Electrical issues

741 Views 5 Replies 4 Participants Last post by ski, Mar 18, 2015

Grimstod

Discussion Starter · Mar 17, 2015

So recently I was out at an event and afterwards I get in my car and the battery was dead. No problem I had someone jump me. Everything seamed fine. I drove two blocks and my headlight suddenly dimmed way down, I could hardly see them. The guy next to me on the road start blowing his horn at be because my car had just gone essentially black. Next my warning light for my parking brake came on, the gas tank said it was empty when it was really full, and then the dashboard started getting dimmer and dimmer. I put my turning signal on to pull over and the car did not even have enough electricity to blink my turning signal.

Now I was on the side of the road. Left the engine running. Opened the hood. Nothing immediately alerted me. So I get into by glove box to find my AAA card and then I hear the engine slow down and the sound of the alternator kick in. Then my lights kick back on and everything went back to normal. I had a P1000 error code that just means the batter had been disconnected.

So what does all this mean? Battery is only two years old. Car is a 2005 GT with only 60,000. Alternator is putting out plenty of voltage. Just seams like its not turning on when the battery need it?

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ski

· #2 · Mar 17, 2015

Have a load test done on the battery, and have the alternator checked. If they check out ok, then have the battery recharged.
Also, always manually turn off the stereo before turning off the engine. The stereo in these cars is notorious for draining the battery if it's left on when turning off the engine.

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BFMacias

· #3 · Mar 17, 2015

Your alternator is dead. Most people suggest getting a 2010 alternator from Ford as they are 3 phase and not 2.

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Bullitt95

· #4 · Mar 17, 2015

BFMacias said:
Your alternator is dead. Most people suggest getting a 2010 alternator from Ford as they are 3 phase and not 2.

That was my first thought but I think Grimstod should check the wiring connections to the battery terminals, and the power wiring harness from the alternator, just to make sure nothing's loose or making poor contact.

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Grimstod

Discussion Starter · #5 · Mar 18, 2015

Thats interesting that the stario can drain these cars. Last two months I have left it of thinking that may be the case. However often when I start it in cold weather the radio resets and turns on right at start up. Even though I turned it of manually the night before. All my preset channels get erased each time I start it and the radio switches to some random AM channel.

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ski

· #6 · Mar 18, 2015

The smart junction box (SJB) may be the cause. It's located behind the plastic kick panel in the passenger side foot well. Water leakage in that area can drip on the SJB causing all sorts of electrical problems.
Check if the carpet on that side is damp/wet. If so, pull off the plastic kick panel, and check the SJB. If it's wet, then it may have to be replaced.
A frequent cause of water leaking into that area are the 2 black rubber drain grommets located under the firewall in the engine compartment. They get clogged with debris, which causes rain water to collect in the trough below the windshield, and it spills into the passenger compartment. They can be pulled out from under the firewall, and cleaned out.

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