Possible alternator issue

Tiny
CANNON1349
  • MECHANIC
  • 2000 DODGE DAKOTA
  • 3.9L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 145,000 MILES
Owner left lights on and drained the battery. Will jump right off but they have to floor it and hold gas for it to run, it will not idle, just shuts off. Sounds like the alternator went as well.
Monday, January 20th, 2020 AT 9:28 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,879 POSTS
Go out and drive it at highway speed with the engine warmed up, then coast for at least seven seconds without touching the pedals. I run into the the same thing all the time from running my battery dead from using a power inverter. On the rare chance that doesn't solve the low idle speed, we'll need a scanner to view live data.
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Monday, January 20th, 2020 AT 12:35 PM
Tiny
CANNON1349
  • MECHANIC
  • 670 POSTS
It wont run without flooring it. If you come to a stop it shuts off.
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Monday, January 20th, 2020 AT 12:57 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,879 POSTS
Drive it with your left foot on the brake pedal. This is an extremely common problem that occurs on all Chrysler products. Standard practice is to perform a test-drive any time the battery has been disconnected, or to explain to the customer the need to do that. The Engine Computer relearns sensor personalities and fuel trim data without you even noticing, but it has to see a very specific set of conditions for it to relearn "minimum throttle". Those conditions are met by coasting for at least seven seconds, about half of a typical off-ramp. Until that is done, the engine may not start unless you hold the accelerator pedal down 1/4". You won't get the nice "idle flare-up" to 1500 rpm at start-up, and it will tend to stall at stop signs.

If you have a scanner, you can verify minimum throttle hasn't been relearned yet by observing the idle "step" the computer has set the automatic idle speed motor to. It has a range from step "0" to step "256". For a properly-running engine, you'll find it near step 32. With a single misfiring cylinder, step 50 is common. When the computer hasn't relearned minimum throttle, it will be on step "0".

You know the alternator didn't fail simply from running the battery dead.
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Monday, January 20th, 2020 AT 1:12 PM

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