battery light
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
battery light
98 expy has a battery light that will come on for 2 seconds then go off. voltmeter does not change. when the light is on the radio goes static a little and clears up when the light goes off. this happens twice a month. i dont think its the alt or voltage reg and the volt meter does not change. any ideas would be helpful
Fleet Owner
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 20,637
Likes: 37
From: Lost in Pa.
I would check connections at alternator and battery, the battery light means there is a charging problem. The battery voltage may not be dropping during a momentary loss of charging and the fact the radio goes static during the time the battery light comes on indicates noise is being introduced to the electrical system from a possible bad connection.
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 233
Likes: 0
i checked the connections and they look good. i put a volt meter on it and at idle its a little over 14v. when you rev it it will drop to 12v. when i took it for a drive going about 45 and floor it so it goes into passing gear the light will come on. it looks like the voltage drops at high revs. could it be the batt or the alt?
Trending Topics
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 843
Likes: 0
FTE Stories
Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts
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
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)
Brett Foote
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies
Joe Kucinski
Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 226
Likes: 2
connection issues
My friend brought his expy over and we were looking at it and, the voltage out of the alternator is fine (14V) not change in voltage. Now I checked all of the connections and I noticed that the 3 wire connector on the back of the alternator was not snapped in, I could just pull on the wires and it would come out. The strange thing is when we disconnect the 3 wire connector the battery light goes out and the voltage does not drop. Could this be a voltage regulator issue or a possible ground wire somewhere. I should also mention that he had just put in a new engine into his expy. He has a 97 4.6l expy. Any help on solving this issue woudl be great. Thanks
Moderator
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,815
Likes: 148
From: Billings, Montana
Yep, it's your alternator. Also chances are if you take it in and have it tested it'll probably test ok, however these test are deceiving because most test stands don't get the alternator up to a high enough RPM's to show problems such as yours. You can try it but if it shows ok, I would buy a new one any way.
