Hello Everybody I added to my family of ford trucks this last weekend.
I Bought a 89 f250 with the 460 and 5 speed manual shift 4x4 Its in o.k. condition .And I feel like I got a pretty good deal.
The Bad..... the P.O. Said he lost the key, And it had a very dead battery.
He had the ignition hot wired at the switch on the lower part of the column
and gained access by taking one section of the shroud off of the column.
And he had a Allen wrench jammed into the switch where you push in to start and pull out to kill it. After buying the truck. I stopped on my way home and purchased a new battery, I put it in on the spot. and continued my way home. That`s when I noticed the charge gauge was still on discharge draining my new battery. My question is could the missing key be causing the discharge? are there any wires in the column that need to be activated by the locking /key mechanism .Also the actuator rod is missing.
I`m curious because I do not want to buy a alternator if its something in the column causing the discharge. And I know the smart minds in this forum could possibly help me find out.

 

Depending on how he may have cut some wires when he may have tried to hot wire it, before he jammed the allen wrench in the switch, he might have made the alternator so it won't charge. You can ask me how I know that.

Your best bet would be to remove the alternator and have it tested. Remove the negative battery cable before you mess with unhooking the alternator.

 

Thanks for the idea ,Just curious what could he have done to disable the alternator ? Or is it just in the process of the hot wiring of the switch? I did not see any loose wiring but I also did not remove the rest of the column shroud, I`m going to have to I guess to replace the connecting rod from the key mech. to the switch. And it will probably be cheaper to buy a new key mech, w/key than to have a locksmith rekey the one that's there.

 

Well, if he cut a wire that runs from the switch to under the hood to try and hot wire it, the same wire that runs from the switch to activate the ignition also activates the alternator.

I'm assuming it is set up the same way as a '90 Taurus I bought a few years ago. Kind of a long story, but to do it right you have to leave the wire going through the firewall intact and just branch in to it.

This may not have happened to your truck, but then again.

 

Would that same wire also go to the starter solenoid? if so maybe I could trace that down going backwards from the solenoid? And possibly see if the alternator has been disabled. Seems I remember reading somewhere about a signal that for lack of the correct word disturbs the alternator current to activate the alternator and cause it to deliver the current and without this the alternator will not charge. Or am I loosing my mind?... lol)

 

are you sure it is not charging? it may be something simple like a sticking gauge.
with the truck running, smack the top of the dash rite above the gauge and see if it starts showing a charge.
sticking battery gauge was a problem with these trucks.

 

Suggest you talk with a couple of locksmiths before you assume replacement is cheaper. These older trucks aren't all that tough to key for, based on my experience.

 

No this wire wouldn't go to the solenoid. The previous owner may not have cut the wire I'm talking about. I would get the alternator tested and if the alternator tests good work from there.

 

It Cannot Hurt To Try Smacking the dash that is, come to think of it the meter has been in the same position as far as the reading goes, I can do that before I remove the alternator for bench testing at a shop, I might get lucky. Thanks to all of you with your suggestions, The first locksmith I called this morning quoted 150.00 parts and labor to replace the key mechanism .
He was a mobile technician. That's the only one I have contacted so far.

I Think I would be wise to also do a alternator test with a volt meter I read about it in this forum somewhere, That might provide me some info as to the V.R. is bad or the alternator itself. I will try that this morning, before removing it. I`ll be sure to post my results maybe it will be helpful info for others with a hot wired truck. thanks again.

 

put a volt meter on the battery engine off. should be between 12.5 and 13.5 volts.
start engine. voltage should be 13.5 to 14.5 volts engine running.

 

My son replaced the Ignition Lock Cylinder one extremely cold winter day on my '91 F-150 without any special tools. RockAuto has the Ignition Lock Cylinder for less than $18 for after-market to $24 for a Motorcraft one. They are not that hard to replace yourself. There has to be instructions out there somewhere.

 

I Was wondering if anybody happens to know for sure the part number or at least the correct name of the connecting rod that goes from the key mech. to the ignition switch?
As mine is missing and I also wonder if there are other parts or pieces that go to that section I will have to purchase? it looks like I have nothing between the key cylinder and the switch. Maybe I Should go to the J.Y. and get a column then rekey that one they are probably hard to find w/keys. Find one that has not been raped. I don't know hard to decide. After I solve the alternator issue I want to put it back as it should be. Then it will be door locks also.

 

Do all the idiot lights in the dash come on before you start the truck?
The alternator is excited by the current coming through the charge light in the dash.

As far as your actuator, you don't say whether you have tilt or not.
Probably Dorman 83280

 

To be honest I cannot tell if it is tilt or not as that part of the column has been removed and I do not see the normal lever a tilt column would have unless its been removed already, And yes my idiot lights do light up before I start the motor but the charge meter only climbs to about 8 volts after it is running, if its accurate or not I`m not sure, I have not had a chance to double check with a meter, But tomorrow is a day off work and plan to do that I don't think I have a battery light just the volt meter in the dash , if I do it has not come on yet. Thanks for all the input guy`s I really appreciate it.

 

You have a battery light, and if it's not lighting up you will not charge.
Check your fuses.

If the shroud is all torn off your column then you might be better off getting the whole thing from a JY.

Cops REALLY don't like to see that sort of thing.