Battery Light Flashing, Help!
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: CT
Battery Light Flashing, Help!
My battery light started flashing the other day. It would stay on if I let the rpms fall bellow 1300 in any gear, park and neutral. Sometimes the light just turns off and doesnt come back on for 5 to 10 mins. I checked the wires on the alternator and they are in good shape, no fraying or any parts warn through. My serpentine belt looks to be in good shape but I think it should be a "little" tighter, I usualy tighen things too much tho. I have noticed a whinning noise coming from under the hood for the past month. It comes and goes, isnt loud im just able to hear it. It only happens at about 1500 rpm tho. Im going to take a look at it with AE but im not sure what to look for. Any ideas would be a huge help.
Thanks, Adam
Thanks, Adam
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
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Originally Posted by VQ2Fast4U
My battery light started flashing the other day. It would stay on if I let the rpms fall bellow 1300 in any gear, park and neutral. Sometimes the light just turns off and doesnt come back on for 5 to 10 mins. I checked the wires on the alternator and they are in good shape, no fraying or any parts warn through. My serpentine belt looks to be in good shape but I think it should be a "little" tighter, I usualy tighen things too much tho. I have noticed a whinning noise coming from under the hood for the past month. It comes and goes, isnt loud im just able to hear it. It only happens at about 1500 rpm tho. Im going to take a look at it with AE but im not sure what to look for. Any ideas would be a huge help.
Thanks, Adam
Thanks, Adam
Hook it, I'll pull it.
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 15,037
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From: Grand Lake, La.
Sounds like your belt tensioner may be on the blink. They do get loose and hard to tell. When you here the squeeking sound open the hood and check what is doing the squeeking. Might be the alt. but if your belt in not tight, that would concern me.
Good luck.
Good luck.
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From: CT
Its not that the belt is loose, but if I had to adjust it manualy I would make it tighter. I have tryed to get it to make the noise but I dont have anyone around at the moment to hold the throttle down when im under the hood. I went for a drive and did a run down of all the tests in AE and everythings fine, the battery light was also off when I did this. It has been off since I started it up for the drive, I couldnt seem to get it back on. To be on the safe side I did pick up and alternator at napa, so if it does go I wont be stuck on the side of the road.
Anyone know of a good place to pick up a tensioner and belt, thats not going to rape me like the dealer?
Anyone know of a good place to pick up a tensioner and belt, thats not going to rape me like the dealer?
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From: CT
Ive been down the dead altenator road before with my Maxima, and that time it left me stuck on rt-5 in CT. I drove around yesterday and today "about 40 miles" and the light has yet to come back on, not even a flash. My volt gauge on my dash says its got lots of juice, dont know if thats just an idiot light or not tho.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 489
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From: Western Kentucky
I wonder if you have a week or dead battery. I just replaced one of mine. Take the cables off each and test with a meter to see what your voltage. You might have one good battery caring the load for both.
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Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
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From: Ardenvoir, Washington
Originally Posted by VQ2Fast4U
Its not that the belt is loose, but if I had to adjust it manualy I would make it tighter. I have tryed to get it to make the noise but I dont have anyone around at the moment to hold the throttle down when im under the hood. I went for a drive and did a run down of all the tests in AE and everythings fine, the battery light was also off when I did this. It has been off since I started it up for the drive, I couldnt seem to get it back on. To be on the safe side I did pick up and alternator at napa, so if it does go I wont be stuck on the side of the road.
Anyone know of a good place to pick up a tensioner and belt, thats not going to rape me like the dealer?
Anyone know of a good place to pick up a tensioner and belt, thats not going to rape me like the dealer?
You can get a tensioner and idler pulleys from .. http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...?siteid=214072
They are a Ford dealer but discount the price.. They are not really that much.
Mine light was flickering and it turned out to be the small green wire coming off the alternator was rubbing on the alternator housing and shorted..
Last edited by clintbonnie; Jan 29, 2008 at 04:33 PM.
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Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: CT
Well last friday I finally caught my battery light staying on, got my multimeter out and checked it, 11.03 volts. Picked up an altenator at napa and put it in, problem solved no more light and volts at about 14.4. Today my light came back on and wouldnt turn off no matter how high I got the rpms. At the altenator I got 10.30 volts, and each battery was 12.39 volts. Brought it back to napa, got a new one and put it in. Battery light is now out for the time being. If I unhook the cable from the altenator and start the truck, when I check the voltage its only 5.53 volts at the termenal. That doesnt seem right, does it?
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 489
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From: Western Kentucky
Originally Posted by VQ2Fast4U
If I unhook the cable from the altenator and start the truck, when I check the voltage its only 5.53 volts at the termenal. That doesnt seem right, does it?
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,292
Likes: 6
From: Ardenvoir, Washington
Read alot of posts here that napa alternators fail too soon..I hope you finally fixed it though.. thanks for letting know the out-come.. And I agree with Greg, i believe you need the battery in the curcuit..
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Mountaintop, PA
make sure the green/red striped wire that comes off of the alternator is NOT laying on the alternator. I just went through what you are experiencing and that is what it was. Even if it appears to be not frayed, it may have worn through a hair, and this sets the light off. I just bent mine back a bit and the intermittent batt light went away for good.
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Flashing Battery light
Went thru this myself not long ago, Battery light started flashing, checked alternator,checked good but batteries eventually went down, this was in Laramie wyoming, put in new alternator and two new batteries, truck went all the way to Colorado, started flashing again, pulled in and checked the alternator, no output again, parts store gave me a new Alternator since mine had a warrenty, and recharged the batteries. This time made it to Amarillo, Texas and once again, flashing light, dead batteries, etc.
Put it in the dealer, the found a broken wire (just one) in the wiring harness that runs over to the computers across the top of the drive side bank. They charged me 540.00 buck to fix that wire( it was Christmas Eve). Got it back to Houston and guess what, same thing again. Finally I replaced that wiring harness segment and have never had another problem. I wish you well, these kind of problems are why I have gray hair now. But I still love this truck.
Put it in the dealer, the found a broken wire (just one) in the wiring harness that runs over to the computers across the top of the drive side bank. They charged me 540.00 buck to fix that wire( it was Christmas Eve). Got it back to Houston and guess what, same thing again. Finally I replaced that wiring harness segment and have never had another problem. I wish you well, these kind of problems are why I have gray hair now. But I still love this truck.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 530
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From: Vancouver, Washington
Okay, so I'm having a problem similar to yours. Had a guy check it and there is a small drain on the battery when the truck is off, about the same amount as the truck radio he said, about .5 amps. Do any of you have a good idea to on how to test the alternator cable to determine if it is bad? Also, how hard is it to replace. I saw it disappears into a wiring loom on the valley and goes where . . . ?
Any help appreciated. By the way, here is the original thread I started about my problem
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...m-problem.html
Not trying to hijack the thread, just get help. Feel free to reply in my original thread.
Thanks!
Any help appreciated. By the way, here is the original thread I started about my problem
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...m-problem.html
Not trying to hijack the thread, just get help. Feel free to reply in my original thread.
Thanks!