Ok, So As I said trip was great, But. When I got in my ranch, I turned on the brights, alot of Mule deer and Elk, better to see them than not. 5 minutes later the headlights started flashing I had to drive with low beams.
The next day it started the not starting without a shot of fluid. I ran into town. 28 mi, Had to use fluid to start again even warmed up.
Once started ran great.
The next day I had to go to Gallup NM. 75 mi for groceries, I didnt want to unload the water tank from the truck. So drove the mustang, it ran great to gallup.
When I stopped, as I walked past the front end
I thought I smelled the battery off gassing, but didnt think much more about it, when I came out it started without starting fluid, and I got on the road back home. 12 miles from gallup I noticed the amp gauge was above normal . temp gauge was in normal but at 3/4 where it is usually right in the middle.
I pulled off, turned it off, open the hood, I smelled the battery again, coolant was good.
I had cleaned the terminals before the trip from Texas, BUT THE POSITIVE SIDE HAD CORROSION AGAIN
now thinking back, I Did Not List That In My Original Post. But the + was unusually corroded, but not effecting the cranking, at that time.
WHEN I WENT TO START IT, THE STARTER STUCK AND KEPT CRANKING EVEN WITH THE KEY OFF, with no wrench
All I could do was grab the NEG and start pulling back and forth till I ripped the wires loose from the brass cable end attached to the post.
By that time there was alot of smoke coming from starter cable, positive battery cable, and the right side fender around the solenoid, and voltage regulator. With pliers
I repaired the neg cable as best I could, touched the cable to the post, never saw that much sparks ever from a battery, the starter was still stuck,, I FIGURED STUCK SOLENOID from to much voltage
AND GAVE IT HIT WITH THE PLIERS AND TRIED THE CABLE AGAIN, STARTER STILL ON, HIT IT AGAIN REAL HARD SEVERAL TIMES,
That did the trick, starter was off, I let the electrical cool down about an hour
It would turn over, and try to start with fluid but no fuel at the schrader valve.
AAA 60 MILES
TRIED TO RUN CODES, NO CODES, NO CLICKING JUST three 000s nothing else
I replaced the voltage regulator, solenoid, battery cables
I checked EVERY fusible link, ALL GOOD.
I BELIEVE ITS TIME FOR A NEW ECM/ECU,
If it were good, I think it would give me some kind of code,
Am I wrong ?
Or Is there something Im missing ?
What I Have learned is, I believe that when a voltage regulator is going bad, it can put out enough voltage to crank the engine, but not enough to power other components at the same time as cranking,
I believe that is why the car would start on fluid.... once the cranking was done
The faulty voltage regulator was able to give the ECU power for fuel pump etc.
With the amount of voltage needed for the starter, a bad regulator cant give the ECU the amps to send power where needed , thats what I believe . I am no expert. I could be wrong but.
I think my whole problem, had to do with the volt reg, now it over amped and fried my ECU
Any thoughts from someone that understands auto electric would be helpful. SORRY about my long post
THANK YOU
