that work.....