If it helps: 1999 Chevy blazer 4x4 with V-6 Vortec Engine.

Ok, I know next to nothing when it comes to vehicals. My husband on the other hand is pretty handy and can rebuild engines ect. But a novice when it comes to electrical things. Anyways, Our problem is this.

Husband comes home and tells me he has had issues after he left work and barly made it home. After going outside the truck would not start. So we got the trusty ol battery charger out and charged the battery on 50amp"Start" to get the truck boosted enough to get it to start and let the alternator charge it the rest.

Ok so after the battery is charged and the truck is started.... The indicator gage inside goes down rapidly and then dies.

Husband does have a sub amp & 2 subs and another amp that runs the rest of the speakers ect. But that could not be the issue because he disconnected all wires going to the speaker amps. There is nothing that we can find that would drain the battery so quickly. We did buy a new alternator a year ago which is bigger to make up for the extra radio amps/speakers/ect. But did hang onto the old alternator that worked fine when stored away.

Soooo he got out the old alternator and switched them out. But low and behold its still doing the same thing.

I have looked high and low on the web looking for answers to this issue. I notice that nothing I've found is anything like what we have going on. Its all about the fact the battery dies within hours over night or goes dead after driving it for awhile. So nothing that I've found can explain what exactly could be draining the battery so rapidly. Checked the fuse box on the inside and all good, also checked the main box under the hood and all seem good as well.

Would also like to note that if you just kick the key over (Before starting it) it drains the battery. But if you start it, it drains it even faster. So within 1-2mins the battery is yet again dead.

Anyone with any information or help please let me know. Where we live we are not around any family who could take us to the auto parts store miles up the road and its to far to walk and we only have the one running vehical. So taking anything anywhere to have it "Tested" is out of the question. Lucky my husband has tomorrow off from work to try and get this fixed. If he had to work we'd be super screwed ((He just started a new job and can not afford to call into work because our vehical isn't running))

So, please. I'm begging. Anyone with any information please respond asap and hope we can get this figured out. It has me and my husband stumped as to what the problem could be.

((I say it could somehow be the battery, but it charges hooked to the charger. Then when the truck is started even with the charger still hooked and running it still dies rather quickly. So I dunno......))

 

first off these alternators don't like "charging a dead battery " and batteries don't like being cycled to dead and charged fast and heavy

It causes a lot of heat in the alternator and usually burns them up

Lots of shops now replace the battery and alternator as a pair to save the aggravation just a short time later when one or the other fails because it was stressed by the original failure

I suggest taking both the battery and alternator out and having them bench tested an auto parts supply that has test equipment

 

^^this was posted as I was typing lol and I certainly can't disagree

Sounds like the battery is dead! Just because it charges doesn't mean it will hold a charge. If you know for a fact that the old alt is good get the truck started and get to the auto parts store as quickly as possible. They can test the battery and alt for you at any decent parts store. But my money is saying battery

 

See below in red.

 

Just because you haven't had the issue ever doesn't mean it isn't happening now. That's what happens when things break they stop working lol. It actually does explain why it dies in 1-2 min he said that a alt won't charge a bad battery. If the battery is bad (which I bet it is) then you can leave it in a charger for a year and its still a bad battery that isn't going to hold a charge.

A bit of advice if you want real help is to not give such a rude response when a great member of this forum is offering solid advice!

 

It wont stay running long enough to even back it out of the driveway let alone go to the store.

My husband just said that he got it started at work just fine heading home but a few miles down the road the battery light came on out of nowhere and the needle started dropping. He had the stereo going (With both speaker amps, subs & reg speakers) on low and then all of a sudden the battery light comes on and the volt gage which started at 14 started dropping. Now it will go to 14 after its charged, but then drops all the way to 0/dead.

But to note he has a second battery hooked up in the back of the truck to help with the volts/amps of the radio amps/speakers. Weirdest thing I've seen tho. Is if he unhooks the battery in front but leaves the battery in the back of the truck it will stay running but will not go any higher and minimal things "Work". It will stay running, but gages and pretty much anything else does not.

 

LOL I do agree with that, things do break. I know something isn't right and its something we've never experienced before and belive me we've had to deal with a lot with all the vehicals we've had over the years.

I did not mean to sound rude to him, its just that right now we don't have a way to get anything anywhere to get it tested. I put that in the OP but seemed that he did not read it. If I offend him, than I am sorry.

Read the other post I put on there of what I also found out about the second battery.

Problem being is that the main battery is side post, while the second battery and the other battery we have are both top post and no way to put any other battery we have in the engine compartment itself. So dunno if that would answer anything or give any more info on what the problem could be.

I do thank you and any other poster for the advice.

 

it is possible there is a dead short within the battery and that will tax the alternator/s to the point of failure

the LAST time I ever gave a guy a boost it made my booster cables smoke and cost me my alternator a couple days later

Your only other option would be pull a battery out of another vehicle and see what happens

Chances are it will stay running until it gets run down

When I say take it for testing , remove both units and take for bench testing
Most reputable suppliers will not charge you to test with the expectation that you will buy a needed replacement part from them

 

You have a bad battery, alternator, or both. If it won't stay running you better pull them both and find a ride or a little red wagon and start pulling!! There's no way to fix this issue without going to the parts store sorry.

Even if you were to pull the rear battery and put it up front it won't make an difference anyway cause if it is hooked up correctly its already tied to the front battery/charging system and and shouldn't make any difference where it's at in the car.

 

I have a question. Could it possibly be the starter solenoid? From being used so much to start everything up at initial start up before going somewhere. ((Because of the extra stereo equipment installed))