C Dawg222

Long story short...I'm on my 3rd replacement alt along with a new battery and I'm still having voltage drops.

Do I have a bad ground connection somewhere...would that cause this?

I just got back from a 300 mile round trip, monitoring batt voltage throughout the trip....the voltage would be in good range then all of a sudden drop to 12.8-12.9 and stay there for quite a period of time. It eventually goes back to normal, to around 13.7-13.8, with a/c and lights on but it's just a matter of time before it drops again. I've even seen the voltage go up to as high as 15.2 at one point.

Let me know what you guys think.

Thanks!

Bennyp

What brand of alternator have you been using?

C Dawg222

First one was from advance auto...it was a "Tough One" brand. It was new but started throwing the occasional batt light and wasn't putting out enough voltage...it ended up testing bad and the took it back.
I then ordered a remanufactured motorcraft one that's doing the same thing as the one I'm running now, which is also a remanufactured motorcraft.

mgauts

Check the basics!!! Your alternator needs proper voltage to run correctly. Check power wire going to it, could be loose or corroded. Also check ground wire from battery to engine and from engine to frame

Bennyp

Ya..do this then..I know that Fords are Motorcraft specific about some stuff and I have heard that the alternator is one of those things.

joe mcmillan

I got 3 remanufactured alternators in a row that were all bad from Murray's. The fourth one was the charm. Have them tested in store before you go. The instore test is not always gospel tho. After the install take your truck to the store for running check out.

C Dawg222

What symptoms were you experiencing to know they were bad....were you having intermittent voltage drops?

I sent the last one back to tasca ford parts, that was doing this very same thing....I assumed it was a faulty voltage regulator. But after I got the replacement and it's still having this same issue, it's starting to make me think it might be something else like a ground connection etc.

leopold

What condition is the serpentine belt, tensioner, and idler pulleys in?

primalurges

Don't rule out the obvious. Even if you've replaced the battery recently have it tested. I have a boat with four batteries and when they start to go bad the first symptom is always the voltage drop from 14 to 12 or 13 and even though the engines will still crank and start the alternators are never able to charge to 14 and the battery eventually does.

C Dawg222

Yeah and I might add that it's a Maxx battery from Wal-Mart so you're probably right...the battery could be my problem.