Electrical ?
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Joined: Jan 2005
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Electrical ?
You guys have saved me more often than not. Here I am again BEGGING for answers.
93 F-150 5.0
1. Twice now, when I start her up, she runs, but the instrumentation is DEAD. Nothing has power in the dash.
2. Once on trying to start, it acted like a bad starter, clicked twice, third time, she started. BUT, the clock had reset to ZERO !
3. All 3 times, the alternator meter was "quivering". At idle, showed low charge, driving speed, normal charge.
I had the alt checked and all is good. I had a short in the drivers door once, I pulled the door panel, nothing wrong there.
WHAT Poltergeist do I have now????
Anyone want a used truck? cheap?
93 F-150 5.0
1. Twice now, when I start her up, she runs, but the instrumentation is DEAD. Nothing has power in the dash.
2. Once on trying to start, it acted like a bad starter, clicked twice, third time, she started. BUT, the clock had reset to ZERO !
3. All 3 times, the alternator meter was "quivering". At idle, showed low charge, driving speed, normal charge.
I had the alt checked and all is good. I had a short in the drivers door once, I pulled the door panel, nothing wrong there.
WHAT Poltergeist do I have now????
Anyone want a used truck? cheap?
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
The charging circuit requires the cluster to be wired properly, as some current goes through the battery gauge, through a light bulb that's labled "Alt".
Non-working cluster = low/unstable alternator voltage = eventual dead battery.
Check the fuses first, easiest thing to check. If not, right by the huge grommet (with wires going through) to the left of the steering shaft (on the insdide of the firewall), there's a ground just above that. Back out the screw, make sure the eyelet is clean and not rusty, and reinsert.
Give it a try.
If that doesn't solve your problem, I'd check the engine ground strap, which is on the passenger side - goes from either the exhaust manifod or the intake manifold, to the body of the vehicle. If that's corroded, rotted, or <gasp> missing, it's time to replace it. That too can cause these types of issues. The ground strap looks like braided cable, squished flat.
Non-working cluster = low/unstable alternator voltage = eventual dead battery.
Check the fuses first, easiest thing to check. If not, right by the huge grommet (with wires going through) to the left of the steering shaft (on the insdide of the firewall), there's a ground just above that. Back out the screw, make sure the eyelet is clean and not rusty, and reinsert.
Give it a try.
If that doesn't solve your problem, I'd check the engine ground strap, which is on the passenger side - goes from either the exhaust manifod or the intake manifold, to the body of the vehicle. If that's corroded, rotted, or <gasp> missing, it's time to replace it. That too can cause these types of issues. The ground strap looks like braided cable, squished flat.
Thread Starter
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New User
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Follow up
THANK YOU for the info.
I looked on the inside firewall, and...no grommet. Two large wire clusters plug into connectors on the firewall. Under the hood, matching wire clusters plug into the other side. There is no ground wire inside or out.
Grounding cable - found it, on the passenger side, just as you said. Took it off, made sure all was clean, reattached.
Fuses -- all ok.
The problem is that the problem is intermittent so I don't know when the heck it's going to do it next. While I had the alternator checked while it was in the truck, I guess I should take it out and have it checked at a different shop. They did tell me my battery is "getting low". What do you think?
Other suggestions ?
I looked on the inside firewall, and...no grommet. Two large wire clusters plug into connectors on the firewall. Under the hood, matching wire clusters plug into the other side. There is no ground wire inside or out.
Grounding cable - found it, on the passenger side, just as you said. Took it off, made sure all was clean, reattached.
Fuses -- all ok.
The problem is that the problem is intermittent so I don't know when the heck it's going to do it next. While I had the alternator checked while it was in the truck, I guess I should take it out and have it checked at a different shop. They did tell me my battery is "getting low". What do you think?
Other suggestions ?
