hey guys-
hoping someone out ther can lend a hand-my 2000 durango slt 4 x 4 recently did something odd. my wife was parked with the engine off but the wipers, defoggers, and lights going and the dashboard said CHECK GAGES & shut off everything. she waited a minute or so and tried to turn it on and it worked fine as has since that incident about a week ago or so. this morning as i headed out i turned it on and it would not turn over-the lights seem dimmer in the truck which is usually indicative of a dying battery but my question is could this be a problem with the alternator instead? if so, any idea would a replacement might run me-a buddy of mine thinks it would be about $500-does that sound right? any help you guys can offer is always appreciated! Thanks!

 

What does the voltage gauge read on your Durango with the key in the power position? and if it is running, what is the reading to see if it is charging?

 

the gauage is slightly above the 14

 

You are probably looking at the battery. The battery might not have the power to start the truck anymore. Depending on the battery and where you live you should get 3-5 years out of a battery. If the truck can be jumped and runs fine then the alternator is ok, and the battery cranking amps is done. One way to look is the hook a meter, try turn start the engine and see where the voltage drops to. Anything below 11 is not good. In short if the voltage drops to much, the battery can no longer handle the load of the truck and needs to be replaced.

Jump it, and drive it to your local autozone or pepboys and they will test it for free. If you can not get it to run at all, then you can take the battery by itself and they can test the battery alone.

 

thanks! the battery was the culprit