New battery one year ago, because battery drained; May 2012 voltage drop and van would not start, unless charged battery, and then would keep draining; installed new alternator and serpentine belt end of May 2012; end of December, voltage dropping to 10 or 11 while driving with dash lights and headlights dimming and brightening, but no issues with starting and no noise associated; Battery tested good. New noise under hood during acceleration and ongoing drops in voltage; (This noise sounds the same as what you would hear IF you had power steering issues and turned the wheel sharply.) Beginning of January 2013, noise increase..sounds like belt is squealing, but only during acceleration; voltage is low after letting vehicle sit over night, and remains around 10 or 11. If I drive to the store and shop for 15 minutes or so and go back to the van, it has a normal voltage of 14 from that point on, while I drive and run errands. The squeal remains, though. Took it to Meineke and they did an inspection manually and with computer diagnostic tools, but, they could not find anything wrong. Help. Opinions and advice appreciated. ~ HHH
if you removed the dome lightbulb then there is no longer a draw from the battery there but if the ashtray light light does not go out then over a period the battery will go dead or drained to the point to not the vehicle
check battery voltage when you turn off car. it should be 12.5 volts.if drops 11.0 volts the battery is got a weak cell in it.i bought a sears die hard battery it last 2 years the battery had a defect .it had a bad cell it short out the battery.check alternator wires for defects.
Not to well versed on the S-10 electrical system but I would take a look at the voltage regulator.
It sounds like there is a malfunction that charges your battery sometimes but shorts out the alternator other times. Try having it tested or replace it
WD-40 will not do the trick for cleaning your terminals. WD-40 was developed during the 2nd WW to combat moisture in radio equipment in the South Pacific. WD stands for water displacement and the 40 is for formula #40. To clean the terminals you must disconnect them and use an abrasive such as emery cloth to remove the corrosion. They should be brite and shiny when you put them back together. I always cote mine wit dei-electric grease before re-assembly
This vehicle has a "Regulated Voltage Control" system. The computer reduces the charge voltage based on several parameters to improve gas mileage. Normally it shouldn't be a problem, but the computer will increase the voltage if you switch on the headlights. Also, if you're in Tow/Haul mode the voltage will increase.
Most likely it is the voltage regulator in the alternator . this is common of a alternator be for going bad, some times this is caused from jump starting.rarely it could be a intermittent short. but it would save a lot of time to have the alternator Thrilley tested or even replaced.it really don't mater about the volt out put.if the reg. is failing .hope this helps .if you want any further assistance feel free to ask.we are here to help.
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
Make sure the battery has a full charge and battery connections all good. Engine cranking, the vehicle systems get battery voltage. Engine running, the vehicle systems get generator voltage, that can be several volt difference.
It seems like years ago I heard about removing spark plug on a vehicle that was hard to start, because of low battery. I tried it and it worked. Of course the engine was noisy as heck and it didn't run worth a darn, but, it started. In that example, I don't think it would matter which plug? I tried that about 50 years ago.
You can use digital multimeter across battery posts, everything off. The generic spec for a full charge is around 12.6 volts. Leave the meter leads touching battery posts, have helper turn key to crank, generic info says it shouldn't drop below 9.6 volts. If it drops way down, you need to get it checked out.
Also, if you have that spider fuel system, it is noted for problems.
It is likely that the engine management system has lost its base line calibration. If the battery is weak and during the crank to start the voltage dipped low enough the Engine Control Module lost its calibration. If the pedal is depressed during the crank the TPS (Throttle position sensor) will lose the idle position for the throttle. The hunting and surging and resultant stalling is the ECM seeking out the limits and re-establishing the throttle idle plate location.
If battery is OK than running the car allowing the calibration of the vehicle to reestablish itself will correct the problem. My experience is that this happens if the gas pedal is depressed during crank with a very very low battery voltage. Always the best way is to not touch the pedal during any cranking starting procedure. Or after a battery replacement.
To accelerate the calibration process attempt to run the car ingear tring not to allow the car to stall. After afew munites the car will have reestablished its normal running calibration and you will be allset.
