'93 F150 Intermittant electrical problem
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Freshman User
Joined: Jan 2005
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'93 F150 Intermittant electrical problem
Hey Guys. First time poster. Original owner of a '93 F150 4.9 w/ 290k miles on it. Keep it as a 3rd vehicle for work around the house.
Yesterday the voltage guage started fluttering. When I hit the brakes it spikes down and the ck eng. light flashes. Turned it off and restarted...no problems. Today went out and it ran fine. After 10 minutes, the fluttering started again. This time if I hit the turn signal the engine misses, speedometer needle spikes down, engine idles higher. Pulled over and turned it off, restarted and drove for 20 minutes with no problems. Its parked in the driveway now. Only had time to look under the hood for a few minutes. All grounds seem fine. Didn't remove and clean any though. Alternator and battery connections are tight. The only other electrical problems I've ever had is this truck loves eating alternators. Keep replacing them on the Pepboys lifetime warranty. I know these alternators suck, but they're free. They seem to last 50k miles.
Anyone ever come accross problems like this? Appreciate any help.
Yesterday the voltage guage started fluttering. When I hit the brakes it spikes down and the ck eng. light flashes. Turned it off and restarted...no problems. Today went out and it ran fine. After 10 minutes, the fluttering started again. This time if I hit the turn signal the engine misses, speedometer needle spikes down, engine idles higher. Pulled over and turned it off, restarted and drove for 20 minutes with no problems. Its parked in the driveway now. Only had time to look under the hood for a few minutes. All grounds seem fine. Didn't remove and clean any though. Alternator and battery connections are tight. The only other electrical problems I've ever had is this truck loves eating alternators. Keep replacing them on the Pepboys lifetime warranty. I know these alternators suck, but they're free. They seem to last 50k miles.
Anyone ever come accross problems like this? Appreciate any help.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 292
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From: Kansas City
Welcome to FTE
There are special sections for most major subsystems (enginge, electrical, suspension.) If you need an expert on something, that's were to look. If you scroll all the way down on the main page, you'll see them. Don't worry nobody ever sees them on their first post. (me included)
Sounds like a low battery, and dead or dying alternator. The brake lights stall is almost always dead battery. Do you have a voltmeter to check the battery with?
Are you sure something isn't eating those alternators? You don't clean your engine out with spray cleaner by any chance? It will eat electrical parts. Killed an alternator and distributor with it once.
Besides that, I would only suspect a starter. If your starter is sluggish sometimes, you could have a dead spot on it, and it will suck the juice right out of the battery. The main cause of that, is cranking the starter with a low battery... Kind of a catch 22.
One more thing. Did you check the ground wire to the engine block? Not likely, but who knows.
There are special sections for most major subsystems (enginge, electrical, suspension.) If you need an expert on something, that's were to look. If you scroll all the way down on the main page, you'll see them. Don't worry nobody ever sees them on their first post. (me included)
Sounds like a low battery, and dead or dying alternator. The brake lights stall is almost always dead battery. Do you have a voltmeter to check the battery with?
Are you sure something isn't eating those alternators? You don't clean your engine out with spray cleaner by any chance? It will eat electrical parts. Killed an alternator and distributor with it once.
Besides that, I would only suspect a starter. If your starter is sluggish sometimes, you could have a dead spot on it, and it will suck the juice right out of the battery. The main cause of that, is cranking the starter with a low battery... Kind of a catch 22.
One more thing. Did you check the ground wire to the engine block? Not likely, but who knows.
Last edited by clstrfbc; Feb 6, 2005 at 04:18 PM.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 482
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I would check the connections on the battery and on the fender mounted starter solenoid where all the 12V power connections are made. Don't just look at them, take them apart, clean, dielectric grease and reassemble. It sounds like one of these connections is going bad and flakes out when called on to conduct power. It could also be a fuseable link going bad.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City
A bigger shop, and walmarts will sometimes test your starter for current usage, when testing the alternator and battery. That would tell you if the starter is sucking to much juice.
The auto parts stores usually have crappy battery testers that can't tell you anything. I love auto parts stores, but the bat/alt testers there are crap.
Once you eliminate the easy, we can start trying other things.
The auto parts stores usually have crappy battery testers that can't tell you anything. I love auto parts stores, but the bat/alt testers there are crap.
Once you eliminate the easy, we can start trying other things.
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 2,420
Likes: 3
From: Langhorne, PA
Go out and buy a rebuilt alternator from a professional rebuilder, if indeed your alt is shot. I was also sucked into the Pep Boys lifetime warranty. I went thru 7 alt's in as many years(for my 92 F150). The aggravation of getting stuck and changing the alt every 8 to 11 months, even though it is free is not worth it. I spent too much time looking for my receipt, banging my knuckles removing the alt, driving to PB's,waiting at the Pep Boys parts counter, and slow register lines, and re-installing the soon-to-be-dead-new alt, to ever make the warranty worthwhile. I am now attending meetings at PBSA (PepBoys shoppers anonymous) my fellow members help me find a better place to shop for parts and hold me down when everyone else is closed on Saturday or Sunday afternoon and Pep Boys is my only option.
If I die and burn in Hell, it will surely look and feel like an eternity in a Pep Boys store.
Can anyone tell that I hate, I MEAN HATE!!!!!!!! pep boys!!!!!! It isn't showing too much is it?? WELL I MEAN IT!!!!DON"T BUY ALTERNATORS FROM PEP BOYS ARGGH!!!!*
If I die and burn in Hell, it will surely look and feel like an eternity in a Pep Boys store.
Can anyone tell that I hate, I MEAN HATE!!!!!!!! pep boys!!!!!! It isn't showing too much is it?? WELL I MEAN IT!!!!DON"T BUY ALTERNATORS FROM PEP BOYS ARGGH!!!!*
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 292
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City
I've never bought from pep-boys, auto-zone, kragen, parts-america, are slightly better. Luckily I have an O'reilly Auto. They are a ton better. They register you parts warranties to your phone number so you don't have to have the stupid reciept (which I do, just not available without 10 business days notice ... </end sarcasm>)
I had a sister-in-law get an estimate down for a brake job at one in cali, they told her it would 550, because they had to replace the disks, not because they were warped, or scored, because the mechanic likes to turn (machine )them every time, and there wasn't room left. (SCAM) She didn't let them work on her car, luckily. Needless to say, I don't trust them.
If you have replaced the alternator more than twice, I would say to pop for the full charging-starting current test, even if it isn't free, which it shoulc be.
I had a sister-in-law get an estimate down for a brake job at one in cali, they told her it would 550, because they had to replace the disks, not because they were warped, or scored, because the mechanic likes to turn (machine )them every time, and there wasn't room left. (SCAM) She didn't let them work on her car, luckily. Needless to say, I don't trust them.
If you have replaced the alternator more than twice, I would say to pop for the full charging-starting current test, even if it isn't free, which it shoulc be.
