blow it up

[redline redneck]

4.0L V-6 ranger

new battery...........................check
new altanator.........................check
conections all good..................check
wires all good..........................yep
charging system charge normal...nope

i'm at a loss with this thing, it's still charging but way low, even with the new altanator and i'm outa ideas and need the truck to haul the toys........

 

[sicivicdude]

What does the alternator check out look like when they run it on the machine?

Bad diodes? Bad regulator? or just low charge voltage?

 

[motoman9911]

Are you sure the wires are all good?

When replacing the tranny in my Taurus SHO some wires weren't put back in the original location. After like a month or something my car wasn't charging. I replaced the alternator 5 times in a week. The battery would test good when the car was jacked up, but when it was put down it would be low, if would charge at all. After inspecting the wires, one wire had rubbed through and was contacing metal. Wrapped up the wire and that fixed the problem.

 

[redline redneck]

brand new alt, and even had them check that one out in the slim chance it was bad from the store

 

[sicivicdude]

Check the engine to chassis ground wire. The computer uses reference ground on the regulator to change its charge rate.

If the alternator and battery are both good, you've got a wiring problem.

 

[redline redneck]

checked the ground from back of motor to firewall and it was good, and there is another one from the starter silanoid to body and that one is good, not sure of where there is anymore grounds tho......

 

[99LRDblaster]

God I hate dealing with electrical sh*t on quads and cars.....go figure I'm looking into a BMW M3 with software in it. :facepalm

 

[sicivicdude]

There is a ECU ground usually from the wiring harness to the intake manifold. Like a bunch of small wires and sometimes a grounding block over behind the drivers side headlight.

 

[redline redneck]

i know right, that why i don't care for these newer cars, to much electronics to go wrong, lol

 

[Paullew]

I've seen many alternators come from the store bad. Especially the stores with the lowest price. What about the voltage regulater? Although on some those are built into the alternator.