So the van just quit charging. It was charging perfect yesterday when I turned it of (verified by my voltage gauge) and then when I started it up today I got nothing. Alternator is new and all belts are new/present. I had replaced the voltage regulator when I did the alternator, but I know they are prone to just quitting. Does it sound like I am on the right track? If its not the regulator, what else could it be?

 

Try checking all of your connections, particularly the ground for the regulator and all of the regulator terminals and see if that fixes it. I have had issues with a bad ground on my regulator in the past.

 

I've had to use dipole grease on all my connections in the past.

Also, check your terminals. I know it's auto-repair 101, but I've seen many veteran mechanics overlook a corroded terminal that isn't easily seen from the top.

Lastly, check your battery voltage separately (disconnected from the cables). You may have a bad cell. I had a bad cell once, and the other battery would average out the voltage, so I didn't notice it until I pulled them from the van.

 

I will check all the connection. I know the battery connections are clean. New cables and newer batteries (last winter). The plug for the voltage regulator was pretty gummed up when I did the alternator/regulator earlier this year. I tried cleaning it up some, but didn't have a ton of luck. Any tricks to cleaning it up?

I am also going to check the voltage at the batteries with my meter to make sure it isn't a gauge issue.

Is the regulator grounded where it bolts in, or is one of the plug wires the ground?

It is just weird because my volt gauge was reading in the 14-14.5 range last night on the way home just like it should. I start it up today and it isn't charging at all. Voltage is about 12.4 with the van off. Start it up and it is running at 11.8 driving down the road. Not really seeing any change in voltage with engine RPM etc. Turn it off and the voltage goes back to just over 12v. Lucky these vehicles don't take much to run. I will be able to make it to and from work today.

 

I'm sure you checked, but pull them to make sure. My Saturn once had a bad connection (new cables, new batteries, new everything, and after a year, there was a good amount of corrosion on the inside and underside of the terminal, that wasn't easily noticed.)

I use that electrical spray... like this : http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/07...03_500X500.jpg


That sounds exactly like what happened when my cell went. I was charging in the 13's right up until the cell completely failed. It was perplexing. I didn't realize it until I pulled the batteries and had them tested separately.

 

So I did a couple of things. I tried pulling the positive cable for each battery individually while the van was running to see if the voltage on my gauge would change at all....but no change. Then I figured I would see how each did under load, so I tried to start the van of each battery individually. I thought I remember reading that a single good battery should ge able to start the vehicle as long as the temp isnt too low. Neither battery would start the van. It turned over a few times and then was dead.

So I went ahead and replaced the voltage regulator and have each battery on a charger independently. I mage sure I cleaned up the regulator contacts with eletrical contact cleaner. Hopefully it will start charging now. I will know once the batteries are charged back up. If not I will have the batteries tested individually. Though I would think that if they were bad they would not have enough juice to start the van.....

Oh well. If this doesnt fix it then maybe I am looking at the alternator agian. Its under warranty. No bearing noise or anything. It was charging at full capacity yesterday on my way home......

 

Still not charging at all. Had the batteries tested independently and they both tested good. I know I can pull the alternator and have it bench tested, but how can I test it in the vehicle. I am jind of charging system dumb. So is the larger wire with the eyelet on the end the charge wire. Could I test it there to see if the alternator is functioning? How does the regulator adjust the voltage the alternator puts out. Could I sent a signal to the alternator some how to see if it is functional? I would really like to test it before I pull it.

 

Maybe there's a way to test it without pulling it, but I've found that it's the easiest part in the whole IDI van to pull, so I just pull it and take it to a store. Then I have to deal with the teenage wallflowers at Autozoo who don't know what an alternator is...

 

Good idea on testing the voltage right at the alternator.
One of the other things that can blow without much of a trace are fusible links. Where the alternator charge wire connects to everything else at the solenoid on the passenger fender (not sure if thats any different on a van??) there should be a fusible link. Fusible links are specially made pieces of wire of a smaller gauge than the wire they are protecting. They basically work like a fuse and will protect the wire they are connected to.

If you get voltage right at the alternator, but nothing is charging, trace the wire back and see if there is a fusible link there. Depending on how they fail, they wire could be broken and melted through, or it may look completely normal. Fusible links tend to have a better insulation over the wire to contain the molten metal when they blow and not short out other components. But, you should be able to feel the broken wire, or a crunchy spot if its bad. The factory fusible links have a rubber block molded over the connection to the regular wire with the specs on the link. Replacements attach with a crimp on wire connector.

There is a way to test alternators without the voltage regulator connected. I can't remember if I read it online, or in the ford factory service manual. Basically you jump a wire from the battery to one of the terminals on the alternator and see if it produces voltage. I can't remember which terminal, and doing it the wrong way, or for too long can burn out the alternator, so be careful if you want to try this.

Funny story, often you hear people talk about "letting the magic smoke out" when an electronic component dies. When my alternator blew out a diode, I actually saw a puff of magic smoke come out of the edge of the passenger hood right where the fusible link is.

 

Take it to any Oreillys and ask to have both the alternator and the battery tested. The load tester we use hooks up to the battery to test both, in vehicle. It tests the battery with the van off and the alternator when its running. Takes no time at all.

 

And on the alternator test it literally says good or bad on diodes, lists the output, and whether the regulator is good or low. That's how I found my regulator was shot.

 

I took it by advanced since that is where I got the batteries. They load tested them and found them to be good. I then fired up the van so they could test the alternator. They said they were getting no charging what so ever from the alternator. Would the tester at O'rielly show anything different?

With the alternator being 6 months old I was looking for a way to test it in the vehicle so I could eliminate the components and move on to identifying the wiring as the issue. I was thinking it could be a fuse of some kind or a broken wire somewhere because of the way it stopped working. It was perfect with no bearing noise etc when the van was turned of and then absolutely nothing when I started it the next time.....it's like it isn't even there.

 

It might, depends on their tester. Mine was just low output. I did however go through 3 regulators before I got a good one.

 

Try looking here for some more help on diagnosing this, including which terminals to jump to bypass the regulator.

Charging System Troubleshooting - FORDification.com

If Advance hooked up to the batteries for the test, it won't shown a blown fusible link, or poor connection to the alternator. You need to check the voltage at the alternator itself to see if you have a blown fusible link or bad connection from the alternator to the battery.

 

Fixed! Appears it was just the alternator. Crappy reman died after 6 months. Lifetime warranty on it so all it costed me was an hour of my time. Once things settle down a bit I will be taking it back in to get a g3 alternator and swap it in.