89 LX Charging/Starting

You can have the system dynamically tested at most parts stores. Or if you have a DMM and are familiar with it, you can do some testing yourself. Knowing the output at idle and 1500 RPM with a full load can be insightful.

im haveing the same prob! cant fig it out either! Hooked a volt gauge up and it reads 12 at start and idle. Then dies after like 10 mins of driving

FoxRacer045 said:

im haveing the same prob! cant fig it out either! Hooked a volt gauge up and it reads 12 at start and idle. Then dies after like 10 mins of driving

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You might wanna start your own thread so this doesn't get confusing.

"12" [V] is not sufficient while running.

You'll want to pull codes.

Check Connections.

Could be another bad alt you've substituted. It happens.

Bad starter?

Fusible link?

Slipping belt?

Get your system checked like Hissin said.

Do you know what the output of the alternator currently installed is at idle with no loads, and with loads? Loads being, high beams, a/c, etc.... You should be pretty close to 13.5 volts or so at idle with loads off. With loads on it might fluctuate a little but should be close to 13.5 still. Test at the battery with "clean" terminals, with a volt meter, if you have access to one. If not most parts stores will do it for free, when you can get the interior back together and get it there. You couldve bought a bad alternator out of the box, it can and does happen. good luck

ZX-5.0 said:

Ok so this is my first car so what do you mean by fusible like?

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A fusible link is a sacrificial circuit protection device (similar in function to a fuse). If the links open, the alternator cannot charge the battery.

You first need to do some testing with a meter to see if checking the links is even needed.

Alternator troubleshooting for 87-93 5.0 Mustangs:

Revised 18-Dec-2010 to add alternator wiring diagram

Never, never disconnect an alternator from the battery with the engine running. The resulting voltage spike can damage the car's electronics including the alternator.

Do all of these tests in sequence. Do not skip around. The results of each test depend on the results of the previous tests for correct interpretation.

Changes in wiring for a 3G alternator are in red.



Engine off, ignition off, battery fully charged.
1.) Look for 12 volts at the alternator output. No 12 volts and the dark green fuse link between the orange/black wires and the battery side of the starter solenoid has open circuited.
3G alternator: Look for 12 volts at the stud on the back of the alternator where the 4 gauge power feed wire is bolted.
No voltage and the fuse for the 4 gauge power feed wire is open or there are some loose connections.
2.) Look for 12 volts on the yellow/white wire that is the power feed to the regulator. No 12 volts, and the fuse link for the yellow/white wire has open circuited.

Engine not running, ignition on, battery fully charged.
1.) Alternator warning light should glow. No glow, bulb has burned out or there is a break in the wiring between the regulator plug and the dash. The warning light supplies an exciter voltage that tells the regulator to turn on. There is a 500 ohm resistor in parallel with the warning light so that if the bulb burns out, the regulator still gets the exciter voltage.
Disconnect the D connector with the 3 wires (yellow/white, white/black and green/red) from the voltage regulator. Measure the voltage on the lt green/red wire. It should be 12 volts. No 12 volts and the wire is broken, or the 500 ohm resistor and dash indicator lamp are bad. If the 12 volts is missing, replace the warning lamp. If after replacing the warning lamp, the test fails again, the wiring between the warning lamp and the alternator is faulty. The warning lamp circuit is part of the instrument panel and contains some connectors that may cause problems.

2.) Reconnect the D plug to the alternator
Probe the green/red wire from the rear of the connector and use the battery negative post as a ground. You should see 2.4-2.6 volts. No voltage and the previous tests passed, you have a failed regulator. This is an actual measurement taken from a car with a working electrical system.

Engine running, Ignition on, battery fully charged:
Probe the green/red wire from the rear of the connector and use the battery negative post as a ground. You should see battery voltage minus .25 to 1.0 volt. If the battery voltage measured across the battery is 15.25 volts, you should see 14.50 volts

3.) Familiarize yourself with the following application note from Fluke: See http://assets.fluke.com/appnotes/automotive/beatbook.pdf for help for help troubleshooting voltage drops across connections and components. . You will need to do some voltage drop testing of several of the wires.



How to do the voltage drop testing on the alternator power feed wiring:
Start the car and place a suitable electrical load such as headlights and heater. Begin voltage drop testing with the power out stud on the alternator to the wire lug attached to it. Next, test from the wire lug on the alternator to the stud on the alternator side of the fuse block. Next, test from the alternator side stud of the fuse block to the battery side stud of the fuse block. Then last of all test from the battery side stud of the fuse block to the battery side stud on the starter solenoid.
Any wire or connection that drops more than .25 volts is defective and needs to be cleaned or replaced.

Start looking for these things:
A.) Bad diode(s) in the alternator - one or more diodes have open circuited and are causing the voltage to drop off as load increases. Remove the alternator and bench test it to confirm or deny this as being the problem.
B.) The secondary power ground is between the back of the intake manifold and the driver's side firewall. It is often missing or loose. It supplies ground for the alternator, A/C compressor clutch and other electrical accessories such as the gauges. Do the voltage drop test as shown in the Fluke tech note link. Measure the voltage drop between the alternator frame and the battery negative post. Watch for an increase in drop as the load increases. Use the Fluke voltage drop figures as guidelines for your decisions.
C.) Bad regulator that does not increase field current as load increases. Remove the alternator and bench test it to confirm or deny this as being the problem.
D.) Bad sense wire - open circuit in sense wiring or high resistance. The yellow/white wire is the voltage sense and power for the field. There is a fuse link embedded in the wiring where it connects to the black/orange wiring that can open up and cause problems. Disconnect the battery negative cable from the battery: this will keep you from making sparks when you do the next step. Then disconnect the yellow/white wire at the alternator and the green fuse link at the starter solenoid/starter relay. Measure the resistance between the alternator end of the yellow/white wire and the green fuse link: you should see less than 1 ohm. Reconnect all the wires when you have completed this step.

resistance

It depends on if you have the stock alternator and wiring setup that came from the factory, if you do then i would expect it to be the recalled connector that plugs into the alternator at the top. This plug or connector has been known for heating up by building up resistance in the poorly designed connector causing fires in some cars. I would get the 3g alternator upgrade and do away with the stock alternator setup or you can get the upgraded stock plug connector at autozone or advanced auto