[vweater2001]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

13.6V is the minimum for the charging system to stuff the electrons back in the battery. You have high resistance in the system if you get 14.5V at the alternator and 13.6V at the battery. The battery shouldn't be going dead with 13.6V at idle, though. What does the alternator sound like? If it has a sound like a bearing going but softer, you could have a bad diode. I got a rebuilt alternator only because I couldn't get the rotor out of the front frame, and the rebuilt was bad right out of the box. A bad hot side diode can drain your battery.

While you should add the ground straps back on, I don't think that that is the problem, because the battery negative cable is attached to the block, so the charging circuit appears to be complete. Do you have an ammeter, or a light? Does the ammeter move when the truck has a load?

I don’t have an ammeter and have never used one, here are pictures of my ground straps I have and ones I don’t. I’m really at my wits end and maybe just out of my own knowledge to do it. May have to chaulk it up and take to a shop.