Electrical weirdness?

[SoundGuyDave]

Okay, here's an odd one...

I normally don't drive my Mustang that often, so it sits... and sits... and sits...

After a month of sitting, the battery is dead, no big deal. After cycling it a couple of times, I just up and replaced it with a new Motorcraft piece, and all looked good. Kept it on a 2A trickle-charge, and then took it out to head to the strip, and all hell broke loose.

Car fired fine, no issues. After a 2-minute warmup, I headed out for the strip, and part-way there, I noticed my gauges (aftermarket electrical) shut off, and at the same time, the ABS and traction control icons came up on the gauge cluster. A short while later, they turned off, but the brake light and PATS (car with padlock) icons came on, and the fuel and temp gauges shut off. A short while later, the car starts backfiring, surging, the trans kicks in and out of gear, so I pulled off the highway and shut down. On attempted restart, the starter just clicked. I didn't have a voltmeter handy, so no static voltage readings. Also, no "battery" and no check-engine lights. No codes, either.

I got towed back to my shop, and charged the car up again. Three days later, I took the car out again, and was able to notice that the same thing was happening, but this time, I kept a close eye on the electrical accessories (windows, radio, blower motor), and it APPEARS that there is a steadily falling voltage, based on window speed before and after turning on the headlights.

Normally, I would call this a bad alternator, but WTF is with no codes and no idiot light? I'm under the warranty period, and this would be the third stock alternator, so if I can get Ford to pony up for one, I would rather do that than pay cash, but I'm modded up enough to piss off my dealer... Anybody seen this before, or have a TSB to point to?

No big stereo, electrically, all I have is a set of gauges, electric water pump, HID headlights, and a timer circuit for the fan and water pump. I know the timer circuit is working properly, and the timer and gauges are on a 2A fuse, so no huge draw there.

Thoughts?

 

[don_w]

+1 on the alternator, IMO. I'm on #3 myself. But I've always seen P0340 codes when it's starting to go. No code is kinda weird for sure.

BTW, my third alternator did not come from Ford. I got a reman unit here locally. And if (when?) it goes, I'll seriously look at the 200A PA unit.

 

[2kanchoo]

Take her to a battery shop. They'll test the battery with the car off then with it on and when you rev the engine. That'll tell ya if it's the battery (which I kinda doubt) or the alternator (which would be my guess as well)

 

[cekim]

I'd say alt or rodents... Sitting cars are their favorite...

Look for poop in your your spark plug and nooks and crannies on your intake. Then check for chewed wires...

Also corroded/lose ground straps...

 

[don_w]

Look for poop in your spark plug and nooks and crannies on your intake.

OK... I've shown a lot of restraint lately, but this one has to go in the sig.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

I'd say alt or rodents... Sitting cars are their favorite...

Look for poop in your your spark plug and nooks and crannies on your intake. Then check for chewed wires...

Also corroded/lose ground straps...

LMFAO!!!!! That's awesome, and I should have thought of that myself, but I can pretty much rule that one out... The car may sit, but I'm CONSTANTLY working on little projects here and there, and at the shop (pro audio), there's no food for the wee beasties to be attracted to... That plus I keep my engine bay pretty clean, so I would have noticed. Good thought, though! I've got somebody coming over to follow me to my preferred shop, and we'll see later today!

 

[cekim]

LMFAO!!!!! That's awesome, and I should have thought of that myself, but I can pretty much rule that one out... The car may sit, but I'm CONSTANTLY working on little projects here and there, and at the shop (pro audio), there's no food for the wee beasties to be attracted to... That plus I keep my engine bay pretty clean, so I would have noticed. Good thought, though! I've got somebody coming over to follow me to my preferred shop, and we'll see later today!

They like the insulation behind the body panels and under the carpets and the accessible, but not too accessible engine bay for sleeping spots. No food needed, they bring it with them... Cars make great and safe nests...

Learned this the hard way a long time ago - traps at the tires and/or car up on the lift... Close all the doors and windows...

 

[cekim]

OK... I've shown a lot of restraint lately, but this one has to go in the sig.

Laugh all you like - SoCAL is one big ant hill...

Fortunately for you, ants don't eat cars like mice do...

 

[don_w]

Laugh all you like - SoCAL is one big ant hill...

Fortunately for you, ants don't eat cars like mice do...

Lots of ants in SoCal, yes... but I found an exterminator about 12 years ago that is awesome. I don't know what they do, but it frikkin works. No ants around my place.

 

[MikeVistaBlue06]

Disconnect your battery and turn the key as if you were going to crank your car. This will reset your PCM.

Then hook the battery back up and see if it goes away.

