1993 3.0 ranger ground issue?

[Bill4]

My 1993 ranger runs really bad when the head lights or blower motor are on. I've added a body ground and a engine ground with no change. Any ideas?

 

[franklin2]

Take a voltage reading. Somewhere like the cigarette lighter or some other convenient spot. Take the reading with the lights and blower on, and then with the lights and blower off. You can also rev the engine and see if that makes a difference in the readings.

 

[Bill4]

Take a voltage reading. Somewhere like the cigarette lighter or some other convenient spot. Take the reading with the lights and blower on, and then with the lights and blower off. You can also rev the engine and see if that makes a difference in the readings.

I show 14.4 at battery and 13.9 at cigarette lighter

 

[Bill4]

Drops to 14 if i turn electric fan and head lights and blower on

 

[Bill4]

Maybe it's not a ground issue the electric fan grounds right to the battery runs bad when it's on

 

[franklin2]

Those voltages look good. Trying to think of another good spot to check. A 5v power wire from the computer(common wire to the fuel injectors)? A power wire on one of the ignition coils?

 

[Bill4]

Seems like it's a bad alternator. Seemed to run fine with it unhooked. I put a 10si I had laying around on it and I'm going to take a long drive tomorrow to see how it goes.

 

[Josh B]

I wonder if your ground to the battery isn't stronger than its' ground to the frame

 

[Bill4]

Well the alternator was the issue somehow. The 10si worked but couldn't maintain a charge with the cooling fan on. I didn't want to give up on not buying parts so I managed to get a chevy cs130 I found in the barn on there and it's working good.

 

[Josh B]

Did you break down the alternator and have a good look inside?

A lot of people take old alternators in as trades and bring back one from bumtruk india that will too soon burn out and can't be fixed

many times you can fix an old name brand one with no more than some sandpaper