low amps
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 559
Likes: 0
low amps
well, getting off the highway last night after a good 30min at 70+ mph and tapped the brakes on the offramp and the power dimmed, amps dropped to about the 10amp area and the little battery idiot-light on the dash came on. stopped to check the belt and pulleys b/c the last time this happened to me it turned out to be a "disappearing" idler pulley. All the pulleys are there and the belt is tight and only 2 months old. alternator was cold, so i'm leanin towards that. the gpr was not hot, so that wasnt stuck on. battery connections good. when i got jammin on the throttle the amps would climb to around 11-12ish and then back down again when i pulled my foot out of it. thoughts? i'm going to get a new alternator tomorrow, we'll see how that goes.
Posting Guru
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,424
Likes: 0
From: AZ
Did you check all the wires to make sure they are not grounding out somewhere? Even the one that goes to the starter. Any autoparts store can check the alt with their bench tester for free so that wouldnt hurt to do.
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
From: Cincinnati OH
check connections at alternator. mainly the plastic plugs. sometimes they don't make good connections. take em off and clean them. make sure they are firmly in place when reinstalled, careful not to break them. same thing happened to me once. took it off the truck went to parts store. tested ok. put in back on, no problems since then, almost two years. i've also dealt with the disappearing pulleys. they indiviually when out within two months of each other.
Thread Starter
|
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 559
Likes: 0
hey guys, thanks for all of the advice. went to napa today and got a new alternator and replaced the old one. everything's back to normal now. even got a new bulb for my center maker lamp thats been out for a week or so now!
Trending Topics
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 435
Likes: 1
From: troy, Mo
Glad to hear all went well. I wasn't quite as lucky but pretty lucky. I was on my way home from work and heard a squeelling coming from under the hood. Popped hood and the alternator bearings were grenading. I left the truck running the whole time and drove home hoping not to kill the new belt. I made it to napa and home to replace the alternator and when I shut it off, the shaft of the alternator welded itself to the inner parts of the alternator, (I suppose that is a bad thing). The shaft would not move at all. The guy at napa opened the box and said ok and didn't even check the alternator which was a good thing.
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals
Joe Kucinski
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership
Brett Foote
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches
Pouria Savadkouei
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained
Brett Foote
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer
Joe Kucinski