Ok, I have been driving her off an on for the last three weeks, but am starting to have an electrical issue. I replaced the Dome light with a Dome Light/ Reading Light just to upgrade a little. The wires are the same so that shouldn't be an issue, though originally everything lit up correctly, I culd not get my Cargo light to light up. Then (while putting the screws in holdong the dome light) I bumoed the steering wheel and the reading lights went out. I haven't gotten them working again yet. Also, when I turned on my Master light switch my Battery/voltage guage pegs out (to the left "0") Now I think I have something draining my battery. I put a new master light swith in. I guess I should also mention I added in an intermitent Wiper switch, (it plugged right in) but since I did that i have had these issues. I am wondering if that switch is bad and is grounding something..... Any ideas?

 

Sounds like you shorted the dome light out when you screwed it on. It should have blown the fuse though. Pull the dome light, and inspect the wiring; then check that the fuse box has the proper fuse in it for the dome circuit.

 

OK, here is where I am at with my electrical issue. I started to notice that if I start the truck and it runs for awhile the battery is dying. I took the Alternator in to check it, and if failed once, then passed but the bearings were about shot so I just replaced it for good measure. I put it on, started the truck, blower, stereo all come on and work, but as soon as I pull my light switch out (to turn the lights on) the volt meter PEGs all the way to the left (to the "0" side) Also, I replaced my turn signal switch and now I have no turn signals. My left Turn signal was working but the right wasn't so I replaced the switch. Now it functions correctly, (It Clicks) when I turn it on and off, but I get noe turn signals. Is there a Relay that I may be missing somewhere that may have shorted? Everything else seems to be working fine. The battery still seems to be dying though after running for awhile. With a new Alternator what would cause it to not be charging as it is running? I don't think this problem (compared to some of the others) should be that hard, but I am trying to narrow down my areas to search. Could it be a bad battery? I bought the battery new about 1 year ago... but it went through a lot of dying and charging while I was fighting through all the electrical issues. Any Ideas would be great....

 

Your problem may well be the wiring where it hooks onto the alternator. If that pigtail has never been replaced beware. The wiring may well short out and ruin the alternator by burning up that are of the alternator. It happened on my '88 f-150.

After it happened to me I replaced(soldered into place) that pigtail and no more problems.

 

When your voltmeter drops to zero does the charge indicator light in the cluster come on? -battery icon-

Does it come on when the key is first turned to 'run', before the engine is started?

If the alternator charge harness were melted or the fusible link were burned through you would have no charging, ever.
​​​​​​​But I am surprised that an auto parts store would even sell a 2G alternator without the charge pigtail as required by Ford TSB 96-21-4

 

OK, thanks for the information guys. Here is where I am with it. I put the new Alternator on and I had to use the truck the other day, It ran for about 30 miles and then on my retirn trip it shut off. I had a friend come with cables and after sharging off his truck for about 5 minutes I could run (nothing on, no heat/lights/radio, nothing) about 10 miles then it died again. same thing recharged and it did in my driveway. I (That was with a new Alternator in it). I pulled the wires coing off the ALT, and bought the new connections off of EBay and rebuilt the wire harness between the ALT and Starter Relay. Eveything is now new and clean. I checked the Battery and I was at 12V, I started the truck and as it ran the voltage was slowly decreasing. I checked the voltage at the Starter Relay, (where the ALT wire connects and it had the same voltage as the battery) as the battery dropped, 11.59 -11.58 - 11.57....etc... The Battery matched it exactly. The Voltmeter is readng low, and when I pull the Light switch it pegs to the left (0). Could the ALT hav been damaged on that run the other day, (before I rebuilt the wires) Is there a way to check? I am going to reconnect my interior lights today, (they are currently not connected. Oh, and my turn signals are working again, lights n the dash don't seem right but when I turn the switch to left/right I have turn signals outside again. I will update as I notice things but I am thinking the charging sustem is the issue, But I don't understand why the light switch pegs if it is a charging issue....Any advice is appreciated....

 

I would remove the alternator and have it tested, unless someone else here has a better idea. The volts gauge will drop back if you turn the lights on and the alternator isn't charging. I'm not sure how much, I will see how much the one on my '88 drops back if I turn the lights on without the engine running.

 

Building Fords,
Do you see the battery light come on when you first turn the key to 'run'?
Do you have battery voltage present at the lt grn/red wire of the alternator plug with the key on???

 

Ok, this is what I did (and have). When I turn the key to RUN, I don't get the battery light. I checked the GR/Red wire... Witht the key in the RUN position, it is not registering any voltage (3.3) I think, the battery registers 11.58, and I get 11.58 at the Starter Relay as well.

Today I reconnected all my speaker wiring, ( I cut it when I took the dash out, and today I put in Quick Disconnects) I also (unfortinately) reconnected the Seat Belt Buzzer... it works fine. I don't have my interior light, I need to relook those wires again.

When I turn my right turn signal on the Emissions Light and Right turn signal blink (Alternating between each) When I turn my left Turn signal on the light on the dash does not work. The Turn signals outside of the truck are working fine. It seems like something is crossed up...

Any Ideas?

 

If it were me I would try going back to where I was before these problems cropped up.

I.e., swap the old dome light back in.
If that doesn't fix it, go back to the two speed wiper switch and remove the wiper speed governor module.
​​​​​​​If none of that is the cause carefully investigate your rewiring of the radio.

 

I guess we're thinking alike. I switched the Wiper control back to the original (2 speed) and I am getting ready to switch the Interior light back as well. I do have another Cluster, but haven't used it yet. The one that is in now is the original (I think).

 

On that note, I was looking at the Cluster connections, and it would seem that in order for a new cluster to work I would need to move some of the wires form one connector to another... Not really looking to do that for now.... maybe once I get this electrical issue figured out.

 

The fact the exciter voltage on the Light Green/Red wire is low or non-existent is the cause of your alternator not supplying power. Fix that and your charging issue will be gone.

Basic diagram

 

OK, this Diagram makes me scratch my. This shows the fusible link coming off the Alternator going to the + Vattery Terminal. (Maybe I am reading it to literally) Right now mine connects to the Negative post of the Starter Realay. Am I reading this wrong or is it connected wrong?

 

There is no 'negative post' of the starter relay....

Yes, the diagram shows battery +
When in fact the hot side of the relay serves as a junction block for ALL the hot wires in the system.
The only thing connected to the other post is the starter cable.
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