Maza Mike

The "battery not charging" light came on. Two days later it came on again and within 30 minutes I watched the voltage meter gradually drop to nothing.


I removed the alternator, had it tested (it was bad), and installed the new alternator.


The "battery not charging" light continued to stay on and the voltage meter still gradually drops.


I removed the new alternator, took it to CARQUEST and it tested good.


Re-installed the new alternator, still same problem, doing Google searches I see this is a common problem with Chevy Silverados, Avalanches, and other 2000+ Chevy vehicles. Nobody has yet to post a solution despite this common problem.


We have the 2004 Chevy Avalanche 1500 5.3 liter. I had the battery tested as well and it tested good.


Any suggestions??


Thanks,


Mike

oldchevy

I have always had Chevy's and never had this problem on any of them. Must not be too common of a problem. Check all your wiring to the alternator including the plug to the alternator.

Maza Mike

I put a voltmeter on the connections, all the readings were what they should be. Spent about two hours tracing the connections, nothing out of the ordinary.


Below are a few of the threads I have come across trying to find a solution.


DIC battery not charging


Intermittent DIC message "BATTERY NOT CHARGING" | Chevy Truck Forum | GM Truck Club


2001 Suburban Battery not Charging - ChevyTalk --The Social Network for Chevy Fans

oldchevy

Is your battery actually going dead? Do you have to put a charge on it or use jumper cables?

in2pro

Have you checked all of your fuses?
How about the ground cable and strap?
make sure the connections ( nut and bolts) that hold the alternator in place are clean and well connected as that is your ground connection to the vehicle...

Maza Mike

When the vehicle first started to act up on my way to work in the morning it seemed to drive fine, at lunch it seemed to drive fine despite the "battery not charging" light continuing to flash. That evening as I drove home, 25 miles away, the voltage meter gradually dropped to almost nothing and by the time I got home the radio had quit working with the lights dimming. I pulled into my garage turned the vehicle off and attempted to turn it back on. The clicking noise of a mostly dead battery is the only sounds I got.


I replaced the alternator, it tested bad at CARQUEST. Put the new one in without charging the battery. It started right up, drove it for 10 minutes and the voltage meter began to drop again and the "battery not charging" light continued to blink. Got home, tested the battery the next day with a voltmeter and is was 12 + volts and the alternator at 14 volts.


I checked my wires with nothing out of the ordinary. The more I search about this problem the more I believe there is a faulty wire/connection somewhere. Despite the 100 + posts I've read about this topic that is the best possibility I can come up with.


Meanwhile the big buck is out there avoiding my presence because of a "battery not charging" light.


Big Buck Not Down

Maza Mike

I checked the fuses I thought would be involved in this problem, none of them were faulty except the cigarette lighter fuse. Maybe I'll have to pull every single fuse.