new battery, new alt, no charge!

[albundy]

ok so i have been scouring the site and have gone through about 100 previous threads on this subject. this is what i have so far...

1992 explorer xlt, 5sp, 4x4, 4.0l

new duralast platinum battery... about 6hours old

new duralast gold 130amp alt... also 6 hours old

have checked the 15amp fuse.

have checked for continuity at the back terminal.

can not find the charge light on my dash anywhere so it is my primary suspect!

all battery cables are new.

ran out of lugs doing "big 3" so alternator wiring is only one not upgraded.

only 3 lights come on when i turn key to run position, check engine/ rear antilock/ seatbelt.

was having minor charging issues, then one day would not start. noticed voltage drop to 9v [i assume that would be about where "N" in normal is, when it was normal it would stay around "M"] then rev and it would jump back up.

at this point i am trying to determine where the charging light is and what other lights should be comming on when i flip the key to the run position.

thank you for your help in advance, it is greatly appreciated.

 

[albundy]

i should add. i can see the outlines of where the lights are, but i dont see a battery or anything charging related for a warning lamp.

" Squireofgothos:Check continuity between the 15 amp alternator fuse in the box and the "A" post on the 4 wire pig tail that plugs into the alternator. If you read anything but open, it's good. If it reads open, replace that 4 wire pigtail. Most auto parts stores carry it. In the late 80's through the 90's, alternator manufacturers required that this pigtail for the Ford V-6 and V-8's be replaced to hold the warranty, and some even supplied the pigtail with the alternator."

ok i did this test also and i have continuity there AND the "I" post, but not the white wire that just loops from the 3 pin to the single....

ok, just found and checked the battery bulb. the bulb is good, actually all of my warning lamp bulbs are good! is there any way to check that the system that runs it is good? like check that my gauge cluster is good? am i correct in thinking they should ALL illuminate when you switch the key to the run position then go out after a moment? only the seatbelt and rear antilock do that now. check engine comes on and stays on until the engine is started, then goes out when running.

 

[wood1]

I'd check all fuses and there are 2 fuseable links in the alternator wiring. Check them too.

 

[wood1]

pic

check this out

 

[albundy]

the only fuseable link i could find [without tearing things apart] goes from the fuse box to the starter relay on the fender only about 4" long. from what i can tell it is good.

 

[Maniak]

There is a fuse (small one) in the under the hood fuse box that if blown will keep the alternator from charging.

Also, you must have a good alternator light or it wont charge. Dannyboy and a few others learned this when they made their own dash and tried to eliminate that light.

I cant check right now or I would post where the light is.


~Mark

 

[wood1]

Well there's experience talking... Replace the bulb and it charges. Or jump 12v+ to the light green/ red wire at the alternator and it should charge.

 

[john93rangerstx]

run a wire from the small thin wire to the battery and if it charges then know its not the altanator
my ford escape had the same problem it was the fuse panel so I ran a wire from the battery to the alltantor and put a fues in it and it been fine sinse

 

[SwaintaN]

I think you said the only wire you didnt change was the alternator wire.. Remember that is a fuseable link, youll need to replace it with an ANL fuse, or some kind of fuse.. I did an exaggerated wire replace.. i didnt do the 4ga i went ahead and changed all 8 gauge wires to 4ga and all wires bigger then 4ga became 0 gauge wires. i have the same alternator. Check your grounds... Thats what Im running into right now.. I didnt redo my grounds at the time and now im redoing them... Found out that the original frame ground had come disconnected from frame. wasnt getting a good enough ground out to keep a charge...

This is what my fuseable link from alternator looked like in my 93

also lights on dash.. make sure you didnt bump your light switch (the one you pull) and turned down the dash lights... that will make you think they are not working... plus bulbs could have just blown...

i bumped the pull knob once and turned all the lights off on the dash when i did it.. thought i blew some ****e.. but really just turned down the brightness

 

[albundy]

thank you for all the help guy's it is appreciated. have only had a chance to throw my dash back together so far. the bulb was good, but the light still does not come on.

i think my electric fan might be involved, it's freaking out and i think the controller might be shot. i tapped an ignition hot on the drivers wheel well, but have no idea what it goes to. so i will be ripping the fan and controller out this weekend. i'll just put the stock fan back in.

also going to take the new alt in to get tested, i might be chasing imagination. you would think they could make a "new" part right.

 

[albundy]

ok, quick update. i think i got a dud alternator. i upgraded the wire from the alt to the battery. i have power on the green wire when the engine is running and constant power on the other wire. i also put the volt meter on the battery while it was running to make sure my gauge wasn't lying. 11.21v and falling, definitely not charging.

still don't know why my battery light is not coming on, but everything is working from what i can tell. so that just leaves getting the alt tested and replaced if it is bad. unfortunately autozone is closed, so i will update again after i get it tested.

 

[albundy]

yup, it was a dud! i've been chasing a ghost

it was a duralast gold 130amp new alternator for those curious.

thanks again for the help...

oh, my battery light works again :/