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Post by Small Block on Jan 16, 2012 22:32:25 GMT -5
Lady, that got the 3.8L in it? I think that is the liter size.. I know it's a V-6.... kind of crammed in the engine space a bit..got sme electrical issues.. charging indicator comes on, but system shows normal charging range, and battery has never gone dry.. I gotta put in a thermostat next month, the one in it now is stuck open, and engine never reaches normal no matter how long I drive it. Radiator is full, block is full, over flow bottle is full..
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Post by locodave on Jan 17, 2012 3:03:18 GMT -5
Charging system light on. Usually a bad voltage reg inside the alt. Or a bad ground. Have an ohm meter? If a diode has blown, as you have if I remember 2 or 3 of them. You won't get the charging rate as needed. Yank it off and have it tested at Autozone, or a parts place that tests alts for free. Dang, I was wishing for a MG. ;D -> www.excelauto.com/online/Tech.d/altvdt.html
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Post by Small Block on Jan 18, 2012 19:26:26 GMT -5
It is externally regulated. I had AZ test it on the car. They don't have the Vat40 tester anymore, some hand held device. Idiot kid running it. Tester does not full field the alternator for max voltage output, says the alternator was good. I asked the kid what good meant, he shrugged his shoulders and said good... I said what was the amperage output during the test. He shrugged his shoulders and said good.. I gave up on AZ... will try a voltage reg next pay day. If I remember right, I put a new one in 4 years ago. This is alternator #2, in 4 years. Life time alternator, free swap out, special order part, pain in the rear to install. New negative cable from battery to block, new positive cable from battery to starter solenoid. New starter, new solinoid, new battery, no corrosion, new cable ends.
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Post by doc on Jan 19, 2012 5:09:59 GMT -5
Is that a Auto Zone alternator? If so, that might be your problem. That's one reason we don't put them in. Too many problems with them. They keep giving you new ones if theirs go bad, but I got tired of mad customers and having to eat the labor.
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Post by Bob Vershon on Jan 19, 2012 5:42:06 GMT -5
For Ford parts, we use a Motorcraft reman supplier in our state. Some times we get better prices than the regular suppliers.
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Post by toolman on Jan 19, 2012 7:50:58 GMT -5
Gm, i had my merc, very much like yours, had same problem, ran a 10 wire from alt too base on alt ,to ehaust manifold , bolt, for giggles no more problems
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Post by Small Block on Jan 19, 2012 13:14:22 GMT -5
I may try either TM's idea, or dealer alternator or both if I continue on this path with it.. DOC: YES.. AUTO ZONE Alternator...
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Post by locodave on Jan 20, 2012 2:56:38 GMT -5
Have to remember this. Voltage and amperage are 2 diffrent animals. All that voltage reg does is to put out more amperage as the need gets greater. Voltage is only one indicator.
Why the no charging light gets lit up. If the alt is good. Volt test the battery before starting. Have the base volts. Now start it with all the voltage draws off inside. Radio, heater fan, headlights. Only draw on the system is making the engine run. The voltage will go up at the battery to around 13-14 volts. Re-charging the battery along with making shure the amp draw on the electrical system is keeping up.
Now start turning things on. One at a time. Each one, test battery volt reading. More amp draw as things are turned on. The volt reading at the battery should not go much under 13 volts with the radio, headlights, heater fan running. If it does, the idiot light will come on.
Reason is, the voltage reg if you look at it this way. Needle with a fixed bottom, top free to swing right or left. One swing will connect the battery and the other will connect the alts output terminal. If running and the needle swings to the battery, the idiot light will light up as you are drawing power from the battery instead of the alt. Because the alt is not keeping up with the amperage draw.
Circut, batterys pos side goes to the starter, another wire goes to the alts pos output large terminal. The reg can see by the needle. If the output, ( feed ) to the things needing amperage. Is from the battery or the alt. As I call it a needle. It is a contac in the reg that opens or closes to ither draw needs from the battery or the alt.
