Not Charging!!!!!!!

[idi_or_die]

Alright guys, i just bought a 1985 f350 cclb 4X4. when i bought it, the test drive went great, no issues, after purchasing the truck i went to the gas station to fill up and she wouldnt start back up. The truck had been sitting for a while so i replaced both batteries and had the alternator checked, it tested good, still no charge. I replaced the voltage regulator, still nothing. Finally i bypassed the regulator and checked voltage at the battery terminals, pulled a 12.36. I then checked the voltage at the alternator terminals and pulled a 16.78. Plugged the regulator back in and got no charge at the alternator terminals. So it seems that the signal to charge is not coming from the regulator, and even when the alternator IS charging, power is not making it to the batteries. Im goin nuts tryin to figure this out, and need to get it running right before i can sell my powerdtroke. Any help will be greatly appreciated, thank you all.

 

[riotwarrior]

Sounds like a blown fusable link in the wiring harness.

THere is a bunch of yellow wires on the solenoid I'd say it's one of the fusable links in there that is likely causing the issue. Most likely the one from the ALT to that stud!

Check with a meter if the large charge wire from alt to the solenoid has continuity or not if so it's not the one if not it is the one! You may have to unwrap the harness to see the failure!

JM2CW

 

[franklin2]

Get your meter and put on lead on ground, and the other on the red/green on the regulator. Turn the key to run but don't start the engine. You should have 12v on the red/green. If you don't, you have instrument cluster problems or something like that. There is a wire that comes off the ignition switch, runs to the cluster to the "alt" dash light, comes out of the light and then goes through the firewall to the regulator(the red/green). This triggers the regulator to bring the alternator "online" to charge.

If you have voltage on the red/green, then you could have a fusible link out. A quick way to test this is with the truck off, put your meter on the large bat output terminal of the alternator. If you have battery voltage on that terminal, then your fusible links are good.

 

[ksingltn]

check the 3 pin plug on the alternator. Mine was bad about coming unpinned, and not charging.

I drove over 400 miles one time with no alternator because of that plug, running the AC and radio. When I turned it off, I had to get a nissan hardbody to jump me. Talk about embarrassing.

 

[OLDBULL8]

This may help. I can't expand it maybe you can. Took me 1-1/2 hrs just to try and get it uploaded.

 

[ifrythings]

Defiantly sounds like the fusible link is burnt, it would kill the power feed to the regulator also so the that explains the why the regulator is not doing anything

Here's the wiring diagram of the 80-8 year truck, and the info oldbull posted works with this minus the battery light.

So you need to check a green fusible link going to a black with orange tracer wire.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Kevin 007]

check the 3 pin plug on the alternator. Mine was bad about coming unpinned, and not charging.

I drove over 400 miles one time with no alternator because of that plug, running the AC and radio. When I turned it off, I had to get a nissan hardbody to jump me. Talk about embarrassing.

The early engines had a 60 amp alt and then a 70 amp was used for a few years. They only have two studs that are used and no 3 pin connector.

 

[OLDBULL8]

The alternator circuit I posted is from my Ford 89 shop manual. If he has an amp meter, it takes the place of the Idiot lite, but I can post the meter circuit.