My truck died. The lights just dimmed, turn signals stopped, engine died.

[maveric]

I got a jump and it started, drove it 3 blocks home. Let it idle and the lights dimmed again and it died. Tried to turn it over and it just clicked rapidly then nothing.

Battery?
Alternator?
Starter?
Solenoid?
A combination of above?

Can anyone help me here? I have to pay my rent and run several other erands tomorrow. I dont have much money for repair fees either!

SHIT!!

[haele]

1. Alternator...

If it shut down and died on an idle, it's probably the alternator.

I'm trying to remember what it cost us to replace our alternator in the van a couple years back - I think it was around $100 - $120 with a core return. Took around 2 hours.

I know the feeling; we're looking at replacing our suspension and hoping to get the settlement in enough time to do so before we lose the passenger side (where we were hit two years ago)

Something always goes right before you have a chance to save up the funds to fix it, right?

PM us; where are you at? What year and make is your vehicle; we'll do the best we can to help with our limited resources...

Haele

[maveric]

5. Whats a good palce to pick one up in San Diego area?

I'm in La Mesa.
Know any good shops in La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove?

[Sandpiper]

8. There's an Autozone

In La Mesa:

7791 El Cajon Blvd.

and a Kragen on 5350 Jackson Dr.


In El Cajon:

Kragen on 101 S. Mollison

Pep Boys on 201 Jamacha Rd.

Autozone on 1080 E Main St.

Autozone on 1795 E Main St.

[maveric]

12. Thats not far from me. I'm at University & Parks. Thanx!

Its nice to have San Diegans here. :pals:

[Sandpiper]

14. No problem

;-)

[haele]

19. He's also got a PepBoys down (edit)Washington(edit) Ave.

Here's another listing source:
http://www.sandiego-links.com/Local_Biz/automotive_repair.html

http://www.sandiego-links.com/Local_Biz/automotive_parts.html

Apparently there's a Alternater and Starter shop near you -
Alternators & Starters
4664 Park Blvd
San Diego, CA
[phone]

Don't know if they do installations - but they might be able to help you.
AutoZone has an online troubleshooting guide that can help you figure out what's wrong and a basic do-it-yourself guideline. Depending on your truck, if the alternator is easy to get to, you can probably do it yourself in a half-hour or so if you can get it up on a ramp or some good jacks.

Here's the link to the electrical system troubleshooting on a '80 Bronco:
http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?ForwardPage=/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/0a/72/9f/0900823d800a729f.jsp

Haele

[haele]

16. Best one I know of is Auto Repair Specialists

8120 Center St. in La Mesa (North Side of I-8 by Spring Street) 619-462-8697. They're as honest as any mechanic shop I know of and in the mid-price range - and they didn't charge us for most of the check-out work; we got ahold of them through AAA's reference service back when we had AAA.
El Cajon - Valley Auto Mechanics on North 2nd used to be good, but since the brother inherited the business, I've come to trust them less than I do the Firestone shop up the street from them. I've found that the Regent's Gas Station on the North side of 2nd. and I-8 (across from the AM/PM) is the best in that area now.
I'm more familiar with the Lakeside Mechanics - but I wouldn't want you to come all the way out here for service just as good as the one I mentioned above. I'm not familiar with any of the Lemon Grove guys.
Beware of the Penny-Saver ad mechanics; about 80% of them are hucksters and the other 20% are either good deals or are otherwise decent mechanic shops that are either slipping into some sort of bankruptcy and are looking for an influx of customers before they face the inevitable.
If you don't have AAA, do you know anyone who's an insurance Agent, a limo driver, or tow truck driver? Those folks know who the best mechanics are.

Haele

[maveric]

20. Thank You Haele.

I'm calling Auto Repair Specialists tomorrow.

[Tracyjo]

10. Yeah, definitely the alternator

I've been there and done that.

ok, but, if you keep jumping it, and it is the alternator, you may end up killing the battery. If you think the battery is the only problem and only change that, it will die again, because of the alternator. I'd check the alternator first. Sounds like the same problem I had. Another hint: If you're driving a Ford, make sure you change the timing belt when you're supposed to. I learned the hard way. (edited to include more info)

[tishaLA]

2. Sounds like alternator to me

but I'm no mechanic!

[Divine Discontent]

15. my tish

that's a respectable lookin fella you got there on your avatar!!!

LOL

[tishaLA]

18. He's taken! So hush your mouth

or Gert is gonna hear!

[LeftyMom]

3. Our car did that a few months ago

The post was lose inside the battery. If that doesn't work, check your battery and cables, look to see if the connection is clean and tight, if the cables are worn. If that doesn't work, go over to Autozone and have them test your battery. They can test your alternator and starter too.

What kind of car is it? Did the lights dim slowly or was it only a few seconds? With our car the radio and the dash lights died and the engine quit, it only took a few seconds.

[maveric]

7. 1980 Ford Bronco.

Gradual. The instrument panel got dimmer as I was driving home (15 minute drive),turn signals got really slow. I had to stop at 7/11 to pick something up. When I tried to start it up, it just clicked. Called my son for a jump, which worked. Drove home, let it idle and the I-Panel dimmed, as did the lights, then it died.

[Lexingtonian]

22. very typical

for an alternator on its last legs. The battery covers the deficit in electricity for a while, and you get just enough out of the alternator while moving, but it's all over in idle.

[Sandpiper]

4. Do you live near a Pep Boys, Advance Auto Parts, etc?

If so, you can get them to check your battery to see if it's dead.

