Hello All,

My dad owns a (2001 Ford Expedition EB 5.4L) that is stuck at my house in the driveway. He had been having issues with the battery light first flickering on occasion for the past week. So I asked him to bring it over so I could look at it. We then ran an electrical check on the battery and alternator and checked fuses. They were in good working order and he wasn't having any issues so I thought maybe something was just loose but couldn't see anything.

Now two days later, he called and said the light went solid. I asked him to bring it over. Checked the battery and alternator again and this time the battery was at 11.68 volts and the alternator was still good. I had him try to crank it over and it wouldn't start .

I never work on these vehicles...So I'm thinking it maybe the fusible links?!? My problem...I cant find the darn things. Hit up Google and YouTube but haven't found a set up that shows me where they are for this model & year. One picture showed there were fuses (175A) on the passenger side fire wall in a "box". We looked, and there was nothing but wire harnesses in there. A video of a 2003 model showed there was a cable that ran from the alternator to the positive battery (I believe positive). But he doesn't have that set up either).

What he does have, is a cable that runs from the alternator to the starter relay and another cable that runs from the starter relay to the battery. Are the fuses one or both of these cables? Or am I way off even thinking it may be the fusible links?

Any pics of where they may be would be REALLY appreciated...haha (its driving me nuts)!! It's just that every picture or video is leading me to a dead end.

If you have any other suggestions or ideas of why this may be occurring, I'm all ears!

Thanks in advance!!!

 

 

Thank you. I tried to follow that schematic but still cannot visibly see them. Do you know if they are in the cables? Thanks

 

Thank you. I tried to follow that schematic but still cannot visibly see them. Do you know if they are in the cables? Thanks

 

They're on the firewall under a cover.

 

As long as you have power the main fuses should be good. Considering the alternator light was flickering then on, the battery is likely low on a charge. I would think you have a bad alternator and a drained battery.

 

He has that same cover but there are just about three wire harnesses underneath. I saw that same picture online but his doesn't have any fuses under there. That's where they should be right? According to the schematic?

 

The alternator is still testing good. The battery went below 12v because of whatever else is going on, right?

 

Okay, there are two gray wires coming off of the positive battery cable that is connected to the starter relay. They are in a skinny, black, rectangular box that sits above the battery. Are those them?

 

YES. Just follow the positive battery cable (per the wiring diagram). The positive cable becomes two cables. One goes down to the starter motor. The other goes to the starter relay on the firewall. It contains the fuseable links.

How are you determining that the alternator "is still testing good"?

 

Pdqford, thank you for the info. That lead me right to them....(and they r ok).

We checked the alternator again with a volt meter,It is bad. I misread the data. So we'll just replace it. Thanks again. I sincerely appreciate your help.