Hi all
I had a dead alternator replaced today after having the car die on the highway. However the little light on top of the battery is still red - will it turn green again?
I measured the voltage across the battery and got 13V when the car is OFF and 14V when the car is on - so I think the new alternator is running and the battery is charged at least for now. But I am worried that the little light on the battery hasn't gone back to green. Or is it a "once its red it stays red" kind of deal?
I'm no expert, but it could be an indication of a low electrolyte level caused from the deep discharging...
may need a bit of water to top it off, but maybe someone can verify/deny my claims..
darkpuppet,Jul 19 2006, 06:31 PM Wrote:may need a bit of water to top it off, but maybe someone can verify/deny my claims..
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Ding!! ding!!
Pop off the covers and fill it up with water, drive her around for a bit after and she'll be green again. :D
Flofocus,Jul 19 2006, 05:39 PM Wrote:darkpuppet,Jul 19 2006, 06:31 PM Wrote:may need a bit of water to top it off, but maybe someone can verify/deny my claims..
[right][snapback]198119[/snapback][/right]
Ding!! ding!!
Pop off the covers and fill it up with water, drive her around for a bit after and she'll be green again. :D
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Isn't this a so-called "sealed, maintenance-free" battery that can't be topped up though?
Sure looks like nothing opens up... but I'll go take another look.
Yeah, thats what they say. Everything requires maintenance once in a while. We do own a ford heh.
Took it for a spin on the highway... battery still reads 13.5V with the car OFF, but the indicator is still red. I guess I'll give it a few days and see what happens.
It doesn't look like there is any way at all to open the battery and top it up.
maybe the CCA is too low, voltage can be approx 13 but the battery can still have low amperage. Maybe it needs a high current charge to boost it up?
paolo,Jul 19 2006, 07:28 PM Wrote:maybe the CCA is too low, voltage can be approx 13 but the battery can still have low amperage. Maybe it needs a high current charge to boost it up?
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How would I do that?
I read in my Haynes manual that if the battery is completely drained (as mine was) it can take up to 3 days to fully recharge it - so I guess I will play it by ear for a few days...
Ok, after driving for about an hour on the 401 this morning to work, the light is green again. :)
good stuff, it was probaly just the amperage was too low.. One hour of driving = enough charge time to boost your battery to useable level again.
paolo,Jul 23 2006, 08:07 PM Wrote:good stuff, it was probaly just the amperage was too low.. One hour of driving = enough charge time to boost your battery to useable level again.
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Well the next day it was red again, and the car almost stalled a few times coming to a stop or slowing down, and the battery light would flicker. I took the car back and had the charging system and battery checked out and they came back ok. I reset the ECU and tightened all the connections at the battery, ground, plugs, coil pack, mafs and tightened the clamps around the intake tube. Been running like a champ for a few days now and the light is green on the battery again and staying that way. :)
I think the battery was just so low that it took a few days to get fully charged up.
Well here is something that everyone should know. An alternator should never be used to charge a drained battery. If you ever drain a battery the best way to keep from burniong up your alternator is to use a battery charger to recharge the battery. Your battery iun the car is only there to start the car and the alternator is there to provide power needed to run the car. If one of the 2 systems fail the other will soon folllow if imediate action isn't soon taken.
You can usually use your alternator to recharge a drained battery but it does put a lot of sterss on the unit and isnt recomended. I am sure there is a few different views on this topic but this is what I was tought in my many years of training in the automotive aftermarket.
I hope this info helps you or anybody that finds themself needing a boost.
Well I spoke to soon. Car was sluggish this morning and the CEL came on. Took it back to Ford and they are changing some pressure feedback valve. 300 bucks including diagnostics. So pissed.