Although I posted this "puzzle/question" in an "Intrepid" forum, it didn't seem very active. However I Know from past experience, the FTE forums here Are and you all are great about answering questions not related to Ford products.

In 2006, My son bought a 2004 Intrepid SE from a local Chevy dealer to drive to work in and sometimes I would drive it to town on errands or when it is needed. Originally used in a "Rental fleet", it has been a very dependable car needing only the basic maintenance/upkeep work since he bought it.

Then about two months ago, the battery light began to comes on after first start. Or after driving out the gate a short ways, it would come on and immediately I would turn around to head home.

I know how to perform basic car maintenance on far older cars. However, you have to be a rocket scientist/contortionist to work on newer ones. Something my son knows more about.

Of course, we all thought it could be the battery and/or the alternator. He checked the battery and even took it in to AutoZone to replace but it checked out fine. (The voltage was a little low though)

He took out and took in the alternator in to AutoZone in case that was the culprit. IT checked out fine. In the meantime, he noticed the belts needed replacing and did so.

After putting everything back, the light did not come back on for several weeks. Until four days ago.

The battery and alternator checked out fine. The belts were replaced and in proper tension. But This time, I Had to go to the Post Office and drove the seven miles to it with the light on. After coming out of the office I expected to start the car and see the light come on. Nope. When I started it up, the light never came on. For the rest of the day when driving further to Parker and around, it stayed off. Stayed off the Next day too.

But Friday, it came on again at the house but still had to make a short trip with it "showing" to the post office. After making the stop there and starting it again....the light stayed off.

What in the "OD Heck" is going on?

Since my son now has a truck for work, he has let me use the car for my purposes more of late. So the Intrepid has become my main source of travel and to take my husband to doctor's appointments when his old 83 Ford van goes through it's "Up and Down" periods. (which is becoming more "Down" than "Up" of late...needs a ring job badly) Any help is appreciated.

 

Earlier today while driving out my gate to take my husband to a doctor's appointment, the light came on again. Stopped the car, turned the engine off and waited a minute. Then turned it back on and the light did not come on for the rest of the day driving him to the office, around town and home. After coming back from town, I told my son what happened and with this new round of "light on"/"light off" beginning again, the alternator will be replaced.

Before back here, I read in another forum someone else's sister had a light flickering and similar "light on" problem with her 2002 Intrepid. Figuring the alternator was bad, he removed it and took it to AutoZone to be checked out. According to them, the alternator was fine but the brother still had a "gut feeling" something still wasn't right. Took it home and opened the case. The brushes were in bad shape and ate half of the spinning mechanism.

Now, My lights do not flicker and have no other electrical problem with this 2004 Intrepid. However, my son and I both now have a "gut feeling" the alternator's brushes may be worn or beginning to have weak springs.

I live in a very rural area of Arizona and better a new alternator than to find myself suddenly stranded with a "dead car" in the middle of my thinly populated county. Or old one causes a stall on the state route with a semi coming up fast behind me.

 

Sounds like money well spent.

If it keeps happening, you might consider spending < $10 for a cheap Harbor Freight ( or similar ) meter. It should read consistently -- and the one I have is actually absolutely accurate.

Anyway, cheap meters have lousy leads, but you could open it up and solder some decent wires on the inputs. Then you could solder the other ends to a cigarette lighter ( sorry 'aux power') plug. Then you could see if the voltage varied from light on to light off.

If there's a big difference -- something in the charging/batt is bad. If there's just a tiny (but consistent) difference, it's probably marginal. Otherwise something is happening with the indicator circuit.

Good Luck,

hj

 

Thanks for the tip. My son bought a new alternator today. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, though and will be driving the car. No choice. I expect the light to come on again when driving out of the gate and go off after the shut off/restart.

However, the new alternator will be installed after I come back home.

 

I just went through a whole mess like this, long story short it was a bad plug on the alternator. The harness plug isn't available, so I got a better looking junkyard one and spliced it on, and put on a new alternator too.