Project Little Green Turd

[wizkid00104]

Charge Indicator

So in the past few days, I have been getting the battery light on the dash board. But it doesn't turn on and off it fades in and out with engine RPM. Its not always consistant, but its usually out at idle and will fade in as the RPMs increase. My first thought was a bad ground, but I checked resistance between the housing and the battery and I got less than 0.5 ohms. I cleaned my ground terminal to the battery anyway.

Tomorrow I am going to check the wire and plug on the alternator.

I was reading the testing procedure from the tech library, so I guess that will be next.

Has anyone experienced these symptoms?

 

[wizkid00104]

It looks like it was a loose connector on the alternator. Light went off completely on the past test drive. I hope it stays the off


Sent from my iPhone

 

[wizkid00104]

Pulled the alternator out and one of the brushes was shot. This eliminated the charge light when I first started the truck. After driving it for 5 minutes, the light faintly came on again. I picked up a new regulator at lunch today and I'll probably swap that in tonight. For the record, brushes are very cheap and easy to change. Way cheaper than buying a new alternator, I just wish it would've fixed my problem

The top brush on the old pair was worn down through the pin hole in the brushes, probably a 1/4" more than the bottom brush.

 

[88_Eddie]

the old autozone i worked at actually sold alternator rebuild kits. way cheaper than buying a new one. i never saw anyone buy one, nor would they come up when we searched for an ALT for someones car. but they were back there on the shelf, covered in dust.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Huh I didn't know that! Gonna give it a try next time!!!

 

[wizkid00104]

Agreed. My bearings spun nice and smooth on mine. If this doesn't fix the problems, then there is probably a short in my windings. Yay... more $$$ lol.

 

[wizkid00104]

Regulator seemed to solve the problem... Lets see how long it lasts! Total cost for regulator and brushes with Advance Auto discounts was $40. Its a lot cheaper than a new alternator. And for the record, I have a 130 amp alternator on my truck and the brushes and regulator from a 95 amp seemed to work fine. The brushes were identical, I'd assume the regulator would be too.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Sweet! I've been thinkin about adding a 2nd battery and bumpin up to a 130 amp alt.

 

[wizkid00104]

I changed up to the 130 amp back in 07 or 08. I know I bought it on ebay, but I can't remember what model I bought. I know it was for an F250. I used the article in the tech library to figure out what worked.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Ok thanks for the info! I'll look it up when I go to do it.

 

[dhkonrad]

On some of the 95 amp alternators you can swap guts from a 130 amp so you don't have to buy a whole new one. There is an industrial motor rebuilding shop down the street from me, and they said they would do it for about $80? iirc. Figured next time my alt needed a rebuild I would have them do it, so I would have a practically new alternator and 130amps, all for less than 100$.
You might look into that route cause it might be cheaper than buying a whole new 130 amp...

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

That's cool! I didn't know that was even possible!

 

[dhkonrad]

Neither did I. I happened to be in the shop for a different alternator and in passing asked about bumping up ranger alternators. He walked out to my truck and looked at my alternator and informed me he could just swap all the necessary internals from a 130 amp in next time I had it in there.

 

[94 lngbd]

My 94 2.3L has 130 amp alternator listed for a 94 explorer 4.0L, got it from autozone a yr ago

 

[wizkid00104]

I broke something yesterday trying to get up the hill to my house. I believe its my t-case, but I am not positive. The case shifts into 4wd and 4low, but its almost like it doesn't want to catch. Any thoughts?