So this one is kicking my butt. (I guess most problems with these vans do). Started off with the Christmas lights. Drove van for about 20 min after Christmas lights and it dies. Ok, replaced alternator and charged battery at O'reilly. They said battery was fine. Then drive about 20 minutes (No christmas lights), van dies, then won't turn over at all. Do nothing but let it sit for several hours, it starts and runs fine for about 5 minutes, then dies again. Charge battery overnight, replace fusible link - the one outside the battery cage. Drives (again no christmas lights) for about 20 minutes and dies again. Let cool off. Starts for a test no problem, but no time for a test drive. Come back to do more diagnostic attempts and battery is dead. (Door had been left open for a while so this is unrelated except that I don't think the battery would have been dead if it had started on a full charge.)
So take battery to Autozone. It tests ok after charge. Take alternator to autozone and have it bench tested. Its good. Go back to van and install everything, van runs for 30 minutes, seems to be exhibiting some signs that the battery is getting low, i.e. the radio starts to make a weird whining sound, and then christmas lights again!
It almost seems to me like something is pulling way too much juice and the alternator just can't keep up. But how to trouble shoot?
Thanks for any suggestions.