Strange shit can happen when your battery dies and you recharge it. If the PCM isn't reset, it can retain some weird shit that could be the cause of your issues.

+1 on rats and mice as well. Squirrels will do the same shit!

Hope this helps.

Mike

 

[tom281]

Electrical gremlins suck....... I replaced my factory alternator with a PA 200a unit back in April. Guess what? Today after cruising down the interstate for about 75 miles, I shut the car off and when I went to restart it, my voltage (aftermarket guage) was 12.0 with the car running. Eventually went down to around 9v when the car shut off totally due to lack of voltage/current. The PA200 is bad! Thankfully I was at Brenspeed and they loaned me a factory alternator off of one of their shop cars so that I could get back home. Even with the factory battery draining to 9v, it still cranked the car up once we put the other alternator in it- no jumper at all.

I will be calling PA tomorrow to have a repair done- meanwhile my car will be sitting while they repair a 6 month old, $300 alternator.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

Well, I finally got the car to the repair shop I use, and it was a bit of an adventure...

Car crapped out about 4 blocks from home (3.5 miles from the shop) in the pouring rain, so I jumped it and made another 3 blocks or so, then repeat... Trying to conserve power the whole way, no wipers or lights (did I mention rain?). Gave up and called the shop for a tow. I HATE tow trucks!! The shop's flatbed was on it's way to a DISTANT location, so they sent one of the mechanics down with a wheel-lift truck, even after they mentioned that there was no way the wheel-lift truck could hook me up, as lowered as I am, with the Steeda front fascia. However, they had a plan! On the front seat of the truck was one of those jumper boxes... Set it on top of the fuse box in the engine bay, and used a bungee to tie the hood down. Car fired right up, and away we went... The tow truck is leading, with all the lights fired up, I'm right behind (maybe 10') with my 4-ways going, the hood propped open about 8" in the front and a bungee holding it down, and of course, I GET CUT OFF!!!! What a fucking moron!! Finally made the last turn, heading for the shop, about 500' to go, with the rain, and oh, yeah, the wind... The bungee stretches, the hood lifts, and.... Now I'm doing the "guido lean" to look under the hood as I try to slow down, and find a place to pull over and re-set the hood... About that point, I notice that I'm getting cut off, AGAIN!!! SUV-driving soccer mom, on the cell phone. I stop, the hood slams down (ouch!) and we're off to the shop.

The battery was too far down on charge to do any real testing, so it's on the charger overnight, and we'll get into it first thing in the morning.

Thanks to my mom for following me (God bless her! Her 328 is in the shop, so I loaned her my Focus, and she didn't bitch about giving it back when the Mustang went tits up!), and thanks to Carbotech for making the brake pads that kept me from inheriting Chrysler trunk badges for hood ornaments. I suppose it would be easy to miss my car, it's got a big fucking cowl hood, loud exhaust (no cats) and a big number "86" on the doors...

Update when I have one... But it really sounds like an alternator. Anybody know if there is an inline fusable link?

 

[don_w]

Well, I finally got the car to the repair shop I use, and it was a bit of an adventure...

I know it was a major PITA for you, but you have to admit that is a funny story.

 

[tom281]

There is an in-line link on the factory charge wire but I doubt that it's blown...... good luck.

 

[SoundGuyDave]

It's an alternator... It'll be back up and running tomorrow.

 

[cekim]

It's an alternator... It'll be back up and running tomorrow.

Good to hear - as I think you are aware from past experience with older stangs, Ford alternators have always been bad at charging deeply discharged batteries

Which of course is what an alternator should be able to do, but they seem to assume that the alternator never has to deal with a charging load greater than the discharge a battery would see overnight...

In other words, kill a battery a few times in storage and you are likely going to see a Ford alternator take a dump on you. It's better than it used to be, but still an weakness...

 

[SoundGuyDave]

Good to hear - as I think you are aware from past experience with older stangs, Ford alternators have always been bad at charging deeply discharged batteries

Which of course is what an alternator should be able to do, but they seem to assume that the alternator never has to deal with a charging load greater than the discharge a battery would see overnight...

In other words, kill a battery a few times in storage and you are likely going to see a Ford alternator take a dump on you. It's better than it used to be, but still an weakness...

You've got that one right... Ford seems to have ALWAYS had POS alternators on their cars... '68 Mustang, '73 Cougar, '73 XR7, 88 Escort GT All had at least one alternator replaced. Might as well add the '06 Mustang to that list. Twice.

At least all's well that ends well. The car will be done in time for my track outing this weekend, so at least I get to abuse it one more time before parking it for the winter. Battery tender and battery switch, here I come!

To all who offered advice or moral support (or even a good solid belly laugh), THANK YOU!!

That's the reason that I hang around this forum, the people.