Charging issue need help ASAP

[my white eddie]

RadioDoc,
appreciate the response, I just got off early enough, to go do some
daytime trouble shooting. I will do the negative jumper test you
suggested very soon and post my results. I was originallly concerned about a draw, but most stated it was normal, so I focused on the charging issue only.

 

[my white eddie]

Just checked it out, and needless to say confusing results.
But it goes like this: headlight hooked between ground post
and ground terminal-will flash 4 times slow then 9 times fast
then turn off. nothing will happpen again till you break that
"circuit" for approx. 1 minute then it repeats.
Just to see I hooked my test light between the ground post and
ground terminal- it stayed on and measured 4.63 amps across
the light bulb terminals.
Now a dumb question here: If i hook test light between positive
post and negative terminal; should it not light? Mine won't and
while the positive is hooked to the battery, the negative will spark
going on and off the post. At this point going to go trace the
battery ground, just to be safe. Ahh, crap RadioDoc wanted voltage:
It shows 12.73v across battery posts, and 9.63v across test light bulb
terminals.

 

[budwich]

????? what kind of test light are you using? I don't understand the "mine won't" comment. Further, yes your ground is going to spark when connecting it up and disconnecting it... you are completing an electrical circuit... the current in the circuit has to come thru somewhere and does once you make the "last" connection. As for the rest of the measurement, if I understand correctly, there is probably 2-3 amps flowing thru your "test light bulb"... which is quite large... but NOT unusual because there are "active circuits" in a ford (and others) that need to "work" for a bit and then go to "sleep" until they are awaken again.... one simple example is you opening your car door, causes inside lights to come on... they may or may not go off until a timer has fired to turn them off, etc. So, you may have wait and take reading for a bit to find out what the "steady state" levels are.

Again, the simple basic "test" is get a fully charged battery in the vehicle (hooked up), wait til the next day and try and start the thing. IF it cranks / sound normal, it is highly unlikely that you are draining it during that time period... which is what I thought you reported earlier in this exercise. Observations, full and accurate, are very important in an internet "fix session" since you are our "eyes and ears"... so hopefully, things are clear.

Tough problem... and with every turn you seem to come up with "funny"... previous was good indicator bulb won't light, now you have "test light does not light across battery"... I am at a loss for the last one but the other should be explainable by measuring voltage coming into the bulb socket.

 

[RadioDoc]

The flashing headlight - test lead thing ....

It happens with the key off ?

 

[my white eddie]

I posted results on the grounding check that RadioDoc suggested.
Not too sure what the results indicate or don't. Checked grounds
all over the engine bay & chassis, can't seem to find a bare spots
or breaks all looks good. Went over starter cables again, look good
as well.Tearing in to the charging harness at this point to check for
any suspicious wiring. As at this point it seems to be a charging issue
not so much a draw issue.
the mine wont comment was nothing, I had a brain fart forgot I
had the neg cable off when I was poking around.

 

[my white eddie]

key off yes, I dont even know where they are any more.

 

[budwich]

that's what I would expect... not the "lost keys" but the flashing light... "activity" is always fun now adays..... you got to keep those computers warm and busy... I am sure if you looked "real close" you would see that the light wasn't actually off but on very very very low.... not sure what the "glow / ignite" level of a headlight is but it probably takes a few amps to see something.

Further, the "testing" with the light isn't necessarily a "good one" as the circuits ahead of it are expecting to 12v "total" to do their "work", by dropping some of that "off" across the light, you probably aren't doing them much "good"... fatal probably not but could be depending on how they were designed.

 

[RadioDoc]

MWE has a volt-ohm meter, and it probably reads 0 to 10Amps DC with an internal 10Amp fuse. The headlight was just a 5 amp current-limiter to keep from blowing the meter fuse. He really needs a 0-60 AMP meter that could be placed in series with the positive lead to the fuse panel.

Weather permitting, I will pull an AMP check on my Exp tomorrow.

I have left mine at the airport for a couple of weeks at a time , and it always starts, so the current draw with the key off has to be very low.

 

[RadioDoc]

What is reserve capacity?
Reserve Capacity, (RC) is a battery industry rating, defining a battery's ability to power a vehicle with an inoperative alternator or fan belt. The rating is the number of minutes a battery at 80 degrees F can be discharged at 25 amps and maintain a voltage of 10.5 volts for a 12 volt battery. The higher the reserve rating, the longer your vehicle can operate should your alternator or fan belt fail.

