Dan3292

I was driving on I-95 today and at fast speed, noticed my battery voltage down real low and lights, etc. dimming badly. Slowed down and got off at next exit and voltage and dimming corrected.

Later, even driving under 35mph the battery voltage showed lower and lower until I had no lights at all. Eventually the truck just died completely with no power at all. I ended up calling for a tow truck and after cleaning negative terminal and getting a jump, it started up again.

I asked the tow truck driver if I had a bad alternator. He said if my alternator was bad, it wouldn't run even with a jump. He thought the battery was dying instead. Would the truck just dim out with merely a dirty terminal while running at high speed?

I have only had battery problems ref. starting, not while I am going 70mph on the expressway. Battery dying, bad alternator, or dirty terminal?

KingRanch4Life

iTrader: (2)

Maybe under a heavy load you get the dimming... Your battery could be old and need replacing.. In my car it read 14.4v but it had no CCA.. Yours may be opposite.. Grab a voltmeter check the alternator output and your battery

tiresmoke

Clean both battery terminals & the cable ends, reconnect & test drive, repeating the conditions that you noticed the problem in the first place.
It wouldn't hurt to have your battery load tested. Most auto stores will do this for you.
The symptom you describe would point to either the battery, alternator or regulator. In your case, I would check into the regulator.

KingRanch4Life

iTrader: (2)

Thats the word I was looking for.. Load test.... You the man!!

Dan3292

It must have been the alternator. I cleaned the battery terminals really well and the battery itself checked at 12V, but I had the same problem again today. Had to be towed in for service.