And now a charging system problem

ilovemyls

ilovemyls

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Well after i spent all last weekend replacing all my coils and plugs, vcg and even added new exhaust, a new problem popped up out of the blue, i have been reading for quite sometime now on previous peoples problems with the charging system but from what i can tell mine is a little different.
-Check charging system light came on last night while i was driving home
-revved the engine plenty and still doesnt go away
-car starts up perfectly fine everytime
-light always comes on within 10 seconds of startup and never goes away
-there is a slight whine coming from the engine that i never noticed before
-battery is 2 years old

everybody seems to say on previous posts that its almost always the alternator but i just cant imagine how it would just go instantly like that, its never had any problems in the past...the car still runs great but i dont feel comfortable driving my car with that warning popping up, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
 
alternator. you can use a tool like this Amazon.com: Equus 3721 Battery and Charging System Monitor: Automotive or voltage tester...read up on the proper voltages for 1. idle 2. car at 2k rpm 3. car at 2k rpm with all accessories on.
As far as options for an alternator you can buy 1. remanuf Ford - most here go for that 2. no name brand - don't do it. 3. bosh or other brand name new - I got a new Bosh for 150 from amazon has been working well for the past month.
 
ilovemyls said:
... i just cant imagine how it would just go instantly like that, its never had any problems in the past...
Click to expand...

Actually, this is the more normal way for stuff like that to fail.
 
I haven't owned my car long enough to experience this but when it went out on my truck I was driving around town. The battery light came on and I had few hundred feet to a parking spot that I so conveniently coasted into and had just enough juice to roll up my windows.

Alternator wasn't a bad job on that; it sat right on top. I here on our LS's though it's a bit of a hassle since it's tucked not so conveniently underneath everything. I'd go for a remanufactured Ford alternator or see if you can get yours rebuilt if you have the time.
 
The 4th time my alternator went out I had to drive it 35 miles. It turns out that if you turn off everything the car will actually run for a while like that. I had 12.1V after the trip. If you dont want to talk about the 4th time your alternator went out then dont buy one unless it is Motorcraft or Bosch.
 
scjmc said:
If you dont want to talk about the 4th time your alternator went out then dont buy one unless it is Motorcraft or Bosch.
Click to expand...

+1 on that, just changed mine again last night and let me say... what a pain in the a**. I drove with my charging light poping up every now and then for almost 3 months and nothing seemed wrong until I had to jump start my car twice one day, mine gradually died on me and wasn't charging when idle. Volts should always be around 14 range.
 
yep. instantly is common. its a pain too, cuz you don't usually have any warning..
i was driving my mark home and all of a sudden everything went dim. so i cut back to just the headlights and threw the spare alt in the next day.
 
ilovemyls said:
Well after i spent all last weekend replacing all my coils and plugs, vcg and even added new exhaust, a new problem popped up out of the blue, i have been reading for quite sometime now on previous peoples problems with the charging system but from what i can tell mine is a little different.
-Check charging system light came on last night while i was driving home
-revved the engine plenty and still doesnt go away
-car starts up perfectly fine everytime
-light always comes on within 10 seconds of startup and never goes away
-there is a slight whine coming from the engine that i never noticed before
-battery is 2 years old

everybody seems to say on previous posts that its almost always the alternator but i just cant imagine how it would just go instantly like that, its never had any problems in the past...the car still runs great but i dont feel comfortable driving my car with that warning popping up, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Click to expand...
Trust me, Its the Alternator. I replaced mine today, my car did the same thing. I had my alternator rebuilt for 90 bucks vs paying over 200 for a new rebuilt one. Take care ASAP cause when the battery is drained, the car will shut off.
 
My fourth lifetime alternator from Autozone has now been in place for more than two years. I got the first replacement from AZ because they were the only place with one on the shelf and I didn't want to wait three days. That one lasted about two months, the next one several months. I put in a voltmeter along with the last one so I can monitor for weakness. It always shows about 14.5 output.

KS
 
thanks for all the replies, i was hoping it wasnt the alternator in order to avoid more money but i guess ill just fork it over
 
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