Sorry if this is short, I gotta get back to work.

Charge Fuse = Good
Alternator = New

It will run once you jump start it but that's more because it's a Yellow Top optima with a lot of capacity than the fact anythings charging. I haven't put a volt meter to it yet but I can see everything dim as I drive. Any ideas?

 

I hate charging systems....... i can run for a few hours on my red top.....have you gone muddin lately the elbe mud always kills my alternators.

otherwise check the alternator charge wire for 13+ if no charge check the exciter pin for 12v. if no 12v to exciter pin then youhave a short or a dead fuse.

Also sometimes new or even newer alternators take a poo wouldnt hurt to have shucks spin the sucker on there machine.

 

then again you can bench test an alternator in the vehical with a multimeter

 

I played around a little in Kapowsin but there wasn't much if any mud on that side of the truck. And it was good for a week after that. I ran for probably 50 miles on the highway total last night on just the battery apparently. If I leave it disconnected so the clock and radio aren't drawing on it, it'll occasionally start, but that's about all it'll give me. I wanted to have my old one tested at Schmucks today but the guy behind the counter couldn't get the machine working to do it, and I was in a hurry so I sprang for a new one. My truck died at a buddy's house instead of mine so I didn't have the chance to throw a multi-meter on it and check anything. I've been developing shorts in my dash wiring for a while now after that roll. This happened the same night my turn signal/gauge cluster circuit started shorting and blowing fuses.

 

get your mulit meter out sounds like a exciter wire short

 

im betting you have a bare wire grounding out somewhere..

my coil and ignitor turned out to be bad (as well as my alt.) after i replaced my alt.

took me a while to track it down though..lol..

did you check ALL of the fuses?..and relays?..lol..mine blew the 80amp under the hood..and the 7.5amp behind the driver side kick panel..

and burnt up my starter wire..lol

 

AHA! I found part of my problem. That turn signal/gauge cluster fuse? It's also hooked into the alt wiring. So, as soon as it blows that, the charge circuit is open and I can't be charging. So, I need to tear my dash apart and find the short. Hopefully it's not the freaking cluster or something like that.

 

Yeah... Found out the short is basically the whole ground wire from the alt. Don't know how I missed that yesterday putting the alternator in but the truck is going to be suspended from duty for a while, good thing I have the cash to put tires on my car and drive that.