CHARGING OR NOT CHARGING?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Sep 2012
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CHARGING OR NOT CHARGING?
I need to be honest. This is a mustang question, but I need the help from this forum because you always are super helpful and knowledgeable.
1968 289 auto. I just registered the car after three years of working on it. It has been starting and running fine around tow. The other day, I took it for a ride. I stopped for about an hour. When i went to leave the battery was dead. I Jump started it and got about 1 mile till it died. I sent my son to get my jump pack. I hooked it up to the car and made it home no problem. About a mile drive. I assumed the alt was bad. The gauge in the dash must not be working as it never moves.
So i took a used alternator off my shelf from some ford trucks of the same era i have parted out, I had it tested and it tested fine so i installed it. It is a D5AF 10300 aa. From my online search i see this alternator is used on many engines from 250-429. I think it came from a 240 six cylinder. I charged the battery for about two hours. After installing the alternator, i noticed a black wire going to the solenoid that was broken/ frayed/ burned. I dont know which. I repaired it and started the car.
The car seemed to run fine. Took it for a drive. No problems. I then tested the batt to see how many volts it was producing. Only about 12.5. So now i think the car is not charging because everything I read says it must be above 13.5 volts. If I disconnect the negative off the battery, the car still runs. Which i have read indicates the car is charging. I changed out the voltage regulator with another used one i had but it made no difference.
Obviously, If i accelerate, the voltage meter increases.
Any thoughts? Thanks
1968 289 auto. I just registered the car after three years of working on it. It has been starting and running fine around tow. The other day, I took it for a ride. I stopped for about an hour. When i went to leave the battery was dead. I Jump started it and got about 1 mile till it died. I sent my son to get my jump pack. I hooked it up to the car and made it home no problem. About a mile drive. I assumed the alt was bad. The gauge in the dash must not be working as it never moves.
So i took a used alternator off my shelf from some ford trucks of the same era i have parted out, I had it tested and it tested fine so i installed it. It is a D5AF 10300 aa. From my online search i see this alternator is used on many engines from 250-429. I think it came from a 240 six cylinder. I charged the battery for about two hours. After installing the alternator, i noticed a black wire going to the solenoid that was broken/ frayed/ burned. I dont know which. I repaired it and started the car.
The car seemed to run fine. Took it for a drive. No problems. I then tested the batt to see how many volts it was producing. Only about 12.5. So now i think the car is not charging because everything I read says it must be above 13.5 volts. If I disconnect the negative off the battery, the car still runs. Which i have read indicates the car is charging. I changed out the voltage regulator with another used one i had but it made no difference.
Obviously, If i accelerate, the voltage meter increases.
Any thoughts? Thanks
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,879
Likes: 2,367
Sounds like it's charging if it will run with the cable disconnected.
so if your battery is dying that fast it can only mean you have a serious short, or more likely your battery is toast.
you can check for a bad short by turning everything off and touching a battery cable to the post, if you don't get a spark you don't have a short.
so if your battery is dying that fast it can only mean you have a serious short, or more likely your battery is toast.
you can check for a bad short by turning everything off and touching a battery cable to the post, if you don't get a spark you don't have a short.
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