Help!!!

Stopsign002

Stopsign002

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Car just started freaking out. Advance trak failure warning started flashing then sat radio started going in and out. Turned car off then tried to turn back on
Starter just ticks. checked fuses all good. Battery is factory original. I think its the problem. Thoughts? No time to search on phone and just finished.moving car out of middle of street. Sorry for bad grammer in a hurry
 
I am going to guess the battery. Our cars go crazy when the battery goes. Of course test to be certain the alternator is not the culprit.
 
Pull battery, put on charger for a few hours, take to auto parts store, get tested. If it's really the original battery then I would just skip all that and buy a new battery. I would then drive the car up to the auto parts store and get an alternator check done. Chances are it's one or the other and they might have mutually assured each others destruction.
 
It's probably just the battery, but it could be the battery and the alternator.
Less likely, but possible, is a bad main power or ground connection somewhere (like at the starter or battery).
 
Stopsign002 said:
Was the battery. New battery is getting 14v with the car on so the alt seems to be putting out. Thanks guys
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I'd still take it to an auto-parts store and have an on-vehicle alternator test done. Having 14v at the battery doesn't mean the alternator isn't weak or malfunctioning. Since the test is free you can just think of it as obtaining peace of mind :)
 
X2 on the alternator. I learned this the hard way. The battery failed first, then the alternator, then the battery again, ect. Initially I thought it was the rebuilt alternators killing the battery, until it happened to a brand new alternator. When I replaced both together the cycle ended. What happens is the alternator will blow its diodes trying to charge a dead battery, then the battery will damage itself when run too low due to a failing alternator. When I replace either of these parts due to a failure now, I replace both.
 
The alternator doesn't fail often on these cars from what ive seen. If its the factory battery it's due for replacement anyways.

The battery is most likely weak due to old age not a bad alt.
 
i would at least keep a close eye on it, driving around with a failing battery does put a lot of extra stress on the alt and does take it out too a lot of the time.
 
Hey thanks a lot guys. It was a hell of a bad time. I had just left from my works HQ and was on my way to the venue when it happened. My car died in the middle of the freaking street during rush hour after freaking out for like 20 seconds. 1Loud, if you know A2 well, it died on freaking Stadium Blvd 10 yards south of jackson. BAD PLACE TO DIE. Well thanks for the help, all should be good now
 
Yeah Im starting to worry it might have worn out my alternator... I dont know when this sound started, but the first I noticed it was after the whole ordeal when I turned the car back on for the first time. My dad said it sounds like a bearing is going bad. It sounds like its coming from the alternator (or at least down near it) so I'm wondering if the battery took it with it. I did a TON of driving a few days ago (400 miles in 24 hours) and I'm thinking all that driving might have caused something also. Idk, Ill head to a shop and get a check on it. Do most shops do that stuff for free?
 
Some but not all. Afterall, they are in the billable services industry. LOL. But definitely get it tested to be safe.
 
Yeah, well when the battery is so old that it doesn't hold as high of a voltage as it should the altenator will simply just attempt to recharge the battery the whole time. With that much continuous driving, I imagine that's what it did the entire time.

When my car went through all this, initially with the bad battery and bad altenator it would read "check charging system", but when I had a good battery and still had the bad altenator combination it wouldn't read that message.

My point don't overlook that altenator. Also, motorcraft altenators are quite expensive.
 
Kumba said:
And worth it compared to the average remans I have seen :)
Click to expand...

+1

I would not recommend going remanufactured, and much less aftermarket. Trust me. I bought remanufactured, failed the next day. Bought aftermarket, failed the same day. Went OEM and all has been good...its been over a year now. Learn from my(and others' mistakes).

GO OEM, the LS is very picky.
 
mlara1129 said:
+1

I would not recommend going remanufactured, and much less aftermarket. Trust me. I bought remanufactured, failed the next day. Bought aftermarket, failed the same day. Went OEM and all has been good...its been over a year now. Learn from my(and others' mistakes).

GO OEM, the LS is very picky.
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Not to nitpick, but all the OEM's are now remans, too. But based on comments on this board that is the best way to go by var.
 
OEM remans actually remanufacture them. Aftermarket remans, they only replace actual failed parts. Not nearly failed, hard failed. If they even crack them open. If it passes their 5 second test they just clean them up and rebox them.
 
mlara1129 said:
how do you know this? all my paper work says "NEW," if anything it should say "like new" lol
Click to expand...

I am basing that on the discussions on this board last summer, when I went to replace my alt. But, as my wife likes to remind me, I've been known to be wrong....
 
Most autoparts stores around me will test alternator if you bring it in. My brothers tested good 2 times then tested @ 8v output 3rd time. Suspect heat related. I took my last alternator to a electrical shop that specialises on marine alternators for boats. Rebuilt from 90 amps to 135 amps. 1 yr warranty. Check with a local marina. JMO.
 
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