Flooded alternator or Fuse/Wiring/Sensor?

Kbwalker23

Kbwalker23

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I was driving yesterday and hit a pretty big puddle, which is common here(8"-1' deep) and it splashed up the front right of my car, couple minutes later I notice the car is telling me to "Check Charging System", and starts shutting stuff off 1 by 1, TracControl/ABS - Radio -> Dash lights -> Headlights until the car itself shut down roughly 12 miles later (I had turned around to try and make it home)

I jumped it off and let it charge for 3-5 mins, but it's instantly saying the same thing and doing the same thing, I've let it sit for a while now.

Any suggestions on what to check first or where? Or do I need to pull the metal shield off and look at the alternator?
 
That shield's not metal.
I don't know that just looking is likely to help. The alternator will probably have to be replaced. If you have a 1st get (2000-2002), then you'll need to get the Motorcraft alternator.
 
Ok, I have 2nd gen, 05.
And not the bottom plastic splash gaurd, the actually cover over the Alternator?
Just was wondering if anyone had run into this before I started tearing it down lol
 
I know of no "cover over the alternator." I'm pretty sure I would have seen such while changing the alternator out. BTW, you're not going to get to the alternator from above.

I, as well as others, have experienced alternator failure (gen II), but not just after running through a puddle. I could see the belt maybe being thrown off, but if that were the case, you'd also be complaining about a loss of power steering and an overheating engine and loss of air-conditioning.

Of course, your other (somewhat less likely) possibility is a wiring fault. There are some tests you can do to be certain about it.
2006 Lincoln LS Workshop Manual
(Pretty sure that where it says "Key in START position" that it really should say "key in RUN position."

If it is the alternator then:
2006 Lincoln LS Workshop Manual

I put an aftermarket alternator in my 06 a couple of years ago. So far, so good...
 
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The PCM is not in the passenger kick panel. It's on the passenger side firewall, in front of the glove box. If the water was deep enough to get to it, it would be up to his waistline.
Also, note that unlike the 1st gen, on the 2nd gen the PCM does not control the alternator.
 
Maybe I should be more descriptive, about a"puddle", it's flat here, so there's drainage lines/ditched that run along the streets and through intersections, I was turning right at 20ish, and hit where two of these meet, so I'm assuming the water was shin-knee high.

I also don't have a splash/scrape gaurd, it was dragging when I bought the car.
The "splash" was bug enough to hit my windshield/passenger window.

Now with that said, does that change any of
your answers?*
 
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Could have done lots of things, but the alternator is independent of all that, so it doesn't play into your problem. I posted a link to very clear and simple tests to verify for certain that it is the alternator or the wiring. There's no reason at all to keep speculating about this.
 
Well my bad, was clarifying my Erie statement, and I don't have access to any of the electric testers, so those test/diagnoses call for to be able to read the voltage. So for now I can start disassembling it, or see if there's anything specific I need you look out for that would point me in the correct direction
 
Digital volt meters are really cheap. $20 or less for the cheap ones, and the cheap ones are good enough for those tests.
 
Thanks man, helps alot! And id like to get a nice one to have and well, I have extra money right now, but this car hasn't been simple this far, so I'm assuming I'm gonna have to buy more then just an alternator/battery, which is already 300$ together lol
 
As a possible "cheap" fix... you could start out by disconnecting all connections to the alternator,,, and blowing them out with comperssed air. Same for the alternator itself. At this point you have nothing to lose but time.

Drying things out,,, does alot of good when water gets into where it shouldn't.

Make sure you disconnect battery first.
 
I have half-a-dozen multimeters. The one I use most often---it's laying on my desk---is one they were giving away at Harbor Freight. I believe it usually sells for about $3.99.

KS
 
Thanks, when I get off I'm gonna swing by and grab one, as well as try blowing out all of the connections and what not.
I appreciate yall!
 
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