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10-18-2009, 10:53 PM
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89 ford ranger xlt 4x4
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 14
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alternator, battery, and smell of something cooking!
well lets start this disaster story.
about a week ago the blinkers got really slow. no other problems till yesterday. granted my little baby has been a hard start since i got it. but i started her up like a champ yeasterday drove about 6 blocks parked walked in walked out, tried to start and wouldnt do it for me. took out the battery ( very old ) took to napa had it tested the cranks were low so got a new one. put in, fired up like a champ. drove around about an hour, drove home parked around 4 pm yesterday, came out tonight at around 8 was driving around for about an hour and the rpm started fluctuating sounding like it was gonna shut off. a deep bloppp bloppp bloppp. i made a u turn and stepped on the gas and lights shut off and the engine cut out. so i get out look under the hood to make sure no loose wires on the battery and alternator. hop in and push start it. fired right up, drove about two blocks and it started sounding the same but worse. no weird sounds except the idle. so i keep the gas pressed and shift and the engine cuts out again. but now im rolling downhill so i try to pop start it and it will not fire. so im thinking my fuel filter is needing to be replaced. it wont turn over and after rolling down the hill while trying to pop start i got to the bottom and parked it. then here comes the smell of a cooked battery. if you have ever fried a rechargable AA battery then you know the smell. maybe wires i dont quite know. but i know the battery is dead on it cuz the lights are too dim and and cant roll up widows. but someone please help me out. i gotta move it by 2 tomorrow. thanks in advance!!!
CMALI
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10-19-2009, 04:17 AM
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Blinded by the light
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,674
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Unfortunately none of that is going to help diagnose it on the internet. You need to have the battery and alternator tested first and come back with results.
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10-20-2009, 12:20 PM
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89 ford ranger xlt 4x4
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 14
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update
so i took in the alternator and it tested good. so im guessing there is a bad wire coming from my alt to the bat and the car? and the cooking smell seems to be the power steering fluid. i dont know how but it exploded out the top of the reservoir. the cap was on tight still and the seal is still amazing. also how bad is it if the engine was turning over while tring to pop start it? it wouldnt pop start but the engine was still turning over? for about 3 long blocks down hill. i just really hope i didnt hurt my engine.
so the battery was dead alternator tested good, but they said that it tested good but but was not under a load as of what my truck would give it?? so they couldnt 100% say it was fine. aslo the alternator thats in the year of my truck has 6 wires instead of the conventional 3 ive always seen. but it all feeds from one main wire? one set of the 3 wires has a quick disconnect fitting to easily take it off the alt. the other set of 3 is hard wired to my harness. so i had to cut it out to get it tested. i chased all the wires from the battery to the starter to both grounds and everything is tight and in good shape. so someone please give me some input or ask me a few questions. maybe im missing something here that is stupid simple. and i dont want to go out and replace parts i dont need to replace. thanks again!
CMALI
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10-20-2009, 08:49 PM
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Ford Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 548
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You sound like me, it's always something. I hope you can figure it out.
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10-21-2009, 08:21 PM
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89 ford ranger xlt 4x4
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 14
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help guys
hey guys does anyone have any input about this? please give me some ideas. i just looked at the schematic in my book. doesnt help me at all. should i just replace the alternator and see if it fixes the problem. i really dont want to though!
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10-22-2009, 06:50 AM
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Blinded by the light
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,674
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If you want to troubleshoot this yourself, you will need a voltmeter. Do you have one?
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10-22-2009, 07:10 AM
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Ford Ranger Driver
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 548
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Do you have tow service with your insurance. Any time I need a tow, I get reimbursed. The cooking smell, what does it smell like?
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10-22-2009, 08:40 AM
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Blinded by the light
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,674
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The cooking smell was probably the power steering fluid spilled on the engine block and exhaust being burned off.
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10-22-2009, 11:58 AM
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89 ford ranger xlt 4x4
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 14
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yeah i found out what the cooking smell was the power steering fluid just by looking the next day in the light. and no tow service, and yes i have a voltmeter. but as far as the alternator goes i cant really get at the wires to test them. there are two seperate plugs with 3 wires in each, and one is hard mounted to the alternator and wont come out and that same one is hard wired to my harness. i aready cut it out tho to get it tested and its now floating around under my hood till i get some advice on this. i was reading around in my book and talked to a freind that said it might be the voltage regulator? but is that the same one that is mounted directly on the alternator cuz my friend said it might by mounted to the firewall or bumper frame?
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10-23-2009, 05:51 PM
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Blinded by the light
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,674
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You need to calm down with begging for answers. Not everyone lives on here all day. Some people have lives, jobs, and families to attend to now and then. It might also help if you tell us what vehicle this is.
With the engine running, check the voltage at the battery. It should be hovering around 13.5 to 14.5. If it is anything less, the alternator is not charging. This could be a problem with the alternator or the fusible link that connects the alternator output to the electrical system.
Your battery is toast. Buy a new one. You don't kill it or drain it that much without wrecking it. Buy a new one regardless.
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10-23-2009, 11:39 PM
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89 ford ranger xlt 4x4
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 14
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its an 89 ranger 4x4 xlt v6. and i have already established the alternator does not wanna charge the new battery. i had the alternator tested 3 times and they said its amazing every time. the fusible link is what i dont know, and i dont see anythign listed in my book of magic thats notes to it. but the alternator is also not powering my car once i start the car off the battery. it just eats up the battery and im back to square one again.
and i apologize for trying to get an answer or any help at all just really need the truck back up and running pretty badly. pretty pretty badly. dont have the money to take it in or tow it to a shop even. but thank you fireranger and sorry to bug.
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10-24-2009, 06:57 AM
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Blinded by the light
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,674
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What book of magic are you referring too? That not helping.
The fusible link is on the main power wire from the alternator the underhood power distribution block. Rather than an inline fuse, this is basically a section of wire about 6" long that will pretty much vaporize if too much current is drawn through it. Rather than a fusible link, it may also simply have a big fuse in that underhood power distribution block. I don't know how the '89 was set up.
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11-04-2009, 09:31 AM
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89 ford ranger xlt 4x4
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 14
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ok so update update!!! to an update.
i got it fixed. i got it done a few days ago when i got the time to work on it. so after chasing down all the wires and testing them all to see for any resistance and chacking the grounds and fuses i put the original alternator back in wired it all back up and started the truck. everything worked fine. charging at 14 v and looked promising. but after about 5 minutes and the engine warmed up and it kicked over from the start up idle the alternator stopped charging again. so the only thing i could point at that would make sense was the voltage regulator which was located on the back of the alternator. so i went and picked it up for 20 bucks and everything has been fine since. i havent had any problems till the other day when now my windows wont roll down. hahaha. its one thing after another. haha. but i can live with that for a bit. i know i need a regulator in pass side. but anyone got any simple ways to change one out, cuz i dont have nor want to go pick up a rivet gun just to use for 5 minutes. any hints and clues would be helpfull.
thanks again guys.
CMALI
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11-04-2009, 11:25 AM
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Blinded by the light
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 7,674
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Your regulator problem makes sense. As the regulator heats up from both current flowing through it and engine warmth, it soldered connections or breaks in the circuit board expand causing a break in the circuit.
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