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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Trucks / February 2007

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86-F-150-Not Charging?

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bobby swift - 26 May 2004 14:31 GMT
My neighbor has a f-150 302 with a external voltage regulator only seems
to charge 13.50 volts.Also when he unplugs one of the batt. cables the
engine dies.Alternator checked at advance auto charging fine.Can anyone
tell me what could be the problem?Thanks For All Replys.Bobby
putt@webtv.net - 27 May 2004 15:51 GMT
Charging at 13.5v without a 'load' on it, is just fine.  

The problem?  Here is the cause:

>when he unplugs one of the batt. cables
> the engine dies

The solution?....Don't do that!  lol

Dave S(Texas)
emcook@yahoo.com - 27 May 2004 18:20 GMT
Amps charge lead-acid batteries.

Voltage charges small batteries like ni-cads for cordless drills.

A lead-acid battery should charge fine at 13.5 volts as long as the
alternator is putting out enough amps.

However a 9.6 volt ni-cad may require 18 volts to charge, but at a
constant 100 milliamps.

Some common charging problems.

Bad battery, dirty terminals, loose connection at terminals, negative
battery cable loose at engine. negative or positive battery cable gone
bad.

Don't disconnect the battery while the engine is running. If you're
lucky all that will happen is the engine dies.

>My neighbor has a f-150 302 with a external voltage regulator only seems
>to charge 13.50 volts.Also when he unplugs one of the batt. cables the
>engine dies.Alternator checked at advance auto charging fine.Can anyone
>tell me what could be the problem?Thanks For All Replys.Bobby
bobby swift - 28 May 2004 13:25 GMT
Thanks for all the advice,I was thinking I never unplug my battery for
fear of blowing the alt..mine charges about 14.50 no load,.but he
insists it should keep running with the batt.cable unpluged..that was
true on the older vechiles with generators.Just wanted a second
opinion..Thanks Bobby
Eb - 28 May 2004 15:22 GMT
Last week a guy at work did the same thing. His battery was died in
his Saturn car. He jumped it off and disconnected a battery cable to
quote "Test the alternator".

The engine immediately died.

He reconnected the battery cable and jumped it off again, it
immediately began idling rough and missing horribly.

Either jumping it off, disconnecting the battery, or the combination
of both screwed something up.

>Thanks for all the advice,I was thinking I never unplug my battery for
>fear of blowing the alt..mine charges about 14.50 no load,.but he
>insists it should keep running with the batt.cable unpluged..that was
>true on the older vechiles with generators.Just wanted a second
>opinion..Thanks Bobby
putt@webtv.net - 29 May 2004 03:39 GMT
>reconnected the battery cable and
> jumped it off again, it immediately
> began idling rough and missing horribly.

This should not be done because of the computer.  When the power is lost
to the computer the RAM is lost.  RAM is where the 'history' and the
computers ability to 'learn' and adapt is kept.  Losing that memory
makes everything revert to the factory default settings and the computer
has to re-learn all over again.  Factory defaults are when everything
(systems/sensors/etc.) was brand-new out of the factory.  Through the
course of time, things with the engine systems/sensors change and the
RAM adapts to the newer parameters it has to deal with in order to keep
the engine running as best as possible.

Bottom Line:  don't disconnect the battery.

Dave S(Texas)
bobby swift - 29 May 2004 09:59 GMT
Sorry his truck 1986 F-150 4x4 302 Mex.doesn't have a computer.Mine is a
1986 F-1504x2 4.9 Canada does have computer.Don't know exactly what the
difference is except 2 seperate locations.Thanks Bobby
putt@webtv.net - 29 May 2004 14:25 GMT
>Sorry his truck 1986 F-150 4x4 302
> Mex.doesn't have a computer.

No?  OK!  Well, I saw it had a EEC but maybe that doesn't have any
RAM/learning abilities.  When I'm wrong, I'm wrong!  Keep in mind what
my post was saying anyway, don't disconnect power to the ECM on any
computer usin' vehicle.  The resulting engine performance will be less
than satisfying until the controller re-learns/adjusts to the new sensor
data.

