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Old 08-15-2020, 05:58 PM   #1
vweater2001
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69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

Well guys I jumped my truck as it wasn’t starting. So now I jumped it out the multimeter in and it read 13.6 at battery and 14.5 or so at the alternator. I checked the fuses and nothing was blown, the only thing I saw was that the two valve cover grounds are not there...but the one at the bed of the truck is there but it’s a 2gauge wire. The one at the middle of the cab on passenger side is there too, but the one on inner fender is not there and nothing on the core support or radiator that o could find. I’m going nuts trying to figure out why my battery keeps dying...this is the second battery truck has gone through in the last couple months and can’t figure out what’s going on. Bout to pour gas on her and light it up.🔥 😡🤬😡
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Old 08-15-2020, 06:52 PM   #2
dmjlambert
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Re: 69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

Well when you mention all the grounds that are not there, that's inviting a bunch of posts about adding the ground straps. Let's see pictures of what you do have, connections at alternator and regulator, and at the battery and the little junction terminal on the passenger fender. What kind of batteries are you buying?
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Old 08-15-2020, 06:57 PM   #3
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Re: 69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

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?
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Old 08-15-2020, 07:41 PM   #4
vweater2001
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Re: 69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

Quote:
Originally Posted by dmjlambert View Post
Well when you mention all the grounds that are not there, that's inviting a bunch of posts about adding the ground straps. Let's see pictures of what you do have, connections at alternator and regulator, and at the battery and the little junction terminal on the passenger fender. What kind of batteries are you buying?
Here are all the connections as requested. It’s two optima yellow top batteries. They’re older, like 6-7yrs old but never had an issue. I rarely use the truck and the second optima batter was never used...had it on a battery tender from time to time to keep it charged.
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Last edited by vweater2001; 08-15-2020 at 07:43 PM. Reason: Pictures didn’t attach
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Old 08-15-2020, 07:47 PM   #5
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Re: 69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

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Originally Posted by Steeveedee View Post
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.
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Old 08-15-2020, 08:32 PM   #6
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Re: 69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

Hello well here you are so we'll start off with a charged battery and a ground from the negative post to the engine block. The starter draws more amps than anything else so you have to run your ground cable to the block first. Then from the block to the frame rail and you'll want the other ones too for best results.

Just to be sure it isn't the battery you should connect the positive post to the battery and be sure all connections are clean and tight. Then you will need to install a test light or a multimeter between the negative battery terminal and the negative end. with the meter set on amps usually 10 amps and be sure there are no lights fans or other things turned on you want to see what the meter is reading. .003 is about all it should draw or the test light will light up showing a current draw.
It could also mean that since you have to have a jump to start, you might just have a bad connection on the cables or even a bad cable .
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Old 08-22-2020, 12:20 AM   #7
vweater2001
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Re: 69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

Well it turned out to be the horn relay being stuck and keeping it open. Changed it out and now back to charging my battery with no problems.
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Old 08-22-2020, 11:26 AM   #8
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Re: 69 Chevy C10, 350 engine not charging battery

The horn circuit is one of those circuits that is not fused and is not powered by the key.
If you had the horn connected you would have known right away that the horn was the problem. Usually the horn button in the steering column is what keeps the relay closed.
What led you to the relay as the problem?
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