At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.
I replaced the connectors on the regulator and altenator. I havent replaced the actual battery cables. do you think replacing the battery cables would help? i also had the baterry tested
Possibly could solve the problem IF the cables are bad. Do u know if they might be original? If they might be, (or almost original) I would replace them, as 25 years is mighty ancient when it comes to cables. Running out of ideas!!!! Keep me posted. Gotta get to work, will check in later.
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
this would be the voltage regulator, keeps the voltage at the correct level if this unit is faulty if will think it is fully charged at 13.8 volts where it turns off the charge when it may be thinking at 6 volts it is full
it should be about 14.5 volts charging for a low battery. 15.3 is ok for a short period of time.
The regulator is internal to the alternator. There is a big B+ connector on the alternator that sends current to the battery to charge it. There is also a ground connection and then the regulator connections.
Which connecotr was replaced? Is this a European Focus or USA?
the voltage regulator is built into the alternator,have you check the alternator connector for damage or corrosion check with a test light for voltage at the red wire that plugs into the alternator that is in the 2 wire plug connector as well as check the large red wire for voltage as this wire is the feed wire from the battery.you don`t say if this is a new or used alternator.if you have a voltmeter that is the best way to check for the proper amount of voltage at the test sites.the battery must have a minimum of 12.6 volts to start with higher is better.to test the voltage regulator need the engine running and you need a voltmeter to tell properly if it is working.at the back of the alternator their is a hole that looks like the letter D this is where you use something like a cotterpin and insert it into the hole you should feel a tab,push lightly on the tab and ground the cotterpin to the side of the alternator using the voltmeter you should see the voltage start to rise and hear it start to charge.the battery voltage and the feed wire at the alternator as well as the smaller red wire at the plug connector should be the same.charging voltage should be about 14.5 volts.
alternators need current imput to generate current. Check if there is current coming to the connector atatching to the alternator socket. If there is no current, check the "alt" fuse or wiring. Charlie
you can have your altenator tested at an autozone,advance auto for free while it's still on the car,or you can check it yourself by starting the car,while running disconnect the positive cable,be careful not to let that cable touch anything. if the car dies,the altenators bad. as far as a fuse, you may have a fuseable link,but those are usually for the starter.someone may have done some other wiring to it.i would check the altenator first though.also make sure your belts tight and the altenator is plugged in. check the plug on the altenator to insure it's plugged in all the way.make sure your battery cables are tight. if you decide to go to a parts store to have the altenators good,have them check your battery also. it's free.if your car runs fine until you park it at night and then next morining it will not start,it may be bad battery.just thought i would throw that in,just in case.hope this helps and thank you for choosing fixya.com
The first question for you is, What is the charging output for the altenator at idle?? If less than 12.3 volts, replace altenator. Typically, the altenator gets tested at 2500-3000 rpm on a bench tester. Your problem may be in the low rpm output range.
Dead cell in Battery? Take positive cable off battery while running and then it should stay running that mean the alternator is working. So you want to check battery out for dead cell in battery if that is the case it will not take a charge.
The diagram shows a capacitor between the regulator red wire and ground on some models. If your truck has that cap, you may want to check it or replace it. I don't see anything else on the diagram that could cause this behavior, unless there is a bad connection somewhere. If that red wire powers the field winding, a bad cap could be pulling down the voltage.
The only thing that comes to mind is electrical connections--battery cable connections (obvious, but worth mentioning) and all wiring to alt. and regulator, nothing loose, corroded? I'd also check the battery by swapping in something else that may fit, or having it tested. Yes, it's new, but I have seen (although rarely) a bad battery that was right off the shelf, wouldn't take a charge.
×