Dave S(Texas)
David M - 29 May 2004 19:00 GMT
On Sat, 29 May 2004 08:25:46 -0500, put rearranged some electrons to form:

>>Sorry his truck 1986 F-150 4x4 302
>> Mex.doesn't have a computer.
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Dave S(Texas)

It's more than that... the voltage spike that occurs when you remove the
battery from the charging circuit while the engine is running can easily
fry non-computerized electrical items as well (such as the alternator
rectifier diodes).

Signature

David M  (dmacchiarolo)
http://home.triad.rr.com/redsled
T/S 53
sled351 Linux 2.4.18-14  has been up 17:49 1 user

Spdloader - 29 May 2004 22:23 GMT
> My neighbor has a f-150 302 with a external voltage regulator only seems
> to charge 13.50 volts.Also when he unplugs one of the batt. cables the
> engine dies.Alternator checked at advance auto charging fine.Can anyone
> tell me what could be the problem?Thanks For All Replys.Bobby

Your neighbors vehicle should continue to run with the battery cables
disconnected from the battery. A charging system when operating properly
runs the vehicle, not the battery.
I agree that the newer systems suffer when disconnecting batteries while
running, but the specific vehicle you are referring to should not.

Spdloader
David M - 30 May 2004 01:02 GMT
>> My neighbor has a f-150 302 with a external voltage regulator only seems
>> to charge 13.50 volts.Also when he unplugs one of the batt. cables the
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Spdloader

I hate to disagree, but the voltage spike that is introduced when a cable
carrying a large current is disconnected, can easily fry stuff.

Voltage on an inductive load = L(di/dt)  
L = inductance,  di/dt = rate of change of current, which
would be quite high when the cable is disconnected while the alternator
is charging the battery.

Signature

David M  (dmacchiarolo)
http://home.triad.rr.com/redsled
T/S 53
sled351 Linux 2.4.18-14  has been up 23:46 1 user

bobby swift - 30 May 2004 03:31 GMT
I'm not gonna unplug my batt.cable while the truck is running
either...neighbor got his alternator at the junk yard...I told him he
should have got a regulator also... he cleaned the one he had said the
wires were really coroded... get my electrical parts at auto zone.I'll
keep yall up to date on what he finds out to be the problem.Thanks Bobby
Spdloader - 30 May 2004 16:15 GMT
Actually, you're not disagreeing David, I just didn't make myself clear.

The vehicle in question is an older Ford, with an EEC-IV type ignition.
A properly operating charging system doesn't need the battery to stay
running, just to start the vehicle, and supply power when the vehicle
isn't running for radio presets, clock, etc. On newer vehicles it
obviously does more, but that's not the question.

I don't condone disconnecting the battery while the vehicle is running,
but if it is done, and the vehicle shuts down, it was clearly running on
battery power and the alternator or voltage regulator was not doing it's
job. It's done quite often at the lake, with boats, dead battery,
borrowing another battery to get started, unhook it and then reconnect
your own to get it charged.

Later,

Spdloader

>>>My neighbor has a f-150 302 with a external voltage regulator only seems
>>>to charge 13.50 volts.Also when he unplugs one of the batt. cables the
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> would be quite high when the cable is disconnected while the alternator
> is charging the battery.
chasman3 - 27 Feb 2007 19:05 GMT
On Mon, 26 Feb 2007 21:22:37 -0600, "Ford Tech" <pkurtz2@cox.net>
wrote:

><chasman3> wrote in message
>news:aqh6u2l2vhahod1bs90ci9703cbcb43ff0@4ax.com...
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>> up a code reader at the very least.
>> Thanks

Got a code reader (Actron CP9125 OBD II pocketscan code reader) this
morning and hooked it up.  Showing NO diagnostic codes but showing MIL
On (Malfunction indicator Light) meaning that a malfunction light
should be on, (it is, the check engine).  Doesn't tell me what caused
the MIL and picks up 0 in the I/M (Inspection/maintenance) monitors.
Oil level looks good in the HPOP.
ok, Now what?  Any ideas.  Would rather not have to take it to a
wrench if possible but I know my limitations.
Thanks for any help.

Chas

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