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My battery light went on and I dont know what it could be.. I just recently about 2 weeks ago changed the battery and alternator, the car had been running fine until yesterday and the battery light turned on.. I dont know what it could be? Would an OBDII scan uncover this problem or do I need to get some kind off electrical system check..??
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I don't think a code scan will pick up anything but it sounds like your alternator, belt, or wiring has a problem. The battery light usually means the battery is not gettting recharged. A charging system test at an autoparts store would probably be a good idea. If you had the alternator/battery work done at a shop, I would bring it back because it should be covered under some kind of warranty. (And the alternator is a big job on the V6 anyway.)
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usually the battery light means that the voltage is low. When the engine is running the altenator should put out slightly more voltage than the battery makes, this way current can flow into the batter to charge it. A good lead acid car battery should have about 2.2 volts per cell and with 6 cells, a good battery will have about 13-13.2 volts with no load applied. With the engine running with nothing turned on you should see between 13.5 and 14.4 volts.
With the engine running, check the voltage at the battery. It should be about 13.5 to 14.4 volts. If its less, suspect dirty/corroded electrical connections at the alternator or the battery. If all connections are clean then its either the voltage reguator or the altenator. There are several factors that can affect the output of the altenator, either worn brushes, one or more failed diodes in the rectifier, or an open in one or more phases of the stator windings. Another possibility is low internal resistance in the battery, (mineral build-up on the plates in the battery causes reduced resistance between the positive and negative plates which allows the battery to discharge itself) simply do a capacity check of the battery.
Check the electrical connections first, then capacity check the battery, test the regulator and finally do a capacity check of the alternator to determine if it is still in servicable condition (servicable = good)
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Originally posted by XTREMECONTOUR: My battery light went on and I dont know what it could be.. I just recently about 2 weeks ago changed the battery and alternator, the car had been running fine until yesterday and the battery light turned on.. I dont know what it could be? Would an OBDII scan uncover this problem or do I need to get some kind off electrical system check..??
I believe that the voltage rregulator is seperate from the the anternator and should be replaced when ever the alternator is repaired of replaced.
I feel sorry for the people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, thats the best they're going to feel all day - former President Lyndon B. Johnson
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JSMITH-thanks for all the info.. I just went to Autozone to do a charging system check.. They checked the battery and the alternator.. They said both were good and the voltage was fine on them.. By chance can I check the Voltage Regulator and where exactly is it and what does it look like... I have never heard of this part.. Thanks Again For the Help...
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The voltage reg is part of and mounted in the alternator with the brush-box......
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Originally posted by Terry Haines: The voltage reg is part of and mounted in the alternator with the brush-box......
In that case, the test autozone did, if it passed the test then the regulator is fine. Maybe its a dirty or loose electrical connection on the battery or at the alternator. Also check all the ground wires where they connect to the chassis.
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Thats a relief.. Well I called Ford and talked to a mechanic he said it might be that the tensioner was not put on correctly and has to much slack... Therefore when the car is at higher speeds the light turns off and when it is at slower speeds (less tension on the belt) the light turns on.. So how could I check this or fix without going to a mechanic..??? Thanks again for all the help..
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Oh yeah, thats another thing I didn't even think of.
But if the alternator pulley is slipping from insufficent belt tension that could result from an improperly installed tensioner, I'd imagine that other accessory pulleys would be slipping as well.
The best way I can think of to check this out would be to start the engine and apply electrical loads, like turn on the headlights, the A/C with blower on high and turn the radio on and monitor the voltage with a voltage meter, preferably an analog type (has a guage rather than a LCD dsiplay) rather than a digital since the analog meter will give you a better indication of fluctuating voltage. While watching the meter have a helper rev the engine and look for voltage drops with different engine RPMs.
Still, make sure you check the electrical connections first. I can't even tell you how many times I've found that to be the problem.
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I had the same problem with my 96 tour, replaced the ALT & battrery and still had the battery light on. Finally took it to ford and there was a blown fuse specificaly for the ALT that had blown. Hope this helps..
TIm
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