Hello All!!

I have a 2000 F150 w/ 5.4L. The other night, I left to go to work and when I started my truck I noticed the dome light flickering and the head lights flickering. I figured as I was driving the problem would go away.

Well the flickering got worse right away so I turned around and took it home. As I was almost home the radio quit working and when I hit the brakes when pulling into the driveway the ABS light came on and then went out. I just shut it off and took my other vehicle to work.

In the morning when I got home I looked and the Ground terminal was caroded(sp). I checked it with a tester and the battery tested ok and the alternater testes ok. the connecter was pretty worn out so I figured I'd replace the connecter and It would be ok...

I put on a new connecter and when I fired it up, It didn't want to start and once it was running, the moter was running like crap...spitting and sputtering. I went inside and was looking at my Hanes and It said that a bad battery connection will cause those problems so I replaced the new connecter with another one and started it and it was doing it still. plus the radio still doesnt work and I noticed the battery guage is reading really low??

I was going to replace the whole ground wire but I don't know where it goes or if that is even the problem.

I need input PLEASE!

TIA

 

Did you test with a volt meter or a true battery and alternator machine? You should take your battery to your local parts place and have them test it. It will show more than just putting a meter on it. Not sure where the cable goes but prolly to the block somewhere. Sorry I'm not more help.

 

I am not sure what kind of machine it was. It was a little hand held one my friend has. I am going to take it to have it checked and maybe get a new battery.

I followed the ground wire and it goes to the starter...but there is one wire that goes from the battery and two that connect to the neg on the starter. I don't know where that other wire comes from/goes. I thaught it might just go to the frame but there is a wire already from the battery to the firewall.

 

Sounds like your alternator is dead or on its death bed. Start your truck and then disconnect the battery, if the truck dies then its your alternator.

 

Dont do this...You can very easily fry alot of electronics, including your PCM, with the voltage spikes. My 99 superduty did something similar to this and it ended up being a corroded fuseable link behind the battery. Follow the wires out of your alternator the big wire charges the battery and the small wire that runs along with it supplies 12v to the alternator so it will charge. Both of these wires run through the same fuseable link and the small wire was corroded off right at the link. Might be something to check out

 

Don't do any cable disconnect when running.
That's old school carb stuff.
The alternator is not putting any charge back into the battery.
No re-charge = poor operation all around.

 

Thank you for all the advice!!

I will keep you posted on what happens!

 

I saw that little bit of corrosion on my negatve cable near the terminal, and thought it was no big deal. After having some similiar problems, I peeled the insulation down about a foot, and it was corroded all of the way through.
I replaced it with a new one from Ford with all of the correct connections and lengths, and that solved my problems.

 

If your system voltage is running under 11VDC then you are already doing much more damage than disconnecting the battery will do. Lower voltage = higher amperage through all components. The reason some people fry all of their electronics when they disconnect the battery is because they disconnect the small wire that runs from the positive cable to the alternator, that small wire supplies a signal to the voltage regulator which in turn varies the field current to the alternator, when it is disconnected the alternator goes to full output and the electronics can only take about 10-15 seconds of that.

 

This makes absolutly no sense.

 

Let's correct a miss statement from the north pole.
Lower voltage does not equate to higher current flow.
Electrical law (ohms law);
example;
10 amps = 10 volts divided by 1 ohm resistance = 10 amps current.
Change the voltage to 8 keeping the same load resistance and the current is now 8 amps.
Lower not higher current with a drop in voltage into the same load resistance.

Usually higher voltages cause the distruction of solid state devices by breaking down the junctions in the devices.
High currents overheat the devices that can't get rid of the heat fast enough.
These are two different actions.

 

Ohms law is only half of the equation. Power (in watts) =Volts X Amps. If your load (power) does not change then if the voltage drops then the amperage must increase.

 

Your full of it!
Ohms law includes it all.
P = I X I X R as well a E X I.
Give an example and keep the load the same as I stated.

 

Saturday I found out my battery was bad so I put a new battery in it and it fired right up. No problems or anything, Took it down the road and everything went well! But......

I took a Volt meter to the battery to see if the Alternator was working properly. With the truck running the meter was reading in the 12.1 to 12.5 range fluctuating while in the throttle but never more than that. I drove it about 50 miles and when I got home I tested it and it was reading the same thing.

I would think if the Alternator was completely shot that the battery would have been drained. Could I just need a new alternator or could the problem just be in a wire somewhere????

 

Test behind the mega fuse to be sure.
If you see no rise in voltage with high idle, the alternator is faulty.