Pre 84 Trucks 1st gen pickups

Bad starting+lights on dash

Old Oct 7, 2008 | 03:07 PM
  #1  
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From: Fort Collins, Colorado
Unhappy Bad starting+lights on dash

so I took my truck to Kelly Flats on Sunday for a quick trip in the dirt. We played around a little bit, not long at all really including going through the puddle at the bottom of heart attack hill. I couldn't help it. When we were almost to the parking area the brake light and the charge light came on in my truck. We decided to trailer it back to town. It had been idling fine, no sputtering or nothing. Once back in Fort Collins I went to pull it off of the trailer and it doesn't want to start. Since then it drives fine but the lights are on and it still doesn't like to start. Ideas? The plugs are new along with the wires, the cap, rotor, pcv valve and most of the vacuum lines. That's an ongoing process. The lights do occasionally go off but then come back on. I was thinking maybe I fried the alternator(or got it dirty). Haven't been able to check the voltage with it idling yet, my voltmeter is broken. I don't know where to start looking.
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Old Oct 7, 2008 | 07:27 PM
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From: Chico, California
alternator, just happened to a friends after a trip through the mud on his 22r.

you can take it off and get it tested.
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Old Oct 7, 2008 | 07:30 PM
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From: Roseburg , OR
yulp same with mine alternator, water and mud, put in a fresh battery and it will run i bet.
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Old Oct 7, 2008 | 08:34 PM
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yup keep the battery charged up and you can get by lon enough to get your alternator fixed
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Old Oct 7, 2008 | 11:41 PM
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are you sure you got all of the water out of the distributor? take off the cap and dry it out again.
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Old Oct 8, 2008 | 11:34 AM
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haven't done the distributor yet, I'll get that after class today when I try to get the rest of the vacuum lines. Can you blast water through the alternator to clean the crap out of it or does that just make things worse? Luckily the lights didn't show when I went to work earlier so maybe.....I'm lucky? I will be checking voltage after class though as well.
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Old Oct 9, 2008 | 10:36 AM
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Yeah, I have an 85 22r pick up with those lights on on the dash. I got the alternator tested today and it was OK. Not sure if there are any loose wires? Any suggestions on what else to check? Where should I test voltage? Thanks Abe
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Old Oct 9, 2008 | 01:56 PM
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I checked my voltage and inside my distributor. Lo and behold there was mud inside of it(hmm). Cleaned the dried mud out and reinstalled the cap with some rtv on the edge to maybe better water proof it. We'll see if the fumes blow up a little bit later. Also checked battery voltage and it showed a little over 13, as high as 14.2 when the engine was revved. I took that to be good that it wasn't at 11. Maybe too high?
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Old Oct 9, 2008 | 01:56 PM
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and got the rest of the vacuum lines
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 08:23 PM
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From: Mexicali, Baja California Mexico
I had the same problem my CHarge light went on and off or ocaccionally my voltameater went down to 10 and then up to 12 again try to check also your voltage regulator this all started wen I fell to a river and got the whole engine wet the electrician look everywhere and the only left to look was the voltage regulator he opened it and waaalaaa it was all rusty so he clean it up help but I ended buying a new one so try to see if it isn't that
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