1983 F-150 Charging system Problems
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1983 F-150 Charging system Problems
First let me state the problem, battery wont stay charged!! I have a brand new 100 amp alternator, new voltage regulator, new battery cables and starter silenoid. No matter what I do i cant make the battery stay charged! I drive it for a day with a fully charged battery and by the time I come home its dead and goes onto the battery charger. Went and had the alternator and battery tested and both came back perfectly fine. Please, any info will help me greatly, im so tired of dealing with dead batteries.
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From: Eastern Washington
You can test your electrical system in a general sense by removing the negative battery terminal from your battery, connecting the aligator clip end of a test light to the negative post on the battery and connecting the test probe end to your negative cable.
If the bulb lights up you've got a short somewhere in your electrical system. A multi meter will be necessary to track down a short if you find you have one. Sounds like you may.
If the bulb lights up you've got a short somewhere in your electrical system. A multi meter will be necessary to track down a short if you find you have one. Sounds like you may.
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From: Eastern Washington
You should definetly check the body ground first. If it's rotted out or broken your new alternator can't charge your battery. If that checks out, you're sure all your connections are good and assuming you don't have a likely suspect in mind I would start with checking the wiring harness going to the tail lights. It can be problematic especially if you have or previously had a trailer plug. I would check that the harness plugs are intact and there are no exposed wires near the frame etc. That part of the electrical system is probably the most unprotected from the elements. You will need a multimeter to check for voltage drop when searching for the short if it isn't something really obvious like the body ground or harness behind the cab.
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From: Eastern Washington
Before you get to the end of the ground strap where it's connected to the engine block on the passenger side, you may find a metal clip fastened to the frame. If it's there, underneath the clip the insulalation has been stripped the width of the clip. That's a common place for the ground strap to fail due to it rotting out .
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: Northern Colorado
Where does the B+ cable from the alternator go? It should go from the alt to the starter relay post closest to the battery in your pic. I only see 2 wires on the relay battery side, one from the battery positive and another that looks too small to be from the alt., that might be some accessory feed.
Also, do an advanced search w/ User Name: "Franklin2" and Keywords like: Battery, Alternator, and Charging and read a little. He is a genius w/ electrical issues and has a bunch of awesome homemade wiring diagrams that will help you out. Good luck.
Also, do an advanced search w/ User Name: "Franklin2" and Keywords like: Battery, Alternator, and Charging and read a little. He is a genius w/ electrical issues and has a bunch of awesome homemade wiring diagrams that will help you out. Good luck.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Lost
Looks like someone used a quick-splice connector in the fuse link. Bad karma. Both on the quick-splice, and using it in the fuse link.....
I'd also look into the crimp connectors on the alt wires. I've seen a vast many problems stem from those crimp on connectors not making good contact.
I'd also look into the crimp connectors on the alt wires. I've seen a vast many problems stem from those crimp on connectors not making good contact.
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the two wires closest to the battery is one going to the FLD on the alternator and the other is obviously connecting to the positive post on the battery. on the right side it goes down to the starter. im not that mechanically inclined but i got this truck from my dad who got it from someone else. i just happen to get it when things go down hill. lol. on the alternator the STA goes somewhere around the engine possibly accessory? i dunno. Another note i forgot to mention is that the truck will randomly turn off. like all power is lost. when i try to start the engine after this happens it wont start right away but will eventually turn over. If someone could tell me or possibly send me a pic on how to hook up the wires correctly to the starter silinoid that would be amazing. or if i have everything hooked up how it should where should i start looking? i also went and purchased new insulated connectors that hook up to the FLD and STA on the alternator.
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hopefully you guys arent getting annoyed with my lack on electrical knowledge on this matter. But where is the body ground? I know how to replace parts for the most part but when it comes down to electrical i need a little bit of help.
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Joined: Mar 2007
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Hmmm, Check all of your grounds. If you have a multimeter I would set it to dc volts and che for parasitic drain on the battery. If it is anything over a few tenths of a volt than check your normal fuses in the truck.
I added a few grounds to a friends xj when his charging system was acting like yours and it stopped the problem, I think it is pretty much a band-aid.
As for a body ground you can make one just about anywhere, from block to body or battery to body. I usually use and existing bolt.
I added a few grounds to a friends xj when his charging system was acting like yours and it stopped the problem, I think it is pretty much a band-aid.
As for a body ground you can make one just about anywhere, from block to body or battery to body. I usually use and existing bolt.
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Does anyone have a wiring diagram? Just found a bunch of crap that the guy who owned the truck before my father did. He really messed up the wiring coming off of the starter relay connecting to the alternator. some yellow wires were spliced into a black and orange wire conecting to the positive post on the alternator. they were all sorts of corroded. are they suppose to be connected like that or can someone tell me where these yellow wires hook up to.
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these are the two yellow wires i was talking about. are they suppose to hook up to the black and orange power going to the positive post on the alternator or are they suppose to hook up somewhere else? I was also wondering if by chance I could just hook these two wires up to the left side of the starter relay where the power is going and that would power them the same as hooking them up to the power going to the alternator.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Northern California
Need to know if the truck has ammeter and oil pressure gauges or idiot lamps.
Here is the wiring diagram.
Charge Start Run:
http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/q...l/scan0011.jpg
Power Distribution:
http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/q...l/scan0010.jpg
Your biggest problem is the fuse link coming off the starter solenoid. That has to be replaced first thing, and the quick connect, thrown away, and hook that red wire directly to the starter solenoid using an "eyelit" terminal.
The connector in your last picture is perfectly normal factory wiring.
Here is the wiring diagram.
Charge Start Run:
http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/q...l/scan0011.jpg
Power Distribution:
http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/q...l/scan0010.jpg
Your biggest problem is the fuse link coming off the starter solenoid. That has to be replaced first thing, and the quick connect, thrown away, and hook that red wire directly to the starter solenoid using an "eyelit" terminal.
The connector in your last picture is perfectly normal factory wiring.
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Yes it has a meter for the battery and an oil pressure gauge. When i turn the truck on and turn lets say the headlights on or the ac the needle with move more towards the center if not to the left of the middle mark on the gauge.