Battery gauge not picking up

believe its another dead alternator, i dont know. gradually over the year I would get way too high of output then recently it would be too low. I am on my 2nd one from federated auto parts. got a new remanned replacement around march for free. I am able to start the van by jumping it and charging it but after a drive or 2 it will die and my starter will ticker, I got off the higway the other day and looked at my ammeter and it was dead but i was still running fine which was very uh-oh. I must be running on only battery power. but still, no needle reading even when fully charged. rebuilt the distributor just a week ago 100%.

I have a new battery in with 4 1/2 years of warrenty left so I'm not in a bad spot if I murder my battery by accident.

I did as much walk around as i could and everything seems as i left it, I know i need to probably get an alt test but I dont want to be nagging AAA for a jump again just yet.

anything helps here!

believe its another dead alternator, i dont know. gradually over the year I would get way too high of output then recently it would be too low. I am on my 2nd one from federated auto parts. got a new remanned replacement around march for free. I am able to start the van by jumping it and charging it but after a drive or 2 it will die and my starter will ticker, I got off the higway the other day and looked at my ammeter and it was dead but i was still running fine which was very uh-oh. I must be running on only battery power. but still, no needle reading even when fully charged. rebuilt the distributor just a week ago 100%.

I have a new battery in with 4 1/2 years of warrenty left so I'm not in a bad spot if I murder my battery by accident.

I did as much walk around as i could and everything seems as i left it, I know i need to probably get an alt test but I dont want to be nagging AAA for a jump again just yet.

anything helps here!

Check your local parts places to see if they have a charging system tester.
Most do it for you for free.

Also consider and check on a brand new alt over rebuilt.

Also a good volt/ohm meter will test battery and charging system.

Around 13.6 for good battery voltage not runnning and 14-14.5 voltage alt charging.
Also make sure alt caries all electrical loads engine at over 1000-1500 RPM.

buying reman I know what that would bring, bought it back when i was jobless and tight on cash. Going to have it tested this week as planned at several spots hopefully not getting stuck along the way. I had the battery tested 3 weeks ago by a bud and it was tested good but with a charge signal leading question to me that my alt may die soon or if its doing the job right.

Cleveland winter is picking up and faulty charging + no start is the last thing I need this time of year

buying reman I know what that would bring, bought it back when i was jobless and tight on cash. Going to have it tested this week as planned at several spots hopefully not getting stuck along the way. I had the battery tested 3 weeks ago by a bud and it was tested good but with a charge signal leading question to me that my alt may die soon or if its doing the job right.

Cleveland winter is picking up and faulty charging + no start is the last thing I need this time of year

Let us know how testing goes.

decided to get a refund and swap for a NEW alt for free, i put it in, and still no running charge. this is probably so obvious, but do any wires that come loose from the starter cause charging failure? the neg cable is tight but ther other 2 connections have severed from corrosion and were wire nutted tightly back together but I think one of them is too fargone and looked sorta loose.

my starter turns and functions but that is the only place i would know that would eventually be a problem.

decided to get a refund and swap for a NEW alt for free, i put it in, and still no running charge. this is probably so obvious, but do any wires that come loose from the starter cause charging failure? the neg cable is tight but ther other 2 connections have severed from corrosion and were wire nutted tightly back together but I think one of them is too fargone and looked sorta loose.

my starter turns and functions but that is the only place i would know that would eventually be a problem.

Make sure the big wire has good battery voltage.
If plug in or wires bad get a new plugin with wires and solder and tape or heat shrink wires to your wiring.
Does you dash have red alt light or gauge.

If red light the bulb in red light should feed voltage to alt and alt ground it for a interjize it to start charging.
The other small wire to alt should have battery voltage on it.
Did a wiring diagram come with new alt or a hot line 800 no you can call for help.

Yes on a lot of them the big neg wire at alt feeds from the starter solenoid.
That is why first thing you should make sure the big neg wire at alt has battery voltage on it.
Does it have good 12 volts there?

Also the no 2 wire at alternator is a hot feed from starter solenoid check it for batter voltage to.
It and the big neg alt wire are feed threw fusable link from starter solenoid usually found at solenoid.

the big neg cable is fine, there are 3 wires (2 of them doubled to the neg cable post) leading to soleniod are my only known culprit that need to be rewired whatever the end result may be of that. Going to go pick up a meter and start poking around for voltages to help. The only lights in my dash i have is a brake and choke light.

going to check the ground to the block since i do have external engine grease built up, this is confusing since i magicly lost charge power while driving the few weeks back. this is try #2 but actually checking volts this time 100% all over

the big neg cable is fine, there are 3 wires (2 of them doubled to the neg cable post) leading to soleniod are my only known culprit that need to be rewired whatever the end result may be of that. Going to go pick up a meter and start poking around for voltages to help. The only lights in my dash i have is a brake and choke light.

going to check the ground to the block since i do have external engine grease built up, this is confusing since i magicly lost charge power while driving the few weeks back. this is try #2 but actually checking volts this time 100% all over

Make sure the big ne to back of alt has battery voltage and also one of the small wire has battery voltage.
Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

Dask light out can be ign switch or one of the fuseable links on the hot wire from starter solenoid.

The wiring to solenoid has a lot of shorting out problems blowing fusable links.