Well i just start by saying i did something stupid here. The otherday at work i left the dome light on in the mustang. So i get a buddy to go jump it. He hooks it up to his car first then i go to mine and it sparks like a sparkler. So i yell at him and ask if he has the cables backwords. Nope it was me. The terminal on the neg side was painted red on my car. Great. Anyways smoke came from my battery and also i heard something pop like a fuse. So I throw a new batt in and everything starts up fine, but the batt light is on. But i drove it all the way home(20 miles) with the light on etc. No prob. I start it everyday and let it run for several min and everything seems fine. But the light is still on. Now the batt gauge seemed to get a little lower. So i guess my question is by jumping the wrong termianl could i have messed up the alt? But if the alt was fried would a batt last that long before dying???? sorry for the long post.
Batt light on,need help
- Thread starter Rynb15
- Start date
timewarped1972
Member
you may have also fried the fusible link going to the alt power wire from the starter selenoid.......start with testing the alternator first, and look at your starter selenoid and the wires going to it. if your charging system is the original 2g alternator, there's a green wire on one of the posts that goes to the alt and it has a fusible link on it.....
Fuseable links are a wire that act like a fuse. When they get overloaded, they
open circuit and do not pass current. The alternator fuseable link is in the wiring
harness connected to the starter solenoid. If you are not skilled in automotive
electrical work you may find this difficult.
See the following website for some help from Tmoss (diagram designer) & Stang&2
Birds (website host) for help on 88-95 wiring http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/
http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/images/IgnitionSwitchWiring.gif
http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/images/fuel-alt-links-ign-ac.gif
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds
You will need an ohmmeter or DVM (Digital Volt Meter) or Multimeter to measure the resistance of the fuse links. You will need to disconnect the positive battery cable to make the measurements. You should see less than 1 ohm across a fuse link.
open circuit and do not pass current. The alternator fuseable link is in the wiring
harness connected to the starter solenoid. If you are not skilled in automotive
electrical work you may find this difficult.
See the following website for some help from Tmoss (diagram designer) & Stang&2
Birds (website host) for help on 88-95 wiring http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/
http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/images/IgnitionSwitchWiring.gif
http://www.veryuseful.com/mustang/tech/engine/images/fuel-alt-links-ign-ac.gif
Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds
You will need an ohmmeter or DVM (Digital Volt Meter) or Multimeter to measure the resistance of the fuse links. You will need to disconnect the positive battery cable to make the measurements. You should see less than 1 ohm across a fuse link.
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When a fuseable link overloads, it blows just like a fuse. You have to split open the wiring harness at the starter solenoid, locate the bad link, cut it out and solder a new link in.Rynb15 said:
If you are not skilled in auto electrical service, I recommend that you enlist the help of a friend who is skilled.
ya thats out of my league. I just went out and started the car and let it run for awhile. Im going to get the alt test hopefully tomorrow. But how long would a batt last if it wasent getting charged? I thoght it would have died by know. But if i rev the car up the batt guage does not move.jrichker said:
Euphoric306
New Member
- Apr 5, 2004
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timewarped1972
Member
go buy an el cheapo digital multi meter at any auto parts store. the two things you'll use the most are volts, and ohms, with one of these meters you can tell if your alt is charging the batt or not......your really need one of these meters if your going to do any work on a car......
Good point. If you want to go fast in an old car you will need either megabucks or lean to do it yourself and use the megabucks for go fast goodies.timewarped1972 said:
Step 1.) Find the instruction book that came with your Multimeter. Read it and familiarize yourself with how it works and how use it. If you lost the book or didn’t get one with it, do a Google search on the web to find the manufacturer’s web site & download a copy of the manual.
Step 2. ) Make sure that you know what test lead plugs into which jacks on the Multimeter. There are usually several different jacks on most Multimeters, and they have different functions. Make sure that your battery(s) in the Multimeter are good: if you have any doubts, replace the battery(s).
Step 3.) Once you are sure that the Multimeter is functional and you have the leads plugged into the jacks for Ohms ( the upside down “U” symbol), do some simple measurements to make sure that you know how to use it correctly. Set the switch to the lowest range and touch the leads together: you should not see “nothing” but you should see 1.0-0.3 ohms. Measure a 60 watt light bulb: cold it will measure about 17.5 Ohms. It you measure it while it is hot, the reading will be greater.
Step 4.) Make several test measurements using the ohms function and the DC volts function. Remember all resistance measurements must be done with the power off the circuit. This avoids false readings and possible damage to the ohmmeter.. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until you are sure that you can do it without making any mistakes.
Step 5.) Then see http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiB..._us/0900823d/80/1d/db/3c/0900823d801ddb3c.jsp and carefully study ALL the information under the Heading Chassis Electrical, Basic Electricity – Understanding & Troubleshooting
Step 6.) Go back and carefully re-read both of my previous posts and download and print the diagrams from the link posted. http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/large/0900823d80195963.gif for wiring diagrams.
Step 7.) Apply what you have learned and make the test measurements using the information in the wiring diagrams & my previous posts.
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