Battery Light
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,303
Likes: 48
From: Lyndonville, Vermont
There's a v/w wire Violet with white tracer.. Supposed to be 12v all the time...goes back to a brown fuseable link...Check for 12v there unplugged..supposed to be hot all the time..
Dick
Dick
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,720
Likes: 5
From: Washington state
regulator blew from coolant short and took out field lead fuse.
in Explorer it's a 15a fuse in Power Distribution Box whatever the H that is
as Dick said, hot all the time to power field of alternator
in Explorer it's a 15a fuse in Power Distribution Box whatever the H that is
as Dick said, hot all the time to power field of alternator
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
I have a panel inside the truck, it's right on the drivers side edge of the dash...
is there an easy way to check all these, short of pulling each one, using a tester, and then putting them back in?
BTW - this wire that is hot all the time is part of that plug that goes into the regulator, right? is it as Dick said? V/W correct? - even without key on, I should get hot there always, like the Pos term on the alt? (the big red one that bolts right to the alt)
so, if I don't have 12v there all the time, it's the fuse... that's great to know - thanks 96, 87, 99, and all the others...
now, if I could just find the fuse - at least I know now it's a 15 amp :-)
is there an easy way to check all these, short of pulling each one, using a tester, and then putting them back in?
BTW - this wire that is hot all the time is part of that plug that goes into the regulator, right? is it as Dick said? V/W correct? - even without key on, I should get hot there always, like the Pos term on the alt? (the big red one that bolts right to the alt)
so, if I don't have 12v there all the time, it's the fuse... that's great to know - thanks 96, 87, 99, and all the others...
now, if I could just find the fuse - at least I know now it's a 15 amp :-)
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
BTW - speaking of fuses... and if someone had the blow up of that for the 96 Sport (exp) - how about the one for the accessory jacks... I never had power there, and I'm guessing that's a fuse too...
Thanks
Thanks
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
96 - can that fuse be blown, but the alt still show 14v at idle at the battery? - I would think that the alt would not be working at all if that fuse was out, but maybe it is running in like a "dummy" mode of sorts :-)
The one thing I can contribute here, but I'm sure 80% of you know this - I found out with my nice Craftsman tools that you can use a box wrench on their screw drivers - I had a torx driver that wouldn't budge the screw, but then used like an 11/16s box on it, and made it into a breaking bar... works great, and I didn't want to round the head there for sure! - now I see why the handles are all hex shaped - learn something new everyday!
The one thing I can contribute here, but I'm sure 80% of you know this - I found out with my nice Craftsman tools that you can use a box wrench on their screw drivers - I had a torx driver that wouldn't budge the screw, but then used like an 11/16s box on it, and made it into a breaking bar... works great, and I didn't want to round the head there for sure! - now I see why the handles are all hex shaped - learn something new everyday!
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,303
Likes: 48
From: Lyndonville, Vermont
Fuse box for that fuse is under the hood..Power dist box..near relays possibly.
The v/w wire Violet with white tracer. Thats the wire thats supposed to be hot all the time.Whatever connector its on. sometimes an alt will self generate.
The v/w wire Violet with white tracer. Thats the wire thats supposed to be hot all the time.Whatever connector its on. sometimes an alt will self generate.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,303
Likes: 48
From: Lyndonville, Vermont
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From: Kitchener,Ontario,Canada
Check feild wire again.
Have you checked the feild wire ( the bulb wire) for short to ground on both sides of the bulb? If the short is on the ig switch side of the bulb it will light up when you start the engine. Does it come on before you start the engine?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 835
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sorry, haven't had the truck - wifey's been driving it...
I think I found the fuse in my Chilton book though... it is two rows up from relays looks like... so, I guess I'll check that, and let you know. I guess it would be a good design if the alt still works, but lets you know that there was a short somewhere - in this case, the bath I gave everything after I put the new tstat in... oh well... won't do that again - wifey will have to smell antifreeze for a day next time :-)
supposed to rain all weekend - so I may not be able to get to this until monday, or tuesday.
Got to be that fuse, right?
I think I found the fuse in my Chilton book though... it is two rows up from relays looks like... so, I guess I'll check that, and let you know. I guess it would be a good design if the alt still works, but lets you know that there was a short somewhere - in this case, the bath I gave everything after I put the new tstat in... oh well... won't do that again - wifey will have to smell antifreeze for a day next time :-)
supposed to rain all weekend - so I may not be able to get to this until monday, or tuesday.
Got to be that fuse, right?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 835
Likes: 0
ok, so I just went out and checked every fuse in the power Dist box - got one of those nifty tools that just checks the top of the fuse.
every fuse is fine... so now what? I'm still confused as to which wire it would be...
There are 5 wires:
1) - larger wire - bolts directly to alt - hot all the time, car off, etc (and it is hot all the time)
2) little white wire, single contact, plugs into alt, not voltage regulator
3) Same color white wire with same stripe, as part of the larger 3 contact plug that goes into regulator
4) Yellow wire in middle position on that plug
5) Green wire on other end of that 3 contact plug...
again, if I just unplug that 3 contact connector, the light goes out on the dash, KOEO
So, is my only next step to swap the Alt and see what happens there? I find it hard to believe that both Voltage Regulators would be bad, the other one, and this brand new one.
Any ideas?
every fuse is fine... so now what? I'm still confused as to which wire it would be...
There are 5 wires:
1) - larger wire - bolts directly to alt - hot all the time, car off, etc (and it is hot all the time)
2) little white wire, single contact, plugs into alt, not voltage regulator
3) Same color white wire with same stripe, as part of the larger 3 contact plug that goes into regulator
4) Yellow wire in middle position on that plug
5) Green wire on other end of that 3 contact plug...
again, if I just unplug that 3 contact connector, the light goes out on the dash, KOEO
So, is my only next step to swap the Alt and see what happens there? I find it hard to believe that both Voltage Regulators would be bad, the other one, and this brand new one.
Any ideas?
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 835
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Update...
Wifey now reports that ever since I reseated the fuse for that circuit, all is well... light is out with KOER... ummm...
This was a mini 15amp fuse BTW in case anyone comes into this same problem - if you have good working alt at battery, try pulling that fuse, and reseating it... not sure why that would have done anything, but maybe it re-surges the power somehow? - anyways, glad the light is off now...
I'm sure I'll have more questions :-) -thanks to all for your help on this, now at least, I know my way around the charging system pretty well :-)
Cheers
Wifey now reports that ever since I reseated the fuse for that circuit, all is well... light is out with KOER... ummm...
This was a mini 15amp fuse BTW in case anyone comes into this same problem - if you have good working alt at battery, try pulling that fuse, and reseating it... not sure why that would have done anything, but maybe it re-surges the power somehow? - anyways, glad the light is off now...
I'm sure I'll have more questions :-) -thanks to all for your help on this, now at least, I know my way around the charging system pretty well :-)
Cheers
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 835
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yeah, so far so good...
I'm gonna tackle the front brakes for the first time on the Explorer - it's 4x4 of course - is it easy to just compress the piston into the caliper, unbolt the caliper, slide off the rotor, replace the pads in caliper, and rebolt caliper?
or, does the hub have to come totally off? - this is the electronic 4x4, not the manual locking hubs...
Thanks
I'm gonna tackle the front brakes for the first time on the Explorer - it's 4x4 of course - is it easy to just compress the piston into the caliper, unbolt the caliper, slide off the rotor, replace the pads in caliper, and rebolt caliper?
or, does the hub have to come totally off? - this is the electronic 4x4, not the manual locking hubs...
Thanks