99 electrical nightmare

[happycampers]

My 99 Suburban (40,000 miles) has been through 4 batteries, a new alternator, properly cleaned the terminals many times, new battery terminals installed . . and (3 different power window actuators, in case that's related) . . after several costly trips to the dealer and to private mechanics. All have different diagnosis and cures . . still ends up with same problem - battery runs dead, won't charge, eventually won't start - used to be able to wiggle the wires at the battery terminals to get it to work. Now it just died on the freeway, with 4 kids in it. Put in a new battery, again, not charging ( just replaced the alternator!). We are no longer happy campers! Any help/ideas?

[SpitAndDirt]

Has anyone done a parasitic drain check yet using an Amperage Probe? Do you have any aftermarket items installed? CD Player, Aftermarket Alarm, etc. It sounds as though you have been going to people who just "throw parts" at something without really diagnosing it. Admittedly so, the orginal ACDelco battery has got to go, they leak acid out of the positive battery terminal post over time. Never buy an ACDelco battery, but that's the extent of it. 99% of everything else ACDelco is of reputable quality. The second is the terminals developing corrosion between the stacked terminals of the positive side, which I see you have already found out about. My question is how long does it take for the problem to present itself? Do you leave the shop and two days later the thing is dead, or does it go dead overnight? When did all this start happening? It almost sounds as though the alternator stopped charging and then everything else followed. Did you have the alternators checked before and after installation for proper output? Did you have the old alternators checked for output? I would hate to think you threw away money because someone mis-diagnosed the problem. It sounds as though, from the information you gave, that the alternator is not even energizing at all, thereby not being able to charge anything. Could be something as simple as a fuse or a wire issue. Or you could also have a parasitic drain from something on the truck. Does the charge light come on? If you have a voltmeter, does it show proper voltage output? So many things to check, hope this points you in the right direction. I find that most people who get frustrated with their GM are usually having their vehicle worked on by people who just don't care or simply in the wrong line of work. It's sad, really, because I have never had a problem on a GM that was so absolutely mysterious that I could not figure it out. We don't drive space shuttles, although it may seem that way sometimes. Post again with some more specifics, I may be able to get more info to you. -Good luck. Chris