Truck wont start?

[branham1127 10+ year member]

Wondering if anyone might be able to give me a little advice, as I am no mechanic. Yesterday I swapped my 220 amp alternator out for a 300 amp and added two D3100s to the two I already had (for a total of four plus a D2400 under the hood). I tested out the new setup in the driveway and it did fine for 15 minutes so I went on a test drive. The first 5 minutes of the drive it did just fine, but then it started to go downhill.

Every time I came to a stop light the voltage dropped significantly and the truck would try to die, so I began to two foot drive so I could keep the RPM's up and it wouldn't die. I got home and figured maybe it was the alternator since my truck had been fine before this. The truck tried to die as I got in the driveway so I reved it up and turned it off when the voltage hit 14ish. I put the 220 amp back in and now the truck wont start.. It wont even try to crank. The front battery is reading 13.9 volts and my battery bank reads 13.9 as well. Any ideas? Truck is a 2003 Silverado with a 5.3l...

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[branham1127 10+ year member]

Also everything electric still turns on, but the dash lights are very dimmed and sometimes get brighter... W.e you call the dash part that tells me if something is wrong with my truck (also tells me my mileage and what not) it says reduced engine power when key is turned to acc but it still wont start.

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

sounds like you are frying the voltage regulator. where did you get that alternator? list spec of equpi and parts had and swapped. Also did you upgrade to the 0/gauge power wire to your amps. and how did you wire up the batteries???

 

[k_schutte 10+ year member]

Iraggi alt?

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

sounds like you are frying the voltage regulator. where did you get that alternator? list spec of equpi and parts had and swapped. Also did you upgrade to the 0/gauge power wire to your amps. and how did you wire up the batteries???

The alternators are made by Iraggi. All equip is in my signature, only difference I made when this happened is I added two batteries. I have the four batteries in a toolbox in the bed of my truck with a copper buss bar connecting all positives and one connecting all negatives with four runs of 1/0 hyperflex going from the alternator to the copper bar and four grounds that go through holes in the bed of my truck and are bolted directly to the frame... I've had the two 3100s back there with two runs of 1/0 forever and I just doubled it

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

Iraggi alt?

Yes... Ive ran the 220 amp iraggi for 2+ years and it has treated me great.. this a problem that iraggi alts tend to create? lol

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

One more thing, my signature says I have the XS power VCM but I haven't actually hooked it up yet

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

well, take two batt off and see how she does. 300amps for 5 batteries does not sound healthy for your charging system. you said that is dies when not under a load. ( driving) that means your alt cant do all that you want. You might need to keep both alternators in there or get a switch for the extra batts so your not useing them all the time. and also check your idol timming...

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

well, take two batt off and see how she does. 300amps for 5 batteries does not sound healthy for your charging system. you said that is dies when not under a load. ( driving) that means your alt cant do all that you want. You might need to keep both alternators in there or get a switch for the extra batts so your not useing them all the time. and also check your idol timming...

Hmm, sounds like a good thought. I was originally going to run a triple alt setup with two 300s and the 220 but the bracket iraggi sent me to do that made it so the belt would rub against a bolt and I wasn't gonna do that... Even if it is too much for the alt, why would the truck not want to crank when the battery has the proper voltage? I once had the same alternator run three HC2400s and an HC2000 with an HC1800 up front..

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

Gonna go try a couple things out.. If anyone has advice please let me know.. I'll check back here throughout the day :-\

 

[subzero 5,000+ posts]

get a volt meter and see. maybe your not directing enough current to the starter. Starters need chit load of current to get that crank to turn. Or it could be that your starter just has to pay his dues... Starter ingnition issues are easy to fix,. so get a voltmeter and start eliminating one by one...

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

get a volt meter and see. maybe your not directing enough current to the starter. Starters need chit load of current to get that crank to turn. Or it could be that your starter just has to pay his dues... Starter ingnition issues are easy to fix,. so get a voltmeter and start eliminating one by one...

When it wouldn't start, my first thought was I needed a new starter since I've put 150k miles on my truck without replacing anything... That's when the thought came to me that even if my starter went bad that wouldn't have effected my voltage while the car was actually driving and I probably had multiple problems and left me completely stumped..

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

Well weather got crappy so I can't go check anything out right now //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/mad.gif.c18f003ab0ef8a0d9c27ca78d77a6392.gif

 

[DammitJames 10+ year member]

did you move any wires from under the hood? just an fyi stock wires usually go alt to starter then starter to battery... did you move any of these or disconnect? also see if there is a fuseable link on the power wire going to the starter... also check voltage at the starter should read battery volatge when the truck is off

 

[branham1127 10+ year member]

Well thanks anyone that gave me any input.. i had been unable to actually look around under the hood since it was raining but I found a stock wire that had come disconnected, problem fixed //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif..