Battery Light
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More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2007
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Battery Light
Okay I have a light on. It dosen't usually stay on but it flickers on and off sometimes bright sometimes not so bright. It seems to do it more when I have just started the truck. I replaced the Alt only a year ago so I believe it to be good. I had the batteries test a month ago at a garage and they said that the batteries were good but they could tell that the batteries are old. What do you guys think is time to dump some money into new batteries or do I have another problem.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,903
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From: MICHIGAN
How about the belt. Is it slipping? or old? I've seen this happen whne the belt had strecthed just far enough to slip when the alternatr was pulling a big load, but still OK and not making noise either. There is a set of marks on the tensioner arm that will show how far the belt has stretched.
You can lean on the belt with something when the light is on. If it's slipping the lite will go off. I use an old idler pulley I had laying aroung attached to a chunk of wood.
You can lean on the belt with something when the light is on. If it's slipping the lite will go off. I use an old idler pulley I had laying aroung attached to a chunk of wood.
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More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2007
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Okay
Thats the question I really had. Is it more likely that its a loose connection or a bad batteries. I know that the major connections are tight (batt, Alt, starter). I guess that that could only mean the batteries have gone south.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,835
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From: Silver Lake Dunes, MI
Casey I would look closely at the small connectors on the Alt. they have been known to be an issue. the wires get rubbed or the connectors melt or get loose
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More Turbo
Joined: Mar 2007
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???????
Thanks for all the suggestions but nothing has worked yet. I looked at all the connections. I tested the GPR to see if it was pulling to much and its not. I dont know what to think. Do you guys have any other ideas? I guess I'm just left to think my batteries are done with.
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Playing in the Dirt
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,302
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From: Southwest Georgia
I agree with fuelman, if all of your connections are good, your batteries test O.K. (they passed the load test, "age does not matter") then you probably have a regulator with a bad or weak diode. Remember "NEW does not mean GOOD". I have put on new and/or rebuilt alternators that did not last a week.
Take your truck to a place that can test the charging system under a load. This should isolate the probelm. Good Luck.
Take your truck to a place that can test the charging system under a load. This should isolate the probelm. Good Luck.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 4,137
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From: Marble Falls, Texas
I say go back to the three wire connector. Pull it, and remove the red lock, pull the pins out, clean them and squish them a little. I had the same problem. Light would flicker sometimes, but the gauge still showed charging. Take the connector apart and clean it, even if you think it's good. That's my bet.
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: sticksville (Walsh AB. CA
Casey, I just checked your profile and you have a 96 ford. 95 -approx. 97 had a wire that would burn-out in the alt. and cause the flickering light you mentioned.Have it load tested, mine gave me grief for about 2 weeks until I tested it. This is a common problem with this alt.
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More Turbo
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Originally Posted by RubberDuck
I say go back to the three wire connector. Pull it, and remove the red lock, pull the pins out, clean them and squish them a little. I had the same problem. Light would flicker sometimes, but the gauge still showed charging. Take the connector apart and clean it, even if you think it's good. That's my bet.
I cant really bench test the alt because I dont have a autozone or checkers around here. Sometimes you just dont know what you have until you dont. I'm pretty sure that the alt is given me a good charge. The gauge says its good and the truck always fires right up, but I guess the regulator can still be bad. I'll try to clean that connection up first. I sure hope that does it. It went off completly for 20 minutes of driving today, but it came back on the next time I started it. I thought I had it fixed, until I went to leave again.
