plz help still not charging!! plz read!!!!

[explorerford1994]

i have a 1994 ford explorer 4.0 v6 4x4. ran fine the one day i started it up and noticed the battery light was on and when i looked at my volts gauge on the dash it was reading low. i have tried 3 different altnators and 3 batteries. its not draining the battery when truck is off. i can let it set for 3 days and get in it and still start. i can charge the battery and drive prolly all day as long as i dont use headlights,radio,heat,etc..if i do it dont last no time. i found a wire that says 12g fusible link but i cut it back and checked it and it looked fine. also noticed that when i drive even for a long time like 40 miles my temp gauge reads down in the cool just past the white line. any and all help would be greatly apprecited.... thanks

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Test alternator output... but you may need to replace the battery cables.

If you choose to replace the cables this is the cables you'll have to replace.
Positive Side:
1. Battery to Starter
2. Battery to Solenoid (on fender next to battery and fusebox, has two contacts)
3. Solenoid to Battery (this is a smaller wire, replace with like sized.

Negative Side (grounding wires)
1. Fender to Battery (you'll be replacing or adding onto what looks like a wire braid basically)
2. Engine to Frame
3. Frame to Battery.

If you simply trace all these wires it's a breeze. I used premade wires from Autozone/Advance at about 7-9 dollars per wire. The engine/frame grounds were the easiest because they just bolted out, remove the old wire, put ring terminal from new wire on and bolt back in.

The cables are known to go bad with corrosion, replace these and see where you problem lies next.

 

[Maniak]

IIRC there is the fusable link (you found that) which is "like" a fuse. When it goes bad it is now an open (like a blow fuse).

Also, I "think" there is a fuse in the distribution box for the field wire which will stop the alternator from charging if it blows. At least I "think" the X had that fuse. I don't have a distribution box fuse layout diagram with me.

~Mark

 

[explorerford1994]

i will check and replace wires to see if that is it but can someone plz send a distribution fuse box diagram? thanks

 

[chetzar]

There is a fuse in the Power Dist Box that if blown will make the alt not charge the battery. Its unlabeled, and IIRC its a yellow 20a fuse.

Edit: This might be worth looking at. It was a thread I made when I was having electrical problems similar to what you are having.

http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246387

 

[Maniak]

I looked around and I don't see a pic of the dist. box for a 1st gen with the fuses labeled. On top of that, the 91-92 and the 93-94 dist. box is a little different. The relays are "under" the fuses on the 91-92.

If anyone finds one, post it and I'll see about adding it to the 1st gen diagram thread. http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=232576

btw.. I "think" it was a 15 amp fuse, but 20 amp is also possible.

~Mark

 

[Tbars4]

...Maniak...Will this work?

...If so I can add it to that thread...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2247724&postcount=27

 

[Maniak]

...Maniak...Will this work?

...If so I can add it to that thread...
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2247724&postcount=27

Sort of.. its better than what I found, but the fuse I'm thinking of is one of those unlabeled ones (not labeled in the box top)..

~Mark

 

[explorerford1994]

i just went out and checked the little unlabeled fues in the dist.box and one of the little blues 15a fuses was blown,i put one of the 20a in that spot and it fixed it. charging great thanks to all of you for helping me out anyone with charging problems needs to check that fuse first,lol. thanks again..

 

[fixxxer]

This thread reminds me of another thread with the same symptoms happening to a 93 with a charging issue. It turned out to be a 15 AMP fuse that supplies power to the field coil of the alternator.
http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246387
Fuse #16 is a 15 AMP fuse to the regulator built in to the alternator

 

[Blacksheep Josh]

Still might want to check the cables though when you get extra time/money... give it time, they'll go bad. They all do.

 

[madmedic5]

hope it works for me

going thru the same thing, two alt., two batteries and found this post, gonna chek fuse in the am thanks, great info

 

[The Driver]

Yes I find that anytime you have a electrical problem is to take a test light and just go through all your fuses first just to see it will save you money and time.

 

[DV8]

when all else fails, make a bracket and install a GM one-wire... :exp:

 

[Maniak]

when all else fails, make a bracket and install a GM one-wire... :exp:

I did that on the Van. when the 1 wire alt died I spend 2 days trying to find a replacement in town. Then I said screw it, spent 1/2 day fixing/replacing the factory wires and now I can easily find a replacement standard big case gen 1 ford alternator.

But, it is an "option", but I'd try not to do the gm 1 wire.

~Mark

 

[DV8]

a gm one wire alternator is as easy to come by as a $50 bill. pn p7127se at advance, or, any gm alternator with the delcotron 1-2 plug (flat plug, two wires, plugs into the back from the side,) all you have to do is bridge the #1 terminal to the post on the back with a short piece of wire, and there ya go... exactly the same thing. given, each area of this great country is different, but where i live, these things are a dime a dozen. think i've got about 3 of'em in the garage. :exp:

 

[Maniak]

Napa (never any parts available), Autozone, Checker, Merles and pep boys in town didn't have it. I could mail order it, but I was more worried about if/when it goes when I'm out of town.

I did lose the Ford big case on the way to truckhaven and Orilieys (used to be checkers/kragen) had it in stock in Brawley (small town in CA).

~Mark