Charging system issue

[CowboyBilly9Mile]

Hold on, lol, charter member doesn't equate to 40+ years of working as a tech at a Ford dealer. However, I've also worn out shoes from marching around the block many times.

Lots of posts here, but it appears that there are a series of electrical issues and most of them involve instrumentation. First reactions here are, grounding issue and connection/ground issue. I don't know your vehicles electrical, but I have seen very strange things happen when ground straps, if OEM, are missing. Frame to engine, battery to frame, body to frame, etc need to be there and in good condition.

The other thing that caught my attention was the part way back about the voltage at the battery dropping from 13.9 to 8.5V. I don't know how long that event took, but I do know that to do this will take some time (with a good and fully charged battery). So. Just something I noticed.

On parts, me only buys parts when diagnostics prove that buying it/them will fix a problem, or that methodical diagnostics demonstrate that the likelyhood is EXCEPTIONALLY high that the new part will cure the issue AND there is no other way (example, pinpoint diagnostic) to confirm a part failure. By doing this, it saves money, time, and a ton of frustration.

Somehow, I hops this helps. IMO, focus on one issue at a time unless the *things* you are working on are unquestionably, unrelated to each other.

 

[Blue_Mule55]

charging system issue

Well a couple of things come to mind and I have the appropriate items on order and they'll be there for this next go around. Both of the battery cables are pretty well done for. The nuts to tighten the terminals to the posts are shot to h*** , so that's first and foremost. The fusilinks and the alternator pigtails will be replaced as I have my suspicions on that one having talked it over with the guy behind the NAPA counter here who spent considerable time on the floor as you and I and more than likely a number of others have. Figuring out where the ground straps use to be shouldn't be to much of an issue since I have the entire set of service manuals and from what I've read in just flippin thru the pages thus far, there's a couple of them I know that aren't there. Yet that is. they will be. Soon.

the "event" such as it is, took some time to get to the 8.5 VDC on the DVOM as when I would drive the 8-9 hours to get to the location where its now at I would as a rule disconnect the battery terminals just to be sure the battery had something left in it when I got back to it. That travel time will be reduced by 3/4ths the time when I relocate to 160 miles from it. Then, I can have some real fun with it. This last time when it dropped pretty fast and before I got dumb and pulled the positive cable off while it was running took maybe 5 minutes? But the thing is, I was watching various gauges ( dash cluster) taking note of what was and wasn't working ( various little items which could or could not be simple bulbs) and running a scan tool watching for any engine codes , which never appeared when the battery/charge gauge got my attention. It was then I got really curious and whipped out my OTC DVOM and plugged it into the battery and , well, the rest is history.

From what I've been reading, this particular year, model , make and engine application was a one year run , which I find pretty peculiar just due to the item of having a very hard time finding any in wrecking yards . So either they made this thing to last or , it was a basket case form the get go. I'm guessin' the former over the latter as I sure don't have any issues finding most of the new parts to put into it. Soon to include injectors.

If you've got even a hint of any thing re: the ground straps , lay it on me. I don't know this truck as well as I do my '76 F-250 , but I'm learning. Fast.