[shawcomm]

13. They can check your alternator too

should the batter be okay. Cables/post connections should be the first check - easiest. Then battery, then alternator.

[BikeWriter]

6. Since it started when you jumped it that should rule out the...

starter and solenoid. If the alternator is good it should run even if your battery is bad, as long as the alternator wires are all good. It's tough to trouble shoot one long distance, but a good place to start is cleaning battery connections.
Let's hope a mechanic will answer. Oh, what make and year is the truck?

[SmileyBoy]

9. My old car did that last year, I found out it was the alternator.

Then after I replaced the alternator, it did the same thing, and just died (it was an 11 year-old car, BTW).

Then I just donated the car.

[jdots]

11. start with cheap stuff you can do yourself

have some baking soda ? mix it with a little water to make a paste ,goop that on the battery terminals, it makes Fun Foam as it cleans the crud.now tighten those terminals up if they are loose.Next feel all those swell belts on the engine,any loose ones ?.Here is an odd mechanic trick,take a heavy hunk of a 2x4 and wack the starter pretty hard once. Now try to start the beast,hear a click ? get no lights at all,engine won't turn over ?
these are free things to do to try to figure it out,this way if you narrow it down some guy that actually knows what he is talking about won't rip you off. starters and solinoids aren't usually the problem,batterys and have them charge are the normal things.Battery terminals have been shitty lately so check them out first. good luck i know about being broke engines -naw
and then add computers to the mix..........

[Bozita]

17. I did that 4 times with a '87 Turbo Coupe

It's called an alternator.

Then I did the same thing with a '94 Firebird.

Alternator again.

Take a good look under the hood. This is do-able for many of us.

Good luck.

[shraby]

21. Try cleaning your battery terminals with

some scratcher pad. They might be corroded.

[rhino47]

23. Ford Truck? Its the alternator

The best way to check if it is indeed the alternator is to run the truck .. place a screwdriver (or something metal) in front of it.It it draws it towards the alternator its ok if not then its bad (strong pull)Ford trucks have a fuse in the firewall that will have the same symptoms as a bad alternator.Its located in the firewall under the steering box.(older trucks up to 94).

[Tracyjo]

24. or you could just

start it and pull the positive cable off of the battery. I've heard that if it doesn't keep running, it's the alternator. I don't know if it's true or not, but I guess you could try it.

[B Calm]

25. It's your alternator. I use to work at Auto Zone, & you don't want to

go there! They always had a huge return of bad alternators.

[Wcross]

33. I hear ya.....

I once had to put in 4 before one would work. Of course it was during a cold snap. (my car NEVER breaks down in warmer weather)

[B Calm]

36. Auto Zone is the Walmart of auto parts. They treat their employees

like shit and preach the non union philosophy.

[ET Awful]

26. Did a bright light go over and were you sun-burned on 1/2 your body?

Any strange visions of a flat-topped rocky mountain type structure?

:)

Just kidding, I don't know what the problem could be, but I can sympathize, I had to shell out $800 I didn't have for a brake job yesterday. I had to get an advance from work to cover it. :(

[Allenberg]

27. Anybody else think that the thread title

was just some lyrics to a bad country song? :shrug:

[BiggJawn]

28. Check the battery first, then the alternator.

Basic troubleshooting. you check all the links in the chain, and replace the bad one.

Perhaps you have a battery that is shorting out. this would cause the light-dimming-dieing scenario.

I bought a car for $500 once, because the owner's neighbour told her the alternator, battery, and cigarette lighter were the reason it wouldn't start.

I replaced the battery and drove that mutha for 5 years.

[Hand]

29. Insh'Allah... nt

[txaslftist]

30. Electro Magnetic Pulse....

secondary to a nuclear explosion. Look for shelter.

[Blue-Jay]

31. Were you driving under a chemtrail?

That always happens to me.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

32. I had a car that used to do that

It tended to get short circuits. I finally had the entire electrical system checked out, they found all the potential short circuits (it had been wired badly at the factory, for which I had no recourse, because it was about a third-hand car by this time), and I had no more problems, at least not until the front end rusted out.

[yellowcanine]

34. You need a new alternator or if you are lucky the belt is just loose or

broken. Check the serpentine belt - if it is ok it is alternator time I am afraid.

[jmowreader]

35. It sure sounds like an alternator

Alternators are an easy fix if you have some wrenches:

1) Unhook negative cable from battery
2) Look at alternator. You will see two bolts. The top one is for adjusting the belt tension, the bottom for holding it in. Remove both of them and put them someplace safe--if you have an old round air cleaner, in the air cleaner lid is pretty safe. Undo the cable coming out of the alternator, then lift the alternator out of the car.
3) Unhook the positive terminal from the battery.
4) Take the alternator and the battery to the auto parts store and have both tested. Buy whatever they tell you is screwed up.
5) Installation is the reverse of removal.

You got a jump and it started, which means the starter and solenoid both work. Something that people generally don't realize about starters is that the starter has absolutely nothing to do with the car running. Yes, you need it to get the car started, but once it's started the starter and its solenoid contribute as much to the continued operation of the car as does the hood ornament. And if you have a manual transmission, you can start the car without it. Check this shit out: On Saturday I drove up to Four Oaks, which is about 50 miles from my house, to service someone's computer. I then drove another five miles to Selma to hit JR Cigars. Then I drove back to Fayetteville. When I got back to Fayetteville, my wife sent me to the store...and in the store parking lot the starter decided it had started enough. Quit working totally. I got a push-start from someone and got the car home. On Monday, I changed the starter and now all is well.