97 SHO Charging Problem???? Help Please

[SHO04093]

Hey guys I have 97 SHO that I have been having trouble with it seems that it is eating batteries??? I just put a new Battery in it about 3month ago because one day I went out and for some reason It just wouldnt start at all. It just Clicked and nothing You could Jump it and was ok for a bit but then all of a sudden the samething. So I changed the battery ok and it has been running great then yesterday it did the same exact thing. I actualy went out and started it in the morning and it started just fine but then five hours later when i went out to use it the battery was dead and i mean dead. I have no idea why so I jumped it and seemed to be ok but then today I went for a ride and when I got to where i was going i shut the car off for a minute and cause i was afraid of it not starting again i tried to turn it over and it did just fine but i figured wait 2 minutes and within that 2 minutes the battery was dead??? I cant figure this out at all?? any ideas?? Guys ? The battery is like brand new ??? One thing I noticed ok guys is that when I have the car running and i disconnect the battery the battery light does not come on in the car while the motor is running ??? Shouldnt that come on? I am kind of lost for words on this guys so any help would greatly be appreciated thank you

 

[SHOZ123]

Your alternator is toast.

 

[SHO04093]

Alternator is toast? Ok can i have it tested?? On the car? What i dont understand is why the battery light doesnt come on???

 

[SHOZ123]

You can test it on the car yourself with a voltmeter, may read good may read bad. But it still is on the way out.

Best you can do is find a place to R&R it with a warranty.

Or if you change it yourself be on good terms with the store you choose that offers a lifetime warranty.

 

[naval-avi8or]

Alternator is toast? Ok can i have it tested?? On the car? What i dont understand is why the battery light doesnt come on???

I would take the alternator out and have it tested. If the alternator was toast the car would have died after you removed the jumper cables. There's NO way that you charged the batt with jumper cables enought to start and operate the electrical system. IT WOULD HAVE STOPPED WITHIN SECONDS AFTER REMOVING THEM. It could be weak, but it sound like you have a draw somewhere thats discharging the batt. Also does your batt light illuminate when you initally turn the key to run (during all the diagnostic checks).

 

[PFA]

Usually if you pull the battery cables while it's running, if stays running the Alt. is fine. If it dies, the Alt. is bad. Check the battery. It may have a dead cell. Did you check the voltage output of the alt.? or battery?

 

[SHO04093]

The battery is brand new is the thing. The car continues to run while I have both cables disconnected from the battery. But doing that wouldnt the battery light on the dash Come on at all? I was thinking the samething that possibly there is something else that is drawing the pwer and causing it to discharge, I was thinking the starter or something but it starts beautiful any ideas i will have the Altenator tested for sure.

 

[SHO04093]

Yes the battery light does come on when i turn the ignition key to on before Starting then once i start the vehicle it goes out.

 

[SHOZ123]

Another outside possibility is corrosion at the MEGA fuse.

 

[SHO04093]

Another outside possibility is corrosion at the MEGA fuse.

Where would the MEGA Fuse be Located at please? Thank you for all the help Guys keep the ideas coming

 

[SHOZ123]

On the passenger side of the engine fuse box. The cable closest to the radiator is the alternator output wire. 99% sure the problem is the alternator though.

 

[SHO04093]

On the passenger side of the engine fuse box. The cable closest to the radiator is the alternator output wire. 99% sure the problem is the alternator though.

I probably think you are right about the altenator but my question is why doesnt the battery light come on when the car is running and i disconnect the battery completely?? i have everything running like the lights the Four ways and radio everything and it runs and the battery light doesnt even come on ??

 

[stephen newberg]

Its a 10 year old car. The light could be defective. Did the warning light come on briefly when you were first turning the ignition before you started to have this problem?

pax, smn

 

[SHOZ123]

I don't trust Fords battery light. When i had the VAK hooked up which shut the alternator on and off some times the light came on and sometimes it didn't. A volt reading is the only true measure of alternator performance. Yours is probably just barely putting out enough amps to keep the car running. When the load becomes too great then you get the IC light show.

 

[SHO04093]

The light comes on when i turn the ignition to on just before starting yes then when Starting the car it goes right out. I agree there is only one true way to know and thats to test the altenator.

 

[SHOZ123]

All you need is a volt meter. Go for 1/2 hour drive with the lights and other electrical loads and before you shut the engine off check the battery voltage. This should be about 14V. Anything lower than 13.5V means the alternator cannot keep up.

 

[naval-avi8or]

I probably think you are right about the altenator but my question is why doesnt the battery light come on when the car is running and i disconnect the battery completely?? i have everything running like the lights the Four ways and radio everything and it runs and the battery light doesnt even come on ??

Because the light will only iluminate if the charging system is not supplying 12.5 volts. Hence the reason the car doesn't die after the jumpuer cables are removed.

It very well may be a bad set of batt cables to the starter and alt.

 

[me6894]

I probably think you are right about the altenator but my question is why doesnt the battery light come on when the car is running and i disconnect the battery completely?? i have everything running like the lights the Four ways and radio everything and it runs and the battery light doesnt even come on ??

wait are you saying you disconnect the battery while the car is running?! if you are doing that i highly recommend you dont. that causes voltage spikes and it can ruin pretty much everything, your PCM, BCM (if equipped)... bad stuff

 

[SHO04093]

Ok I used a Multimeter and checked it and the Voltage is at 13.51 thats with no lights on and everything as in all accessories off ok ????

 

[SHO04093]

Actually its at 13.67 ok but that is with nothing on at all but with just the engine fan kicking on it drops to 13.31 ok shouldnt that kick back up ? to compensate the Load guys???