Charging issues

[pelky350]

When driving it says charging at 14 volts about however noticing it fluctuate and my lights get brighter and dimmer rapidly, just replaced voltage regulator twice, recent alternator as well truck was dead again this morning even with being plugge in due to wether being colder now? Gonna replace an clean terminals today and charge batteries will be on later with updates getting a jump start now and gonna keep truck running while out paying bills and buying parts as not to get stranded lol any ideas on why it's dying ? Also recent "rebuilt batteries"

 

[no mufflers]

I would have the batteries checked just to eliminate them as being a problem. if you can I would recommend doing a 3g alternator swap. they are way better then the older models and there is more of a market for them.

 

[pelky350]

3G alternator? I have 3 other alternators I'm thinking of swapping one of them in cause one I got a while ago looks a lot newer with a remanuafactor sticker in it just haven't gotten to it, actually been running around right now and the guage has been running a steady 14.5 v no more fluctuating but haven't shut the truck off for over an hour wondering maybe haven't been driving as much latley just 10 minute trips to work and back maybe it just wasn't drivin enough to charge the batteries? Or I may have a draw somewhere while it's off I found a wire that looks like it came off not sure where it was supposed to go but it has a couple in line fuses one the factory harness I'll post picture of it here soon it looked like it was maybe a ground but it's wires are shiny copper like it just fell off recently

 

[franklin2]

You need to do a drain test. Take the drivers side + battery cable loose and sit it on a rag. Take the pass side negative battery cable loose and sit it on a rag and clip the wire of a testlight to the negative sitting on the rag on the pass side. With everything off and the doors closed, touch the probe of the testlight to the negative terminal of the battery on the pass side. If the light lights up bright, you have a drain.

Take the large output wire off the alternator and then touch the probe to the negative again. If the light does not light up, you alternator has a bad diode, even though it's charging.

If the light still lights up, start pulling fuses one at a time till the light does not light up. When you finally get it out, that's your drain.

 

[pelky350]

I will be doing this test momentary when I get home the eliminate the draw idea the draw idea, this truck has had so many wiring issues already. Pump fuel, timing advance and glow plugs are all manually controlled now due to melted wiring in various locations. I did this years ago because I had a no start problem and found various burnt melted wires in the harness maybe one of them found a ground somewhere recently though I disconnected everything and made sure the best I could to have nothing exposed to cause future problems

 

[laserjock]

3G alternator is the more modern internally regulated one ford switched to.

http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum...nge-facts-if-youre-thinking-3g-read-here.html

 

[pelky350]

I read that I actually have a alternator that was in my truck that came out of a dohc tauras now, and I had to change the pulley for it to fit and also the plugs were in a different location but still fit after the pulley change. I changed it out with another alternator when my voltage regulator went out trying to figure out why it wasn't charging before I wonder if it's a 3G one?

 

[gandalf]

This Article might help you in this alternator confusion.

 

[laserjock]

You don't use the external voltage regulator with a 3G alternator. It's internally regulated. This is what the 3G alternator looks like just for reference.

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You need a connector that looks like this.

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Throw away the external regulator. All you need is key on power and a heavy wire for charging the battery.

 

[laserjock]

Here is the 3G next to a 1 G

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[pelky350]

Ohh okay I had one that I thought was internally regulated because it had a plug on the side of it but it's the 1g you have in the picture. I think this alternator change would be a good idea for the future I have a lot of extra acc stuff(stereo, cb, sub and amp, light bar, xenon lights) writing this all down actually made me realize the batteries dying is probably related to all this alternator probably can't keep up though most of it's not on all the time. Got to do the draw test in the morning to check for voltage draw. It starts fine when drivin for a while but has slow cranking or dead battery if sitting overnight or a day or two. I'll try these test and see what I come up with tomorrow

 

[bleedblueoval]

Did Ford factory install the 3G in the IDI? If so, what year did that start?

 

[laserjock]

I think the answer is yes but I'm not sure. It would have been late 92 or up with the serp belt switchover I think.

 

[pelky350]

I feel like my whole truck needs re-wired at this point There is soo many electrical issues lol maybe should just swap everything over to my 87 bronco that needs running gear but a lot more electrically sound and it's a xtl with no rust ! Lol

 

[no mufflers]

I think the answer is yes but I'm not sure. It would have been late 92 or up with the serp belt switchover I think.

I don't think they had them in 92 yet since that was the first year for the OBS truck. I got a junk yard motor with the serpentine setup and was told it was a 94. its one of those years that can be tuff to get parts for because the stupid parts counter dudes get them confused with the early PSD.