94 F-150 electrical issue
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 187
Likes: 1
From: Elizabeth, PA
94 F-150 electrical issue
Hey everyone. Lately my truck has been acting strangely. It's a 5.0/E4OD 4x4 with 105K. I just recently installed a new alternator, starter and ignition cylinder. Once in a while, when I go to start it, the dome light, idiot lights and door bell will get dim, and it won't start. Other times, its fine. It has only done this a handul of times, and when I first put the alternator on, the symptoms quit, but have since returned only once. Th whole reason I put the alternator on was that it had a short and was draining the battery, so this raises a few questions:
1) Could this be something as simple as a dead short in the battery. If it is, fine. It's only a year old and has a 3 year replacement.
2) Is there an external voltage regulator? My dad and I were under the assumption that it was built into the alt, and that is also what we were told. If there is an external unit, where is it?
3) If neither of these are the problem, what could it be? Should I start looking for a short? And if so, where are sometypical areas where I might start looking.
I like to think I'm a pretty competent shadetree mechanic, but electrical is my downfall. I do pretty much everything to my truck myself with no issues. Thanks in advance for any assistance. I need to get my baby fixed since it is my DD, and I have a 23 mile commute to school daily.
1) Could this be something as simple as a dead short in the battery. If it is, fine. It's only a year old and has a 3 year replacement.
2) Is there an external voltage regulator? My dad and I were under the assumption that it was built into the alt, and that is also what we were told. If there is an external unit, where is it?
3) If neither of these are the problem, what could it be? Should I start looking for a short? And if so, where are sometypical areas where I might start looking.
I like to think I'm a pretty competent shadetree mechanic, but electrical is my downfall. I do pretty much everything to my truck myself with no issues. Thanks in advance for any assistance. I need to get my baby fixed since it is my DD, and I have a 23 mile commute to school daily.
Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 187
Likes: 1
From: Elizabeth, PA
Well, I went and as I often do I overthought things. It ended up being the negative battery cable. The truck did it one more time, so I threw jumpers on it and nothing. I got mad, took the negative jumper off and grounded it to the core support. There was a rather large arc, and the truck started. So a trip to Advance auto, 9 bucks, a new cable and a bloody knuckle later shes all fixed. I just want to know who designed the location of the ground on the block so I can strangle them. Also, who thought to use the same cable to ground to the frame by having a gap in the insulation (who knew in would corrode through the PA winters?) Thanks guys for pointing me in the right direction. I LOVE THIS FORUM!!!
Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 137
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Thread Starter
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 187
Likes: 1
From: Elizabeth, PA
It's on the lower right front corner of the block, behind the smog pump. I also eliminated the bare section that goes onto the frame to prevent corrosion with no ill effects.
Last edited by Casey429; Dec 1, 2009 at 10:33 AM. Reason: added information
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Mountain Pass
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
oh yeah it was the same on my 87 302 f-150
lol it's like ford said "lets put a cable that will NEED to be replaced at some point in the hardest/stupidist spot possible
Hell i could only get to it after i had pulled the entire engine out of the truck
I ended up just cuttin it off a best i could and grounded a new cable to the same place my 4.9 was grounded.
Too the intake manifold
lol it's like ford said "lets put a cable that will NEED to be replaced at some point in the hardest/stupidist spot possible
Hell i could only get to it after i had pulled the entire engine out of the truck
I ended up just cuttin it off a best i could and grounded a new cable to the same place my 4.9 was grounded.
Too the intake manifold