ENGINE HESITATES WHILE ACCELERATION LOSS OF ACCELERATION It can be fuel pressure issue or it's the problem with accelerator pedal or its clogged filters causing there. There are many other possibilities. I suggest you to go through the list of help links mentioned below, these will help you to confirm where the actual fault lies: ------- Jerks and Hesitates During Acceleration? http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/07/2004-dodge-town-country-jerks-and.html ----------- Loss of acceleration? http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/02/loss-of-acceleration.html --------- Headlights flickering and car hesitates to start? http://howtobyme.blogspot.in/2012/02/headlights-flickering-and-car-hesitates.html -------- How exactly the Vehicles Accelerator Cable works? http://repairhelpcenter.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-exactly-vehicles-accelerator-cable.html ------------- How exactly Vehicles Accelerator Pump Diaphragm Works? http://repairhelpcenter.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-exactly-vehicles-accelerator-pump.html -------- 2000 Toyota Avalon: Engine Lean Codes and Knock Sound on Acceleration? http://whatisbyme.blogspot.in/2012/05/2000-toyota-avalon-engine-lean-codes.html --------- 2004 Toyota Avensis: Acceleration And Deceleration makes noise on Front End? http://whatisbyme.blogspot.in/2012/05/2004-toyota-avensis-acceleration-and.html --------- Wheel hop under hard acceleration? http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/04/wheel-hop-under-hard-acceleration.html -------- 2009 Chevy impala accelerator pedal sensor? http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/02/2009-chevy-impala-accelerator-pedal.html --------- Nissan Pathfinder stalls and bucks on Acceleration? http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/02/nissan-pathfinder-stalls-and-bucks-on.html -------- Acceleration lag problem? http://repairhelpcenter.blogspot.com/2012/01/acceleration-lag-problem.html ------------- These details will help. Thanks.
Many batteries may only last around three years. Check battery voltage at rest before starting. Any voltage in the low 12v range may be a sign of a faulty battery.If low voltage present, then perform a parasitic drain test:1) Disconnect battery POSITIVE terminal and connect ammeter in series, between battery positive terminal and positive lead. DO NOT START THE VEHICLE!!
2) With all vehicle doors closed, alarm off, lights off, radio off, and all other accessories off, wait for around 20 minutes and then read the ammeter. A healthy system should read about 0.03 amps and little more. If reading more, then the vehicle could be suffering a parasitic amp drain, and you will need to locate this issue.
3) Reconnect battery when finished.
If no major parasitic drain present, yet low battery voltage then:
4) With vehicle started, check the voltage charge from the alternator. Connect voltmeter to battery terminals and take reading. A healthy system should be charging in the range of 14volts or down to around 13.5 volts. If reading around 12 volts only, then check and replace alternator.
Check the cable connections to the battery. If they are loose or dirty, clean them and tighten them. Check the battery for water while you are at it.
If that is okay, have an auto parts store check your charging system - they do it for free. You could be in the early stages of alternator failure or diode failure.
I had a van that did this for years but was always leery of it.
Hello, This happens alot. To fix this, you need to fully charge the new battery before you install it. Although you have a 12Volt system, the battery needs to be at 13.2 to 13.6Volts for a full charge.
You will find that the battery can quit charging even at 70MPH. The reason for this problem appears to be a combination of two features on Ford vehicles. The Battery minder is an automatic cutoff Feature for when headlights or another drain exists in the system. The Battery minder makes a mistake and reads the charging of the low battery as a drain and disconnects the charging system. The other Feature is the Anti-Theft control, which can reduce Starter voltage and interfere with other electronics to make sure your truck does not go far if stolen.
Even if you jump start a Ford with a low battery, it can automatically disconnect the charging circuit within 2 or 3 minutes of removal of the jumper cables, unless the residual Voltage reads a full charge.
I hope my solution is very helpful to you. If you have a Voltmeter on your dash, glance at it once in awhile until this problem disappears.
You need to check for something that is a constant drain on the battery.
Is the underhood light staying on?
Are the interior lights left on?
Is the glove box light staying on?
Has anything been added to the van recently like an alarm, radio, amplifier, etc?
Do you leave your GPS unit plugged in or cell phone charger plugged in?
I would start my search (since you have already had the alt output checked) looking for something that is draining the battery slowly.
×