Ford - Explorer :: 1997 - Alternator Charging Intermittent?
Apr 1, 2017
1997 Explorer belonging to a friend who will show up complaining that his battery is dying. Of course, the problem is intermittent.
So far, tried 2 new alternators, (rebuilds), 3 batteries and several diagnostic sessions which have been inconclusive. What I do know is that when the charging system is not working, I still have full battery voltage on the Y/W and LG/R wires on the small wire plug at the alternator. The path from the alternator output through the megafuse to battery + does seem to be intact. Measures full battery voltage and even tried a test by using a battery booster cable to connect the alternator output directly to battery + when the system was not charging.
No change with this test. Visual inspection of the engine to firewall ground strap and the battery - to rad cradle ground wire seem to be OK. Have not had the opportunity to try the jumper cable trick to verify the alternator case to battery - circuit, (darn intermittent!). There did seem to be something intermittent related to a wiggle test in and around the power distribution fuseblock, but once again, this was inconclusive. I also was able to make the charging system fail, (once) by turning on the headlights and blower motor.Any specific failures that may cause this? Not much left to change or check!
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Picked up a 2000 Explorer XLS for my 16 year old son to drive. It looks and runs great but it needed a new alternator. Long story short, 3 shiny new alternators from AutoZone later, it still acts like it needs a new one. If I check voltage at the alternator, while running, it's never over 12.5V. As I turn on accessories, the voltage drops down to 11.7 and doesn't come back up. When I turn it off, the battery slowly creeps back to 12.5V. The 30 amp fuse is good as is the 175amp fusible link. Shouldn't I have 14+ volts out of a brand alternator?
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Check Charging System message, battery-shaped idiot light, and audible beep has happened a few times over the past month or so. Yesterday it happened while my wife was driving so I had to bring it to the dealer, not to mention I drove it last night and there was constant beeping for about a minute which was pretty annoying.
But first I had the battery checked, which turned out to be OK. Also we got a new alternator 5 months ago, installed by the dealer.
Today they said they "updated the computer" whatever that means, and otherwise couldn't find anything wrong. $99.85 plus tax.
Needless to say I'm not confident that "updating the computer" has fixed it. What are the odds we get the warning again in a couple of weeks? Short of disconnecting the sensor, is there anything that can be done?
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I have a 1997 Ford Expedition, 5.4. My research indicates that fuses 2. 19. 29 are associated with the instrument cluster (IC), could you identify their specific function in relation to the IC? My IC gauge lights are not showing and my alternator is not consistently charging. The blinkers, battery, oil, brake, and ABS indicator lights are showing in start. Regarding the alternator, my research indicates that a failing alt light on the IC may cause the no charging condition? As a note, I have a brand new battery, brand new alternator, brand new 3 pin wiring harness. Also, when the alternator is not charging and I connect the a jumper from the exciter wire directly to the pos battery terminal, the charging starts.
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Got a 97 ford explorer sport that wont start. It will go like its going to start but I've only got it to run with ether then dies got new battery n tps thinking its the alternator because i hear a ticking in that area and the battery is now dead after i charged it all the way up granted. I did try consistently to get and keep running?
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Is there a fusible link from the alternator to the battery? The new alternator that I put on and got tested is not charging the battery. Was wondering if it could be a fusible link but I couldn't find it. Where it is located on a 2000 ranger?
Also, I put a DC volt meter on the negative side of the battery and the positive side of the CHARGING wire that would be connected to the alternator and got the same reading as if I put the meter on the positive of the battery.
Does this mean the fusible link is good?
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I have a 2002 ford taurus with a basic 3.0 v6 . The alternator stopped charging the battery.
New alternator
New battery
New pcm
Still nothing, this has been causing me the biggest headache. Alternator is pcm controlled btw...
