1991 Ford Mustang battery will not keep a charge, alternator has been checked and is ok. Is it possible there is a faulty ground wire? and if so, how do I locate it to fix it?
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Hotrod, Recheck,clean and tighten all connections. If you say you had new alternator tested and is working OK, the new battery must be defective. With the van running, use a DVO meter and check the battery, if it shows above 14 volts then the alternator is OK, a good battery should show 12.4, that leaves either a faulty battery not holding a charge or you have a parasitic draw(something draining battery). Which would have to be diagnosed by a good Tech.
Check the attached links,instruction and guides, Good luck
"I hope this helped you out, if so let me know by pressing the helpful button. Check out some of my other posts if you need more tips and info." How To Check Charging System EricTheCarGuy How To Perform Parasitic Draw Test EricTheCarGuy Battery or Alternator How to Tell Which one is Bad and QandA Car won start Battery or Alternator Find out
The alternator is not working. When running, a voltmeter on the battery should be at least 13.5 volts, showing the alternator is working and the battery is being recharged. You have a charging system malfunction. check the connections between the battery and alternator. Check battery ground, engine grounds, and engine to body strap ground.
Did not list any year/model info, however- -have alternator output checked. if not charging: possible alternator not charging-replace alternator possible corroded or damaged positive battery wire to alternator faulty ground wire alternator fuse or fuse link blown engine's idle rpm below 800
Well I hope you located the source of the drain however if you were unable here are a few possibilities: It could be a bad alternator or a faulty wire/switch/relay. Hard to say by the brief problem reference. I've dealt with several electrical gremlins in my 1987 Ford Mustang GT over the years. Try some basic cleaning of battery terminals and cpu ground/engine grounds would be a great start grab a scotch brite pad or better yet a steel wire brush from your local hardware store.Get the terminals/grounds nice and shiny. I do Hope you're able to track down the drain.... P.S. Look at alarm as a Possible drain if one is installed.
If it was put in backwards there is a good chance you fried some ground wires, check that and all your fuses first. If the positive cable, (or any wiring for that matter), seems at all suspect then replace it, its not that expensive and is easy to replace.
Have you checked your alternator? Watch the battery guage and see where it is when the car is running. If it's below the 1/2 way mark, you may not be getting enough voltage to keep the battery charged. Otherwise there may be a loose battery cable either at the battery or at the engine. Check the ground wire at the engine block and make sure the positive is tight at the starter. There is also an alternator fuse; check the owners manual for the location.
Possible that the alternator is faulty , the charging section of the voltage regulator charger is faulty, finally there is some heavy shorting in the circuit or a possible poor ground connection from the battery to the chassis.
You will need to charge the battery and recheck once again to confirm , check the charging voltage and check the drain.
Find this link useful:
CHECK ALTERNATOR FUSE AND CHECK FOR DAMAGE WIRES GOING TO ALTERNATOR.NOW IF BATTERY CABLES ARE OLD THE POSITIVE CABLE MOSTLY CAUSE HIGH RESISTANCE IN CHARGING CIRCUIT CAUSING NO CHARGE CONDITIONS.MAKE DRIVE BELT IS NOT SLIPPING KEEPING ALTERNATOR FROM CHARGING.
The one wire goes to the battery positive or positive on the solenoid. If this is right check your grounds, make sure the battery grounds to the body in the engine grounds to the body and the alternators grounded to the engine. If this is good take the battery and the alternator to an auto parts store to have it tested. These types of alternators have the voltage regulators inside them. Also make sure the belt is tight for the alternator. Good luck.
either the fan is bad or you need a temp. sensor, to check fans, run a wire from positive on fan wires to positive on battery, if need be ground fans!! if they are ok the fan should start running,,
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