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my car has been having some charging issues lately. ive put a brand new battery and alternator in it and im still having trouble. after putting the alternator in i drove it all over the place with my brights on and my sound system thumping so loudly my glasses shook down my nose to test it out and it ran great. then when i was on my way home from work with my lights on it drained so bad i almost didnt make it home before the car died. i dont know what else to look at for the cause of the problem. can anyone help me here?
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check the belt again....make sure it is not slipping"FLTG4LIFE" @FINALLEVEL , "PBH"
89L Silver EFI auto
91GL Green Auto DD
There ain't no rest for the wicked
until we close our eyes for good.
I will sleep when I die!
I'm a little hunk of tin, nobody knows what shape I'm in. I've got four wheels and a running board, I'm not a Chevy, I'M A FORD! -
did you check the voltage while running?
should be between 13 and 15 volts
I am the originalComment
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Isn't one of the fuses under the hood between the alt. and battery? If so, check your fuses / cheapo-wires that ford installed. The alt. may be good, but it may not be getting to the battery.The normal is not always normal... MOST is not ALL... And any job can be hard if you don't have the right tools!!!
My Fleet:
89 L 4spd (Daily Driver(if it isn't broke down)) "Spanky"Comment
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theres no fuses that i know of in the engine compartment. i dont have a volt metet to test it with but i can borrow one from a friend. my belt is tight and isnt slipping any.Comment
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Got a bad alternator, happens sometimes, or maybe voltage regulator? Not charging the battery there is only a few things it could be..... check your ground just for fun. Alternator, battery, regulator, wiring or belts.1991 Festiva EFI
PapabugComment
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The middle wire on the fusable links on the driver side strut tower was bad on mine and the charge light would come on, just replaced it with a cartrige fuse.'90 LXComment
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Thanks for the clarification. That is what I was talking about.Originally posted by wybnrml View Post
35-40amp cartrige fuses are recommended by most people on here and by ford themselves I believe.
The normal is not always normal... MOST is not ALL... And any job can be hard if you don't have the right tools!!!
My Fleet:
89 L 4spd (Daily Driver(if it isn't broke down)) "Spanky"Comment
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im gonna get some new battery cable ends and put them on and maybe new cables if it needs new onesComment
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Festy90 is your charge light staying on....how much juice are you pulling with your amp ?? the alternator should keep up and check the voltage across your battery terminals when the engine is running and should be about 13.2volt DC( and some if you rev the engine but not too much)...output I think is around 50 amps, sometime the problem can be due to worn slip ring brushes, my Haynes manual shows a 10 amp fuse to the rotor so check that fuse is OK (D.C. volts to magnetise the turning bit) so the belt as others have said is important to, loose battery terminals also will cause a problem and so will a stuffed battery ( if the battery have a stuffed cell) and there are 6 (2.2volts per cell)"all I ask is the chance to prove that money won't make me happy":simon:Comment
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the alternator is new, the battery is new and the belt is tight. as for the rest of that im not sure since im not where my car is right now but when i get back home i can check those things. where is the the fuse to the alternator? i didnt even know there was one. ive never seen any fuses that i didnt install in the engine compartmentComment
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Need Charging Answer Also
Festy was running fine. Today at lunch while driving, the charge light came on. If I slowed down or stopped at a light, it would dim, but when I sped up, it would get bright. When I got to where I was going the car would not re-start. I replaced the MAIN (middle) fusable link and it started up and I came back to work. BUT....when I shut the engine back off, it would not start again and the brand new fusable link was shot. What do you think is my problem? Belt is tight. Matter of fact, was squeaking and just had it tightened about two weeks ago. Been quiet and running fine until today....HELP !!!!!!!Comment
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HELP!
I am having the same issue! I have yet to test the voltage from the alt, but I just bought a new battery yesterday, and today it is dead! What should I pay for a new alternator, and how hard is it to install? Is there a walk through on this site that anyone knows of?
Thanks so much for your help in advance! I am so glad that this site exists!
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Alt is simple to replace. It can all be done from the top but if you have access from underneath the bottom bolt can be easier to get to.Originally posted by Darlo View Post
There is a plug that needs removed and then the wire attached by a nut. After that there is the bottom (pivot) bolt and the top bolt. You can fish it out from the top....takes some twisting and turning or you can drop it through from underneath."FLTG4LIFE" @FINALLEVEL , "PBH"
89L Silver EFI auto
91GL Green Auto DD
There ain't no rest for the wicked
until we close our eyes for good.
I will sleep when I die!
I'm a little hunk of tin, nobody knows what shape I'm in. I've got four wheels and a running board, I'm not a Chevy, I'M A FORD!Comment
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Thanks.......
Although, after spending the $180 on the alt, $80 on a new battery, it was still not charging properly! What I ended up doing was taking the battery terminal connectors apart, and sanding/cleaning/wire-brushing everything. Then I put it all back together and..........IT WAS FINE!
So I have a new alt (needlessly) and a new battery (also not needed), and I am out $300 (taxes in), and all I needed was to take it apart and clean it!
I will know for next time, lol. And plus, it is nice to know that the alt is for sure working, as it may have been a combination of things before, so.......
Thanks again for the help.Comment
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