2000 Lincoln ls6 died while driving and wouldn't start

[orion110483]

This morning I was driving my boyfriends car to school and got about a block or two away from the house and the ABS light and trac light came on so I thought I accidentally hit the button that turns the advanced trac light on, so I hit the button a few times and the lights were all still on. Then the radio completely turned off so once I got to the stop light I decided I would turn the car off and then back on thinking that maybe that would help. After turning the car off, it wouldn't turn back on. When I was trying to turn the car on it didn't make any noises expect all of the gauges started moving back and forth and the over head lights kept going off and on and the alarm system was going off. I was stuck in the turn lane so I turned my hazards on and they flashed on the dash but apparently they didn't work because people kept yelling at me to turn my hazards on and this all went on for about an hour or more. The police came eventually and refused to jump start the car when I asked. So after it was towed home we jumped it and it turned on but then later the battery was dead again. What could be wrong with the car? if anybody could help me that would be great

 

[chris2523]

dead alternator..

 

[joegr]

Yes, the charging system has failed. The most likely suspect (by a wide margin) is the alternator. Also, it is likely that your battery is now toast as well.

 

[Right on the Mark]

Charge up the battery properly. Then start car and check volts, make sure its around 14.4V. Go from there.

 

[orion110483]

Thank you everyone for all your help it was the alternator.

 

[Ultrastar]

hey guys, i am having the exact same problem as the op.
The car died while it sat unused for 4-5 days, this happened twice.
Then 2 days ago the car wouldnt start again, no crank no lights nothing, jumped start it and drove it 1 block and the car died while idling at the light: the transmission dropped, the corner amber lights flickered on/off and then radio died a slow death...

so 10mins later my friend came and jumpstarted it, we drove 10mins to get to his place, and when i parked, we tried to turn the car on/off and it started all 3 times.

while the car was off the battery was getting 12.x Volts and while car was on it was getting 17volts.

I left the car at my friends place for now, i am paranoid of driving it, had it for only 3 weeks dammit.

The battery is a "new" noname reman'ed from the scrapyard.

also before the car died on me i brought the battery to get it tested but the battery was dead so all the test could find was that the battery was completely drained... no sh*t!

so what are your toughts?
did I buy a bad battery or could it be the alternator like the OP?

thanks alot

 

[joegr]

...
while the car was off the battery was getting 12.x Volts and while car was on it was getting 17volts.
...
The battery is a "new" noname reman'ed from the scrapyard.
...

Your alternator or the wiring to it is bad for sure. 17 volts will damage the battery and could burn out many of the electronic modules on the car, including the PCM.

Speaking of battery damage, 17V will grossly overcharge the battery resulting in it venting large amounts of hydrogen. You battery is in the trunk. The OEM battery has a sealed connection to a vent tube that would vent the hydrogen outside of the car. Your noname battery likely doesn't have this feature. Hydrogen that builds up in the trunk will circulate into the cabin of the car. (Notice the vents on the rear deck.) A hydrogen flash fire in the car will put you in the burn ward or the morgue. (Maybe first one, then the other.)

 

[Ultrastar]

Your alternator or the wiring to it is bad for sure. 17 volts will damage the battery and could burn out many of the electronic modules on the car, including the PCM.

Speaking of battery damage, 17V will grossly overcharge the battery resulting in it venting large amounts of hydrogen. You battery is in the trunk. The OEM battery has a sealed connection to a vent tube that would vent the hydrogen outside of the car. Your noname battery likely doesn't have this feature. Hydrogen that builds up in the trunk will circulate into the cabin of the car. (Notice the vents on the rear deck.) A hydrogen flash fire in the car will put you in the burn ward or the morgue. (Maybe first one, then the other.)

hey thanks for the quick reply!

yea i was suspecting the alternator too, dammit i thought that maybe the alternator was overcharging the battery to sort of bring it back to life (if that even makes sense lol), but from reading previous posts etc i think ill trust your judgement more than mine.

ballpark for an alternator change is 1hr labor approx?
and im reading to stick to an oem reman rather than a new aftermarket part?

thanks again!

Edit: also one more think, i noticed some water at the bottom of the trunk around the spare tire/battery area, if there is a leak where is the most likely place it could be leaking from?
dusk begins at 4pm during winter so its hard to troubleshoot in the dark!

 

[trickett90]

Here is your water in the trunk problem:

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=74680

 

[regiment1]

hey thanks for the quick reply!
ballpark for an alternator change is 1hr labor approx?
and im reading to stick to an oem reman rather than a new aftermarket part?

According to the postings here, you need an OEM reman.

My install was 1.5 hours I believe.

 

[oddball]

The battery is a "new" noname reman'ed from the scrapyard.

There is no such thing as a "reman" battery. Battery plates can be recycled, but that happens at very specialized facilities. Your battery was just yanked from a junked car before they put it on the yard because they have to pull the batteries, drain the gas (usually by puncturing the tank) and drain fluids before going out on the yard. I hope it cost less than $10.
Take the battery to a parts store and get a new battery. As noted by Joegr, it is by far safer to get a Motorcraft battery from the dealership. This can cost $30 to $50 more than a part store battery.

17 volts is FAR too high. An alternator should normally regulate around 14.5 V at most, *maybe* spiking to 15V. The regulator and/or one or more diodes are fried. You need to replace the alternator immediately. I'm currently using a Napa alternator, but honestly would prefer OEM.

