Battery doesn't charge...
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Joined: Feb 2005
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Battery doesn't charge...
I have a 2000 F-150 with 99,000 miles on it. While towing a small trailer on Sat. I hit a bump and suddenely the dashboard battery indicator light came on. The voltage gauge had no change. Since I was 40 miles from home on a 340 mile trip I continued on.
I checked the connections this morning.
1) There is a little corrosion on the neg battery terminal.
2) The alternator wires seem solidly connected.
3) The belt is tight around the pullies.
So I had the mechanic put a meter on the battery and run a test.
1) The "starter test" results were normal.
2) The "charging system test" showed "no voltage" on the print out.
It appears to have 11.99V flat line on the graph.
Now the meter showed the 11.99V while at idle, and the guy said there was no change as I brought the RPM up to about 1500-2000.
Does this mean that the alternator is definately gone? I just find it odd that truck ran fine and the light popped on only after I hit a bump on a brige over pass. Coincidence? Or can a jolt like that be the final straw on an ageing alternator?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
J
I checked the connections this morning.
1) There is a little corrosion on the neg battery terminal.
2) The alternator wires seem solidly connected.
3) The belt is tight around the pullies.
So I had the mechanic put a meter on the battery and run a test.
1) The "starter test" results were normal.
2) The "charging system test" showed "no voltage" on the print out.
It appears to have 11.99V flat line on the graph.
Now the meter showed the 11.99V while at idle, and the guy said there was no change as I brought the RPM up to about 1500-2000.
Does this mean that the alternator is definately gone? I just find it odd that truck ran fine and the light popped on only after I hit a bump on a brige over pass. Coincidence? Or can a jolt like that be the final straw on an ageing alternator?
Thanks in advance for your responses.
J
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,821
Likes: 19
From: South Dakota
Yep, time for a new alt. Charge at idle should read some thing close to 14V. Even on a poorly functioning alt the voltage should fluctuate a bit as the rpms are brought up.
Your vehicle will run fine as long as there still remains enough juice in the battery to run the motor. The indicator light that came on was caused by the computer not sensing a charge from the Alt.
IMO, the bump was the straw that broke camels back. If you think about it, 99,000 mi it a lot of revolutions on a alternator.
IMO, now would also be a good time to replace the battery as well. Aged batteries tend to be hard on alternators as they have to work harder to keep them charged up.
Your vehicle will run fine as long as there still remains enough juice in the battery to run the motor. The indicator light that came on was caused by the computer not sensing a charge from the Alt.
IMO, the bump was the straw that broke camels back. If you think about it, 99,000 mi it a lot of revolutions on a alternator.
IMO, now would also be a good time to replace the battery as well. Aged batteries tend to be hard on alternators as they have to work harder to keep them charged up.
Last edited by superrangerman2002; Feb 21, 2005 at 10:28 AM.
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