last week my truck lost the voltmeter about an hour from home, i decided to turn around and try to get home. 20 mins later everything died including the engine. i strong armed it off the road into a parking and called my neighbor to come and give me a boost, after boosting it, everything worked great, charging...everything. just got it out of the shop and was told my alternator and starter are fine, if it happens again replace the battery....that was yesterday i drove to town for work and home again no issues, today it happened again. i repaced the battery and its happening again. volt meter on the dash isnt reading that its charging im getting 12v at the battery when its running, im thinking my alt is pooched? i've done everything in the haynes manual and its all good my grounds, connections, all of it. its really frustrating me. i cant find anything that looks like a simliar problem. 03 4.7l thanks for any advice

Update: new alternator came in yesterday, put it on this morning after chores. took maybe 40 mins most of which was trying to wrestle the old one out off the mount. everythings fixed and working dandy again....all without skinning more then two knuckles

 

You should be seeing about 14v at the battery when its running. But are you getting no reading on the dash voltmeter? I assume the shop should have cleaned the battery post. But sounds like some sort of intermittent connection. The dash voltmeter is feed through a fuse but not sure which one.

 

i put my old battery back in and it runs fine, the dash voltmeter is reading normal and fine, the new battery the dash voltmeter flat lines. if the old battery is in its intermittent problem, with the new battery its all the time.

 

something is changing when you change the battery.. bad connection somewhere or a bad battery cable. a good place to start.

 

i think i got it solved. ordered a reman alternator, came home and started to take the cables off the clean again. got looking at my positive clamp and noticed a small crack in the lead. poked and prodded when it snapped in my hand, went racing to town for a new clamp $4 all said and done. slapped it on and tried it. the dash voltmeter started out really low and climbed to normal a snitch past halfway. got out and checked running sitting at 14v left it idling for an hour came back and no change........heres hoping thats it also cancelled the order haha

 

Good news! Thanks for the update!!

 

it did it again. started on the way to get a forage harvester and it hit the low end and by the time i made it the mile back home the CGL was on and it was reading 0, it idled just fine for 30-40 mins then crapped out.. -20*C this morning too.

 

if the battery was fully charged.. the truck should run for 20 to 30 minutes ... easy. even with a dead alternator.

pull battery cables, check ends and all along its length .. all battery cables.
get the alternator.. just to rule it out.
charge up the NEW battery and install it.

a couple of years ago.. I lost an alternator in my car.. and drove it 130 miles home..
I turned OFF the radio, heater and lights (daytime).. but I made it home... non-stop.
Yes it was a fuel injected engine.

 

to cold to be pulling them out in the snow, and it looks like they are fine.
returned the batt i bought first and picked up another one, its a constant dead not charging situation now. got told i'd be called when the alternator was in, best i can do seeing as everyone i'd rather deal with is closed until monday morning