Not Charging

[RunUoveR]

sunday night my battery died. i jumpped it and it died again so i threw a rebuilt alternator on

it died again...

so i threw a new battery in it

lasted 2 days/40 miles and it just died again

help??

[BigMikeIT]

Rear window defroster?
I had a short stint where I thought the rear defroster would click on by itself, rather I nicked the little handle with my hand and the small orange light was barely visible in the daytime. It should shut itself off, but sometimes it doesn't.

Stuck bulb? A wet ground?

I also had a problem once where a Lincoln/Mercury dealer replaced the positive (+) cable with a black cable. The battery died, then Allstate called a service truck to jump the battery. They didn't look at the battery terminals and reversed the polarity. A big white poof of smoke from the alternator and fusable link. *>poof<*

There could be a damaged ground someplace.

[RunUoveR]

well if the defroster or another accessory was on and killing the battery while it sat thats one thing but i would think once the car was running and charging the alt would be making enough power to keep everything going regaurdless?

[RunUoveR]

dude, idk. ive been digging around and nothing looks out of whack. maybe i got a defective alt?

could it be that easy?

[86VickyLX]

Could be a bad connection. Does your amp light work?

[RunUoveR]

it never came on, none of the warning lights did

[79lincolnlover]

sunday night my battery died. i jumpped it and it died again so i threw a rebuilt alternator on

it died again...

so i threw a new battery in it

lasted 2 days/40 miles and it just died again

help??

Fender-mounted solenoid? It's located near the battery.

[Lincolnmania]

is it charging?
if not i bet one of the fusible links in the alternator harness is fried

[BigMikeIT]

is it charging?
if not i bet one of the fusible links in the alternator harness is fried

That's what occurred on my alternator after the poon-head reversed the polarity on the battery boost.

On my car it was a fat brown link. Not sure on the gauge while at work.

[RunUoveR]

ya its not charging. i was comming home sunday night and noticed my headlights getting dimmer and dimmer. it made it home but didnt have enough power to crank up again. thats when i bought the new alt and replaced the old crappy looking battery

alt diagnosis isnt my strongst area of automotive knowlege so any help is extreamly apperciated

[86VickyLX]

Do what Scott said and check the fuseable links. Follow the rectifier harness, from the alternator to the starter solenoid, there are a few, to inspect a link, pull on it, if it's bad it will pull apart. Also inspect the connectors to make sure they aren't melted and that none of the wires are loose.

Edit: the rectifier plug is rectangular, it has two black with orange stripe wires and a white with a black stripe wire. We are dealing with an original setup alternator right? Not a 3g.

[RunUoveR]

ok cool ill check it out some more

ya its all original

[87gtVIC]

Maybe this has been suggested already but is your alt idiot light lighting up momentarily when turning on the car? The alt idiot light is crucial to the charging system.

[RunUoveR]

no it doesnt come on at all. both the engine lights and the seat belt lights do though.

wonder if i jiggled the bulb around too much when i put those LEDs in last week?!? that one bulb being blown out would throw my whole system out?

also, comming off the solonoid hot side is a blue/orande wire with a 20g fuse link on it. it wont pull apart at all but the middle has a spot in it that bends real easy

[86VickyLX]

if the charge light isn't coming on at all, you need to replace the bulb. Also I don't think the LEDs work for the Amp light. It'll stay lit whenever the car is on, since it has a low turn on voltage. Fix the bulb, you will have charge!