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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 49
New CEG\'er
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OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 49 |
Well, my dad was driving my car and the red electical light went on, then the radio cut out, then the car just stopped altogether. Then he bought a new battery and put in it and i was able to drive the car home from where it died, with no battery lights or anything. We also charged the battery that was in the car when it died and it seemed to hold a charge, so my guess is that the alternator died and the car ran off the battery until the battery ran out of juice, but that is just a guess. I would really appreciate any insight into this, cause you guys know this car far better than i do.
1995 Mercury Mystique GS V6 MTX
Pioneer 6x8s in front, Pioneer 10's in back 1200 watts powering it all
KKM intake
SVT Exhaust Swapped out resonator for Glasspack
Mobil 1
Brand New!! Giant scratch on front bumper and right side!! Yes!!!
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,118
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,118 |
With a Voltmeter, you should get the following readings across the battery terminals on a car (alternator) that is working correctly.
Car running - about 14.5 volts
Car off with ignition on - about 12-12.5 volts
If the car running is less than that, rev it up a little bit, if the voltage stays where its at, or goes down, then the alternator, or a part of it, is probably bad. -Nick
"Moore has also accused the American people of being the stupidest, most naive people on the face of the Earth. And after last weekend, he's got the box office numbers to prove it!"
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,693
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,693 |
In theory, if the alternator is not working, the battery light should be on. Check the charging system with a voltage meter anyway.
When batteries start to get flaky, they can cause instant failure with little or no warning. They may even seem to recover for a little while. I suspect that it is just a battery at the end of it's useful life.
Jim Johnson
98 SVT
03 Escape Limited
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 667
Veteran CEG\'er
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Veteran CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 667 |
My understanding is that voltage alone will not tell you if a battery is good or not. You also need to do a load test on the battery.
Most large auto supply shops (Advance Auto, Pep Boys, etc.) will do a battery load test for free.
96 Contour SE
Duratec V6 24-valve 2.5L ATX
108,000 mi.
Replaced: crankshaft w/ DMD, EGR valve (clogged), EVR, DPFE, PCV valve, evap emissions hose & tube (cracked), window regulator (broken), LH & RH PCV tubes, UIM gasket (leak), ignition coil
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 49
New CEG\'er
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OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 49 |
1995 Mercury Mystique GS V6 MTX
Pioneer 6x8s in front, Pioneer 10's in back 1200 watts powering it all
KKM intake
SVT Exhaust Swapped out resonator for Glasspack
Mobil 1
Brand New!! Giant scratch on front bumper and right side!! Yes!!!
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Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,118
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 2,118 |
Glad to hear that. They ran it through it's paces right? Did the car on and off tests? -Nick
"Moore has also accused the American people of being the stupidest, most naive people on the face of the Earth. And after last weekend, he's got the box office numbers to prove it!"
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