My explorer has a battery with a 140 RC rating.

This means with a fully charged battery, I should be able to drive at night with all the lights on without an alternator for 140 minutes minimum before the battery goes below 10.5v

This is at 25 AMPS ... You should be able to drive much longer than 140 minutes with the lights and fan off.


To discharge a battery in under ten minutes would require a HUGE current
drain, or very weak ( low reserve ) batteries.

 

[koda2000]

i just feel like we're going around in circles on this one. it's making me dizzy... i can no longer remember what we're asked or what the answers were.

 

[my white eddie]

Koda2000, I'm dizzy too!
Whelp , I have come to this conclusion:with me working 7 days a week,
and the truck being outside, I am really unable to devote enough time
to really diagnose and find the problem. I only get a couple hours here and there. So that being said, I am throwing in the towel. I will have it towed
to a local auto electrical shop and hope it doesn't hurt too bad. Poopy part
is that shop is less than 1 block from my house(downhill even!) but of
course I always break down at my day job clear on the other side of town.
I greatly appreciate everyone helping and devoting time to my issue, but
unfortunately for me , time is something I just don't get to myself right now.
I will advise thew outcome, so we can all go: OH, I knew thats what it was!!
Thanks again to all who posted and talked with me.

 

[koda2000]

i understannd your situation. good luck and let us know.

 

[Kevlar7R]

Gotta admit, It's a bit defeating for all of us! We're almost as engaged in finding the answer as you are!

 

[my white eddie]

Thats my thing, I have never encountered a vehicle issue
that I was not able to correct myself. I have not paid a
mechanic in 20 + yrs. (except tires and alignments) I do all my own mechanical including: engine/ trans swaps engine rebuilds, differential
rebuilds welding, paint/body, and believe it or not my own electrical
repairs. But I think I kinda popped a fuse in my head over this.
The whole just got it + now being back to 7 days is not allowing
me enough time to think things through from A to B. I've been running
L to purple lately. Been doing alot of things hastily and clumsily lately, just trying to get them done, and thats not my style. Like I said we will all go: I knew thats what it was, once its fixed. But as hard as it is I must admit defeat, and trust someome else to follow it through. I just hope I get a
kiss when I get the bill.

 

[koda2000]

i know how you feel. i once had a '71 Plymouth that i'd bought new. it had, what was then, the new style sealed/transistorized voltage regulator. i started having charging problems and replaced the voltage regulator. it went about a week and started having problems again. i installed another voltage regulator and it didn't work from the get-go. after getting stuck with a flat battery 4-5 times, i was sick of dealing with it and took it to a shop, telling them "JUST FIX IT". when i went to pick it up an asked what they'd found they told be it was a bad voltage regulator. the car never had a charging problem again. maybe you should try installing the latest alternator one more time. if you blow it up you can always return it.

 

[ronsdeal]

Well???

Been following this thread. Where is My White Eddie?

 

[my white eddie]

right here,working. It is getting towed tonight after work, so I will
know hopefully by Friday what the deal is. Don't worry I won't leave
you guys hanging. I am just as curious as the rest of the board.

 

[my white eddie]

Whelp,
she is fixed, and it didn't hurt too bad, I guess: $125.00. Turns out
it was the green w/ red stripe wire from the alt to the battery light.
I had checked it pretty thoroughly, but it appears it was broken at
the main connector. So in short if the batt light doesn't work and you
have a charging issue, run a new wire from the bulhead connector to
the alt plug. I feel pretty dumb for missing it but, stuff happens!

 

[koda2000]

aaaawww, we were so close to figuring this out. i knew it had something to do with the BATT light wire, especially after you changed the bulb, grounded the wire at the alt and it still didn't light.

oh well, at least it didn't cost that much for the shop to find/fix it.

 

[my white eddie]

Thats what I said when he called me. He said "well we found a broken wire"
I said " let me guess, green with red stripe; Goes from alt to battery
light" he replied "thats the one" Me mumbles "DAMMIT!" But what can you
do. Oh and it gets better, I now get one day off every weekend. So I
will have time to fix it now( LOL!). Oh well I'm sure something else I own will break, so I can use that time there. Now on to the transfer case project!!