battery not charging light

[Jon Chimpo]

Hey all,

we were driving home last night 8hr drive. I noticed the headlights dimming. At first I thought it was my eyes messing with me after driving 7 hours. After about 20 minutes of the lights flickering from bright to do, the battery light intermittently came on with message "battery not charging". The voltage gauge looked around 12, but then went back up to 14.

What do you guys think, alternator? Loose connection, battery?

 

[mattbta]

Or grounds.

 

[PG01]

Alt on way out..

You hit any big potholes ? Could be grounds but mist likely its the alt.

 

[Jon Chimpo]

I checked the connections after work. Everything is tight. Went to autozone for a test, yup, alternator going out.


So they don't sell any new Delco 145amp alternators, only reman. So i want Delco, but a new Duralast has a lifetime warranty, and is the same cost as Delco reman with 2 year warranty. What you guys think?

 

[swathdiver]

AC Delco if it were mine.

 

[S33k3r]

Do you have AC Delco options for an alternator LARGER than 145 amps? That might be the way to go.

 

[Jon Chimpo]

Do you have AC Delco options for an alternator LARGER than 145 amps? That might be the way to go.

There might be, but i just put on new belts for the 145 size. Does a larger one require a larger serp belt?

 

[JollyRoger01]

Some performance alt use an overdrive pulley, but when I replaced mine I was still able to use the longer of the 2 belt options.

 

[Jon Chimpo]

I am using the larger of the 2 sizes because of the 145 vs the 105. Ill check, but im guessing they won't have any new Delco alts. Nomatter what size.

 

[JollyRoger01]

If you go to Advance ask them to check with World Pac for the Delco. You should be fine since you are already using the longer belt.

 

[Jon Chimpo]

Well looks like if I want a new Delco, it's going to be a dealer only item. Called a dealer, it's $645+tax +65core.

Given this info, I'm thinking New, lifetime, Duralast altornator.

 

[S33k3r]

If you want to get creative, go to audio/video forum, or try a car audio/video enthusiast site, and see what people are running. My money says they have some decent alternators pushing their gear. Oh! And I don't know what year they started building PPV Tahoes, but I'd bet an alternator from one of those would work.

 

[Jon Chimpo]

Shit man, i dont want to get too involved in this. At the end of the day its just an alternator. I am also having my 1st kid soon, and I have a laundry list of project to get done around the house before my daughter is born.

Auto Zone has a lifetime warranty on their 145amp alternator for 165$. I'm going to to keep it simple.

 

[S33k3r]

Shit man, i dont want to get too involved in this. At the end of the day its just an alternator. I am also having my 1st kid soon, and I have a laundry list of project to get done around the house before my daughter is born.

Auto Zone has a lifetime warranty on their 145amp alternator for 165$. I'm going to to keep it simple.

Sorry. Good luck, in any case.

 

[Jon Chimpo]

Sorry. Good luck, in any case.

No dont be sorry man. It's just a PITA to get a new Delco alternator. Harder than it should be, and 3 times the cost at the dealer.

 

[Jon Chimpo]

I was looking to get the input from some tahoe vets. I want Delco, but not rebuilt.

 

[S33k3r]

This was the first link, for a new alternator, that came up for me:

https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...d=0ahUKEwikg7KLuvjWAhVF7mMKHUefAvwQ8wII1AIwAQ

Is it the wrong model number?

[EDIT}

Found this one too, and it says it is 145 amps:

https://www.dbelectrical.com/produc...3ROCNvM8a3Nf3UOPcsuc6iuRQYIESpQ4aAtigEALw_wcB

 

[swathdiver]

I remember that I used to do it but don't remember what I did. Back in the day, I would buy rebuild kits and just take my alternators apart and replace the worn parts, I wanted to keep those collector cars as original as possible and had had bad experiences with parts store remans until my mentors taught me their ways. After each was rebuilt I don't recall them ever failing again.

If this truck's should go and I'm not stuck on the road away from home, that is the route i'll take, if I remember! LOL

 

[Jon Chimpo]

In the future I might do that on my BMW, that's more of a future collector car. My Tahoe will never become a collector.

Bought the Duralast with the lifetime warranty. Installed it in 30 min, done deal.

 

[S33k3r]

Bought the Duralast with the lifetime warranty. Installed it in 30 min, done deal.

Cool!

I remember that I used to do it but don't remember what I did. Back in the day, I would buy rebuild kits and just take my alternators apart and replace the worn parts, I wanted to keep those collector cars as original as possible and had had bad experiences with parts store remans until my mentors taught me their ways. After each was rebuilt I don't recall them ever failing again.

My Suburban might be a collector's item -- it's a Quadrasteer. But I digress.