What Causes Battery Light to Come On

[koda2000]

OP - Start with the simple stuff.

I can't tell you how many times I regress back to that ;-)

I've seen internal regulators go bad in relatively new alternators - it does happen.

Save yourself the headache of thinking about all of the complicated causes, first rule out the simple stuff and establish a solid baseline.

Spend 10 minutes, remove the alternator, and bring it to a "big box" parts store that has a computerized alternator tester.

Good luck and let us know!

Amen. My money's on bad alternator/voltage regulator. Get it tested! Most replacement alternators (reman or new) come with a lifetime warranty, so it won't cost you anything to replace it (unless you cheaped-out and bought the 1-year warranty one).

 

[JusTheUsual]

Yeah im starting to think its something wrong with the alternator but its charging and that's really all you need it for lol I have been thinking about bringing to advance auto parts and that's where I bought it but not in a hurry to today. If its charging it can give me the battery light as long as it charges the battery lol

 

[JusTheUsual]

Oh and what a difference putting in that K&N air filter did. You can feel the more power and its smoother like effortlessly accelerating and that's just normal driving, I haven't had it above 2,500 rpm

 

[fast_dave]

Oh and what a difference putting in that K&N air filter did. You can feel the more power and its smoother like effortlessly accelerating and that's just normal driving, I haven't had it above 2,500 rpm

RE: Going with a K&N Air Filter
Make sure to add to your maintenance regime a regular cleaning your MAF Sensor and Airstream Temperature Sensor with MAF Spray.

This is due to the fact that the oil coated K&N filter will transfer/coat both the MAF Sensor and Airstream Temperature Sensor with a light film of oil & dust.

The old addage holds true: In life, for every positive, there is a negative

 

[koda2000]

Oh and what a difference putting in that K&N air filter did. You can feel the more power and its smoother like effortlessly accelerating and that's just normal driving, I haven't had it above 2,500 rpm

I got one for free and put it in my 2001 5.0L Explorer. It made no noticeable difference whatsoever. When it's time to clean it I'll probably just throw it away and buy a good quality paper filter.

 

[JusTheUsual]

RE: Going with a K&N Air Filter
Make sure to add to your maintenance regime a regular cleaning your MAF Sensor and Airstream Temperature Sensor with MAF Spray.

This is due to the fact that the oil coated K&N filter will transfer/coat both the MAF Sensor and Airstream Temperature Sensor with a light film of oil & dust.

The old addage holds true: In life, for every positive, there is a negative

Yeah that's what I thought as soon as I touched it I was like is this suppose tp be cleaned before putting it in with the oil or grease all over it will be getting on maf sensor but everyone said they never cleaned there new one.

 

[JusTheUsual]

I got one for free and put it in my 2001 5.0L Explorer. It made no noticeable difference whatsoever. When it's time to clean it I'll probably just throw it away and buy a good quality paper filter.

Maybe because you have a v8 and the v6 ohv I got is definitely less powerful. plus my last cheap air filter wasn't in too good of a condition but k&n definitely made a noticeable difference in mine. Its smoother accelerating and just better throttle response and power

 

[fast_dave]

Yeah that's what I thought as soon as I touched it I was like is this suppose tp be cleaned before putting it in with the oil or grease all over it will be getting on maf sensor but everyone said they never cleaned there new one.

K&N filters come from the factory pre-oiled, so there was nothing "wrong" with your new K&N filter.

The concept of the K&N filter is that there is less air restriction than factory air filter, therefore you get a slight increase in horsepower. and a more "throaty" intake sound.

The trade off of the K&N filter is that due to having less restriction, the only way it can catch engine harming dust is by oiling the filter, and catching the dust on the oily filter surface.

When the K&N filter gets dirty/turns black from being coated with dust, you're supposed to clean it in K&N Brand Filter Cleaning Solution, then re-oil it with K&N Brand oil. This is a dirty operation to say the least.

Overall, most K&N owners eventually find out that the slight horsepower increase and throaty intake sound become an expensive and time consuming proposition.

Bundle the initial acquisition cost of the K&N filter, the K&N cleaning solution, the K&N filter oil, your labor to maintain the filter, and your labor having to stay on top of cleaning your MAF and Airstream Temp Sensor - well, it's as expensive as a hot girlfriend ;-)

Now on the other hand, FRAM Toughguard air filters (CA8243) for my '98 OHV cost $12 at Walmart.
Every 3,000 Miles, when I change my oil, I remove the Fram air filter panel, spread each individual paper fold and blow it out with compressed air, rotate it's orientation by 180 degrees, and re-install.
I run the filter for (4) oil changes = 12,000 miles, toss it, and buy another one for $12

 

[JusTheUsual]

Update... Still driving around with the battery light on and no difference in gage on dash. it's obviously charging. Havent brought it to advance auto parts yet to have it tested.