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I have a 2003 F350 6.0. I had a flickering Battery lt on the dash last week so I replaced the Alternator. People recommended I upgrade to the 2005 140 amp alt from my stock 110. I have a single alt system. So I did, today it died on way to work. Batteries were drained. Had new alt checked and its fine. So All I have is a wiring diagram from 99-2002 but it shows the plug on the alt with 2 wires, Lt grn/red from switched ign and Org/Lt Blu which goes to batteries. Org/Lt blu has 12v but Lt green/Red has nothing with ign sw on. I did check fuse 45 in Central J box and have power there. I did notice I have no battery Lt on dash when you turn Ign sw on, and never got the Lt this morning when it died. What Im confused about is do I have a PCM? my diagrams that only go up to 2002 model show it for a 2 alt sys but not for a single alt. I should have power on Lt Grn/red with ign sw on correct? Everyone said 2005 alt was plug and play, the elec connector is now pointed down, where it was pointed up on the orig alt, look to be wired the same.
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I bought a truck recently and I am attempting to get the alternator to charge. A previous owner hacked up the wiring pretty badly. We found that they had connected the voltage regulator to the horn relay for some reason. Anyway, I am trying to get it rewired and have searched existing threads for info and I thought that I had the wiring sorted out, however it is still not charging the battery.
The alternator has been tested and works. The voltage regulator is new. This is how it is currently wired.
Regulator A Terminal --> Battery side of started solenoid --> Alternator Batt Post
Regulator F Terminal --> Alternator Fld Post
Regulator S Terminal --> Alternator Sta Post
Regulator I Terminal --> Empty
Regulator body --> Radiator Support --> Alternator Ground Post --> Neg batt
When running, the battery is showing about 11.8 and slowly dropping as it runs. The truck has an ammeter in the dash, however it looks like it is no longer connected. Does it need to be connected in order for the alternator to charge the battery?
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2001 ranger with 4.0, alternator failed and new alternator is also not charging, showing very little output. i've installed 2 new ones with no fix. the regulator is in the alternator, correct? I'm stumped and not sure where to go with this.
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I *think* I'm having trouble with the alternator on my 2002 Navigator with the 5.4L DOHC engine.
A year ago in Feb 2014 the alternator quit charging. I thought the headlights were a little dim, but when the radio turned itself off and then the heater fan did the same, I noticed that the alt light was on. Then the engine shut down about 1.5 miles from home.
I'd heard of war stories about rebuilt alternators so I sprang for a brandy new one. I also got a voltmeter that fits in the cigarette lighter so I can monitor the system voltage. All seemed good and the new alternator put out 14.2 to 14.5 volts. Except that the battery never seems to be fully charged. If I check the battery voltage with the engine off it typically reads 11.9 to 12.2 volts. I had Interstate Batteries check the battery. They thought it was okay, but offered to put a new battery in to keep me happy.
Six months and 8,000 miles later I'm up in Ontario back country (on vacation - no tools in the truck) and I notice the engine idles at 900 RPM instead of the usual 650 +/- RPM. Oh-oh, I also notice the volt meter is reading 11.9 volts and drops a tenth about every 10 miles.
Found a shop that was open and they installed a rebuilt alternator and it was putting out 14.2 to 14.5 volts. All was good (except for my wallet!).
Now, here we are six months and 5,000 miles later and the rebuilt alternator is struggling to put out 12.5 volts this afternoon. At a steady 50 MPH with the cruise Control on, the radio, and the heater fan on low, the voltage is bouncing between 12.2 volts and 12.7 volts.
Now to my questions:
1. Shouldn't an alternator put out 14.2 to 14.5 volts all the time? Not just when the alternator is new?
And
2. Is there anything on my truck that could be killing these alternators? Or am I just unlucky in the alternator lottery?
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OK I have 14.04 volts at the batteries with the engine running but my battery light is on. I had the alternator checked off the engine and on the engine and it tests good. Shows good batteries and good charging. Is there something internal to the alternator that would make the light come on even though the alternator is charging ok? Or is there something else that would make the light come on. This is on a 1999 F250 Superduty Powerstroke 7.3.
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I ve been noticing that the alternator isn't charging correctly, or at least it seems like it. We drive short trips sometimes two times a day, a mile or less. One day, night actually, I noticed it started to not turn over with it's usual enthusiastic sound. When the batteries get discharged to a certain point, the voltage at idle will be less than 12 volts. If I rev the engine for a bit, the volts jump up, but at idle it drops back to 12 or below. Seems to me that it should be at least 12v or above if the batteries are discharged, and more towards 12.5ishV if the batteries are fully charged.
