Needing a new battery... maybe alternator and cables, any suggestions?

Tonight I noticed my battery gauge was showing a drop in voltage while stopped at a red light. At the time I had the headlights on, heater about half way, and the radio on. I figure the battery needs replaced and planned on replacing the cables as well.

I decided to test it to see how far it would drop. I tuned the heater on high, radio up some more, and the rear defroster on. I noticed it dropped down to around 10 volts, just guessing. So I may be needing to replace my alternator as well. I would like to use a 220 volt alternator to handle any future demands in excess of factory equipment.

So here are my questions.

Should I test the output on my current alternator?
Should I test the battery?

What is a decent brand of battery to use? Money is currently not a problem so high-end batteries are in my price range. I also don't plan to just run to walmart and pickup whatever fits just to have to change it out in a year or two. Not to knock on walmart or it's products but I prefer to spend my money elsewhere.

What is a good brand for battery cables? I'm replacing both pos and neg completely. Again money is no option, the factory cables have lasted 15 years but I rather change them now before they do become a problem in the future.

I do plan to replace the battery and cables before replacing the alternator because I don't want to spend money on a new alternator is I don't need one.

If I need a alternator what is everyone's thoughts on used alternators or rebuilt ones? My father suggested a used one.

If you look at the list of to-do's for my Ex in my registry you'll see why I don't want to spend money on something that doesn't need replaced... yet...

Tomorrow I'll be replacing my shocks and passenger side RA bracket. So any testing that may need done can be done tomorrow, hopefully. Rain is expected Tuesday.

Thanks for the help guys

RE: Battery Cables

If they have never been replaced before, they need to be...they corrode from the inside, and steal power.

I replaced mine about three years ago. I shopped around, but eventually went with Motorcraft. I think the total for both was around $110 from my local Ford dealer. They are beautiful, high quality cables. And the difference they made in my electrical system was quite noticeable. If I were you, I would replace the cables first, then tweak the other stuff. BTW, I also replaced the starter solenoid as well.

It looks like you can get both from this site for about $85 + shipping.
https://www.certifiedfordparts.com/ford-explorer-parts.html

Good Luck

Duralast is a good battery brand. Made by Johnson Controls. When replacing the cables you have options. Best would be OEM equipment. You could use after market ones and do the jumpers yourself if you desired.

Start with cables. Replace both positive and negative sides as well as the terminals as well. After you do that consider doing the "Big 3" upgrade. After that have your battery/alternator tested. Finite!

...Here is some info on stock replacements..
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250186&highlight=battery+cables

..and at the bottom of the first post here, there is some good Alternator info...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203037

Thanks everyone for the replies. I would have replied sooner but have been busy with some personal issues that have prevented me from even installing the shocks I've already purchased. I also have new ball joints and tie rod ends bouncing around the back of my ex at the moment, may end up sending it to a shop because I don't have the time to fix it like I once did. Most of the ones around here charge $55 an hour labor but there are a few that charge $25 to $35 an hour. Shouldn't be to bad if they are willing to use the parts I've already purchased.

All of the information posted has been helpful and when I get some free time I will stop at NAPA to purchase the cables as I get 33% off there : Thanks to my grandfather who retired from there

It's been getting fairly cold around here at night time, around 10 degrees and sometime dipping into the single digits. I've had one issue where my ex wouldn't start on the first attempt but did the second try. Then on another day after I had already driven to work, back home from work, and was leaving the house again to run to an appointment my radio was on am stations and had lost time like it was unplugged or something. It's not done it since I reset it that day so I cannot figure out what happened. It also started up just fine when I noticed the radio static.

Currency said:

Thanks everyone for the replies. I would have replied sooner but have been busy with some personal issues that have prevented me from even installing the shocks I've already purchased. I also have new ball joints and tie rod ends bouncing around the back of my ex at the moment, may end up sending it to a shop because I don't have the time to fix it like I once did. Most of the ones around here charge $55 an hour labor but there are a few that charge $25 to $35 an hour. Shouldn't be to bad if they are willing to use the parts I've already purchased.

All of the information posted has been helpful and when I get some free time I will stop at NAPA to purchase the cables as I get 33% off there : Thanks to my grandfather who retired from there

It's been getting fairly cold around here at night time, around 10 degrees and sometime dipping into the single digits. I've had one issue where my ex wouldn't start on the first attempt but did the second try. Then on another day after I had already driven to work, back home from work, and was leaving the house again to run to an appointment my radio was on am stations and had lost time like it was unplugged or something. It's not done it since I reset it that day so I cannot figure out what happened. It also started up just fine when I noticed the radio static.

Click to expand...

What you're describing "like it was unplugged or something" was one of the exact symptoms I was having before I replaced my cables.

I had a three year old Autozone battery go dead on me. It cost $50 at the time; they're $76 now. It had an eight year warranty. They gave me 5/8ths of the original price back, I had $20 on my rewards card available, they sold me the new battery at the old battery price, so it cost me $2. Keep your receipts and get your purchase entered into their computer.

I had to dig this thread up. I've not been able to do much to my ex hence why my registry has not been updated for a while. Meaning I've still not had time to fix this issue but a strange new electrical problem surfaced tonight and then vanished as quickly as it came.

I started my ex and was letting it warm up, should mention that I had already driven it without problem several times during the day. It was dark and cold so I waited until the temp gauge was near the C line where it would blow out some heat with the heat turned on the 2nd notch.

Well after I left I was on my way to a local gas station a few blocks away to get a 32 oz Mtn. Dew. I noticed whenever I let off the gas my rpm's would drop to around 600 and my battery gauge dropped to around 10 volts. I turned the volume down on the stock premium radio (not had time to change it). Still had the issue, I turned the radio off and the problem was still there. I turned the heat off all the way and still had the problem with only the head lights on.

So I switched from the rear view mirror head light switch to the normal pull out on and still had this issue while coasting. The rpm's stayed around 600 while traveling at 30 mph with my foot off the gas and brake with just the head lights on.

I stopped and shut the head lights off and it stayed at 600 rpm with only the brake lights on and still 10 volts on the battery gauge. So I went to another gas station a few blocks away and mostly down hill back to my house if it died which it never did.

I shut the lights off once I got to the station, was in side about 5 to 10 minutes with the Ex still running outside. Then when I got it everything was fine. :scratch: Like it never happened. The ex is really nasty looking outside since we just got some snow a few days away so it's slouch covered and has white dust all over it with ice and slouch under it.



Now I don't know if it's a bad ground, the ice messing a ground up, my alternator, battery, or the still bad ish cables. I'm at a loss for whats causing my baby to act like this. Maybe she should see a doctor that has warm hands? It's missing now too so it's just all messed up, may have to park her until spring. I've not been able to look her over since the garage is full and there is snow everywhere.


Also I never had a problem without four wheel drive with 3.27 L/S, the rear slid once while changing lanes at 40 but that was it.

Can someone enlighten me on what is wrong with my 15 year old baby?

Thanks

One more time...replace your cables, then go from there.

Well I know the cables need replaced just because they are 15 years old, but I'm 100% sure that if this problem was caused by the cables it wouldn't have went away like it did,
Scared it will come back any time now

I'm not sure what you just said. I can tell you with 100% certainty that bad cables will give you erratic problems...one minute it's there, another minute it might be gone for a while. The cables are the "vascular system" for the entire electical system...you will not regret replacing them.

I will call our local NAPA store tomorrow while at work or something and see if they will charge it to my account and send them to my grandfathers house who retired from there

My father's garage is full atm so I will try and talk my grand father into letting me use his garage and if that fails I will be forced to sent it in to a local shop and pickup a rental car.