If any poor connection is there. Why the drop test. Ither from the batterys pos side or the alts output side to the battery. It will chose the better contac. This includes a poor ground from ither a bad batt neg cable to the engine block. Or a bad contac to ither the starters pos lug, batterys pos connection. A voltage drop test linked before, or a simple voltage check at the battery will tell the story. TM's idea is ok, but. You didn't do a drop test 1st to see if indeed a bad ground.
Cheap volt-ohm meter can be had for a coupla bucks.
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Post by Small Block on Jan 20, 2012 9:29:16 GMT -5
It primarily does it on idle and in drive.. not all the time.. just when it wants to..
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Post by locodave on Jan 20, 2012 11:21:08 GMT -5
Makes me think a poor connection. It could be bad inside a crimp at the end of the wire.
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Post by Small Block on Jan 20, 2012 16:38:57 GMT -5
I suspect a groung issue.. I get angry everytime I raise the hood. Some idiot my grandpa hired to wire in something for smething, tapped into fusible links with 3m splicers.. no soldering.. just spliced.. I was taught NEVER tap into fuse links... took car 10 miles to breakfast, same old same old.. charging indicator, yet gauge in normal range.. went to post office, got penny stamps, starter wanted to drag just a bit. Put battery on charger, said was full charge.. could be the sub zero temps, little battery... but I doubt it... car needs to hang on for 3 more years... or I will be walking...
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Post by locodave on Jan 21, 2012 2:10:40 GMT -5
Well try TM's idea for giggles. One piece of wire. Use some 14 gauge type you have around the house. Like used on the house electric. ( Or hardware store that sells it off a spool. ) Ruff figure how long by going from the neg batt bolt, to the radiator frame or inner fenderwell where you find a bolt. Then to some bolt or nut you can loosten, on the engine block. One complete wire, batterys neg bolt. Loosten the nut and wind the stripped end around the bolt and tighen it up. Next to a body-radiator place you can do the same. Cept I'll strip the wire coating with my knife, razor blade. About 2 inches of insulation off. Bare wire, wrap around a bolt, make shure it's clean. Tighten and then the end of it to the engine block to complete. What your doing is making a good ground from the batterys neg to a frame ground. finally to the engine for ground. Alt is grounded to the engine, but needs the body ground because of the rubber motor and trans mounts. Finally to the engine block. If the seperate voltage reg needs a body ground, you have created a good one to the battery and engine block that the alts mounted to. If you had a bad ground wire, battery to the engine block and - or, ground strap bad, engine to the firewall. A shure sign when it's cranking would be the throttle cable will start smoking. and get hot to the touch. Know 1st hand on this. Thats the only part under the hood that will be going to the body ground. End of the cable @ the throttle body, to the metal gas petal arm, thru it's frame to the firewall mount. K? Less B/S to buy a cheap vhom meter and using the link for a drop test using the diagrams. -> www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.htmlOn your last post. Chasing around after a good start. Starter then cranks slow. Light was lit and finally went off. Amp and voltage draw between the ok start, then running around. Light went off. Started charging a battery that wasn't getting charged right when running around. You were running the battery down a bit while the light was lit. Test the battery and says ok. This video also applys to car batterys. Want to get a volt ohm meter yet? -> www.ehow.com/video_2330193_check-motorcycle-battery.html
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Post by doc on Jan 21, 2012 7:48:30 GMT -5
Dave, I'm betting a bad diode in the alternator. She could take the alternator off and have it bench tested. That's what we do. I don't think those are that bad to pull.
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Post by locodave on Jan 21, 2012 22:57:15 GMT -5
Yup, Doc could be on the right track. My thought is if the alt checks out. Then a bad cell in the battery would not let it charge correctly. Doing a voltage check when trying to start it would help too.
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Post by Small Block on Jan 22, 2012 14:19:58 GMT -5
Battery is brand new.. less than a month.. I got wire.. will do the ground/body/block with it for giggles.. if still having issues. Will remove the alternator, and bench test it.. not bad to remove.. kind of tight.. but doable, as Dave always says.. this coming payday is thermostat, and alternator time for me..
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