After I put it on a 6A charger overnight, the voltage upon starting is above 12, sometimes over 13. But if the batteries start to dwindle down from short trips, the voltage drops to 12 or below at idle.
I did install the smaller pulley a few years back, and that worked massively. I couldn't get 12V at idle before installing the smaller pulley. But now it seems like I'm back to that same situation before installing the smaller pulley.
So, I m guessing that a alternator bench test is in my future? The batteries are fairly new, tho they have been down to nothing at least twice from boneheaded moves by yours truely!
And, I'm speculating that this charging situation contributed to the recent FICM replacement that I went thru.
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I have a 2000 excursion that stopped charging. The battery light is on . I replaced the alternator but it still will not charge. I have checked all the fuses. Not sure where to go from here...
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2002 f350 super cab 7.3 diesel, replaced alternator because wasn't getting charge to batts, Napa guy checked batts and determined no charge, replaced alt, still no charge, have 12v at alt post with engine running or not. My ? is, is there a fuse in here somewhere that I'm missing? Went through all fuses in fuse panel all good.
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My alternator quit charging last night. Was pretty much a sudden onset as I was driving down the road and left off the accelerator the battery light came on and lights dimmed a bit. When I stepped on the accelerator again they bat. light went off and the lights came back up.
At idle I'm at 11.77v. I've pulled the plug on the back of the alternator and I'm getting voltage on both the red and green wires that go into the plug with the engine running. Is this correct?
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Pretty much as the title says, I'm having an interesting electrical gremlin. Ford 7.3 super crew 2002 lariat LE.
I have batteries from 2015 that are losing their charge, both of them. It's like the alternator isn't charging them. Truck will struggle to start until jump started, then she's fine.
Symptoms are:
ABS light comes on when as best I can tell the batteries aren't getting charged. Not the battery indicator.
Now that the batteries are low enough, on the instrument cluster the little light the powers the mile LCD screen dims when it's not getting power (but it's fine when the batteries have charge.)
All accessories work when driving, but I haven't been able to drive a long while on the "not charging phase" to see how low they're go.
Batteries register dead (now) because they haven't gotten charge in a while.
When the alternator IS charging or "connected" I can leave the truck idle and she'll charge the batteries, truck will start just fine on the next run (no parasitic drain.)
Driving causes this to happen randomly, doesn't happen when I'm stationary, nor do I believe it CHANGES state (so if I'm idle it won't suddenly NOT charge if it was charging before.)
Narrowed down to 2 probable things.
Alternator
Bad alternator to battery cables
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We have a 1999 F-350 V10 super duty. The alt was over charging and the gauges stopped working. Replacing the alt, the guages still don't work, and the new thing is the charge light and selt belt light comes on. The fuses 29 (5amp)and 30(30Amp) which are supposed to be key on hot only are hot at the same time. With these on, it causes a drain killing the battery. Also if the truck is started, the lights go out, but when you try to turn the vehicle off, it stays running, one with the battery disconnected. The only way to shut it down is pull the fuse box power fuse, 50(amp)Some one had been in the dash before we got this vehicle and busted, burned out or removed the check engine light. I can read codes and their vehicle runs fair and does operate. Could this be a dash board? Also this problem appears when the truck is sitting, and the key removed nothing on. No fuses are blown either.
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I had to replace my alternator (single unit) and after installation it seems only 1 of the 2 batteries is charging when I check them while the truck is running. What check or could be the problem?
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We've got a 2012 F550 6.7 with 138k. It recently got a battery light. The batteries are right around 12 volts with the truck running or off. I also tested the output on the alternator and its not charging. I put a new alternator in it and still no charge. All the connections are tight and clean. The batteries load test ok. Where to look next?
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Took in the alternator to get it checked and they said it was good. Put it back on and it seemed like it was charging according to my volt meter (14.24-13.5 v)
Today, it's not charging. Only reads 12.2 v while running. Is there a fuse or something I need to check? Grounds? It seems intermittent.
2003 F-250 V10 6.8 liter 255,000 miles.
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