 

[gcwimmer]

I just replaced my battery with a vented OEM #BXT-66-750 for $109.95 plus tax from the local Ford dealer.

 

[cirelle]

Same type of problems had battery testes at autozone 2000 ls v8

Cricket (2k ls 8) has been running fine, still going through all the normal stuff as I got the car used from an auction in July 11.

Recently (about a month ago), I went to the cigar store to get some rope, when I got out, I got in the car (didn't lock it) and it just got starter grind.

Apparently there was power otherwise it wouldn't have cranked.

So I got out, locked it and unlocked it (with the key) got in and it started right up.

The car ran fine for a couple of months then it happened again. Went through the same procedure and went on about my business.

One day my wife was driving it and it suddenly stalled (she was getting gas). She was able to restart the car and drive. She drove a couple of miles and stopped at a light, and the car stalled again. She was able to start it and continue about her business. (I thought maybe bad gas, we use 93 octane)

This was about 2 weeks ago.

I read about failing battery issues on this site so I decided to check it with a volt meter. I did it car off and car running.

With the car off, the battery registered just over 12V, maybe 12.5V.

With the car running, the battery registered (meter on the terminals) 14V.

Car ran fine for about 3 weeks when she called while out checking mail at our po box, and said the car would not start. So I walked her through the lock/unlock process and the car started. she got home.

Today we were out getting some errands done, when all of a sudden the car died. I pulled over and it restarted first try. We continued with our errands.

We were close to an autozone so I went had had the battery checked.

(I should note, I have no idea how old this battery is, remember got it at auction in July)

When the fellow at autozone checked it with his device, he said the voltage was 12.5V but was only half charged.

My guess is this battery is shot (it's a motocraft battery so who knows if it is original, but it's clean).

Push comes to shove, I'm going to take it out of the car and drop it on the pavement (from about 6 to 10 inches) to see if there is any crud that can be broken apart until I can replace it.

There have been some other anomalies such as the average mileage indicator going wacky (showing 6mpg then going to 18+ after driving a bit).

My experience with car batteries (and seeing this may be the source of the problem at this point) is crud builds up around the plates (at the bottom) and slowly starts to short the affected plates. Since this is not uniform, it doesn't just kill the battery. The other side effect is you can never charge the thing fully because it is always discharging internally (or shorting if you prefer).

Since the alternator is pumping out about 14V, I don't think it is the charging system (considering the test at autozone indicated the battery was only half charged), so I'm guessing the cell is bad or rapidly going bad.

My 2 cents

 

[Ultrastar]

Here is your water in the trunk problem:

http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=74680

Hey thanks for the link!
i'll check it out, it was raining today and somehow it was dry in there...:shifty:
but, now i've noticed a leak in the front passenger pillar... arghhh so many problems!
gonna search the threads i remember reading about it

According to the postings here, you need an OEM reman.

My install was 1.5 hours I believe.

17 volts is FAR too high. An alternator should normally regulate around 14.5 V at most, *maybe* spiking to 15V. The regulator and/or one or more diodes are fried. You need to replace the alternator immediately. I'm currently using a Napa alternator, but honestly would prefer OEM.

thanks guys, i brought the car to a small shop that specializes in battery/alternator (good folks) and after a few tests it ended up being the battery....! i bought a brand new one for 100$ with warranty and after install the battery was getting 14.2v with the car on.

I will follow up with them next week, Im not screaming victory yet but it seems to be resolved for now, I am driving it now but still paranoid that it can shut down at any point haha....
it was a traumatizing experience I am scarred forever!

Your battery was just yanked from a junked car before they put it on the yard because they have to pull the batteries, drain the gas (usually by puncturing the tank) and drain fluids before going out on the yard. I hope it cost less than $10.

haha, yea thats most likely what they did, it was a typical scrapyard, paid 35$ for that rebuilt battery

 

[gcwimmer]

Hope it is a vented battery.

 

[cirelle]

A good quality battery fitting the specs (and vented... even the sealed AGM's and GELs might have an issue... not sure, but hydrogen gas is not a party) should do the trick.

I was doing research on batterys (in general) and there is a term called Acid Stratification

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/what_causes_car_batteries_to_fail

This is where crud builds up on the lower portion of the battery plates, reducing the reserve capacity. Your CCA (cold cranking amps) are limited due to the RC.

This process causes the battery to outgas

So I'm sure vented is a requirement for a reason.

 

[trickett90]

There is a good write up on how to fix the A-pillar leak around here somewhere. I did my driver's side, its fairly easy. I would find the thread for you but you said you're searching for it so you should be able to come across it. If not let us know.

 

[Ultrastar]

Hope it is a vented battery.

DOH!

was in such a hurry since I had to head to work straight from the shop, i completely forgot to ask, dammit!

ill check, hopefully it is but i doubt it, damn man

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/a...teries_to_fail

thanks for the link, great read!

There is a good write up on how to fix the A-pillar leak around here somewhere. I did my driver's side, its fairly easy. I would find the thread for you but you said you're searching for it so you should be able to come across it. If not let us know.

hey thanks man, yea the link is this one:
http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/showthread.php?t=61279&highlight=water+leak

i have the exact same wet spot as the 2nd guy
thats why my windows are always hella foggy when it rains with this car!