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    '80 lincoln charging problem

    So I am stuck driving my lincoln for a few weeks till I get my 79 merc on the road . This morning I came out to a dead batterie. So I boosted it to get to work, after I get there turn off the car and go to fire it back up and click click. So after boosting it again, I pull the negative cable off the batterie it still runs, So I tested the alternator and while running with the cables off its charging at about 14.5 volts. So I grabbed another batterie that tested good and put it in. That was fine for a while. Then tonight after about an hour of driving I came home, shut it down and now again the batterie is deader then a doornail. So Im kind of lost. If the alt is charging why has the car killed to batteries? could it have something to do with the volt regulator? oh I'll add that the first batt it killed was only about 6 months old.

    1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series
    351 4 bbl, AOD, 3.08 open
    duel exhaust with cherry bombs

    #2
    If the regulator was bad I'd think it would read high or low volts while running. So the battery is drained immediately after driving and parking it? That's bizarre...
    Pete ::::>>> resident LED addict and CFI defector LED bulb replacements
    'LTD HPP' 85 Vic (my rusty baby) '06 Honda Reflex 250cc 'Baileys' 91 Vic (faded cream puff) ClifFord 'ODB' 88 P72 (SOLD) '77 LTDII (RIP)
    sigpic
    85HPP's most noteworthy mods: CFI to SEFI conversion w/HO upperstuff headers & flowmasters P71 airbox Towncar seats LED dash light-show center console w/5 gauge package LED 3rd brake light 3G alternator mini starter washer/coolant bottle upgrade Towncar power trunk pull underhood fuse/relay box 16" HPP wheels - police swaybars w/poly rubbers - budget Alpine driven 10 speaker stereo

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      #3
      Yea I am puzzel'd..

      1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series
      351 4 bbl, AOD, 3.08 open
      duel exhaust with cherry bombs

      Comment


        #4
        Does the alternator get hot when the engine isn't running? I've seen shorted regulators or rectifiers cause that problem. Also, the trunk or glovebox lights aren't stuck on are they?
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          #5
          check the hood light bracket too. That's the one I had to bend back to get my Mark from draining the battery.

          Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
          rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
          Originally posted by gadget73
          ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
          Originally posted by dmccaig
          Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

          Comment


            #6
            no lights stuck on. But remember the batterie is dead immediately after shuting the engine off. This is the second batt.

            1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series
            351 4 bbl, AOD, 3.08 open
            duel exhaust with cherry bombs

            Comment


              #7
              mine didn't exactly act like that, mine the dash amp light bulb blew and i put on a new alternator new voltage reg. still nothing. read a thread on here about the dash light took my dash apart and the wiring sheet that runs the gauges on the back with the flat copper connetors had fallen apart so i ran a hot in run jumper to the light green striped wire on my voltage reg. and everythings been fine since.

              Comment


                #8
                What's the battery voltage at when you shut the car off? You got some kind of draw that's killing the battery. If the alternator is charging, then there's no way that the battery should be going dead that fast.

                My bet is that under a load, like for example, the headlights are too much of a load on the alternator that has a weak output. Jump the car again, and run the car. Hook a volt meter up to it, and then put some loads on the system, wipers, lights, radio. If it can't supply the voltage necessary, you got a weak alternator.

                Comment


                  #9
                  ok that makes sence. It was fine thru the day. just tonight with the headlights and heater motor going is when it wouldent start, Same as this morning beacuse of driving last night with the lights and heater going. Also I notice with every time everything is running like lights heater etc sitting in drive with my foot on the break every thing dims and heater motor slows down, after speeding back up every thing brightens back up.. So im going to try an alternator.

                  1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series
                  351 4 bbl, AOD, 3.08 open
                  duel exhaust with cherry bombs

                  Comment


                    #10
                    my Mark did that too with the stock alternator. I installed a 3g alt and it still does it a little, but not near as much.

                    Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                    rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                    Originally posted by gadget73
                    ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                    Originally posted by dmccaig
                    Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      the stock alternators on those are rather pathetic, 50 amps or something. The 130 works so much better its not even funny.
                      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment


                        #12
                        yea i would do a 3ag conversion mang

                        1986 lincoln towncar signature series. 5.0 HO with thumper performance ported e7 heads, 1.7 roller rockers, warm air intake, 65mm throttle body, 1/2" intake spacer, ported intakes, 3.73 rear with trac lock, 98-02 front brake conversion, 92-97 rear disc conversion, 1" rear swaybar, 1 3/16" front swaybar, 16" wheels and tires, loud ass stereo system, badass cb, best time to date 15.94 at 87 mph. lots of mods in the works 221.8 rwhp 278 rwt
                        2006 Lincoln Town Car Signature. Stock for now
                        1989 Ford F-250 4x4 much much more to come, sefi converted so far.
                        1986 Toyota pickup with LSC wheels and 225/60/16 tires.
                        2008 Hyundai Elantra future Revcon toad
                        1987 TriBurner and 1986 Alaska stokers keeping me warm. (and some pesky oil heat)

                        please be patient, rebuilding an empire!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Well I think its all fixed up now.. After changing the alt batt and voltage reg everthing seems to be working properly......so far. I always had alternator noise comming thru the speakers and that is now gone to. No more dimming sitting at ildle in drive. So Im pretty sure that the calpret was the voltage reg, baught that brand new for $40.
                          Before I did all that I hooked it up to the charging system tester at work, and with nothing on it was at 14.5 v and with everything on the volts kept droping way under what it should have been..
                          So anyways I think its fine now.. But thinking of a 3G swap not to long from now.

                          1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Signature Series
                          351 4 bbl, AOD, 3.08 open
                          duel exhaust with cherry bombs

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Grand_Marquis_LSS View Post
                            So after boosting it again, I pull the negative cable off the batterie it still runs, So I tested the alternator and while running with the cables off its charging at about 14.5 volts. .
                            Excellent way to kill an alternator. The "old" style alternators with an external regulator were more tolerant but it is still not healthy. You can kill a newer alternator by doing that just a single time. The only way to test an alternator accurately is on a test bench or with a good battery connected to it. The voltage regulator can be tested seperately on a test bench.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Its especially a bad idea to do this with a computer controlled car. The unstable and dirty power coming out of an alternator can have unhappy results with the ECM and other electronics.

                              Sounds like you had a dead rectifier, which will cause weak and dirty output at a minimum, but can also create a sizable drain if it failed shorted. Usually the alternator gets quite warm if thats the case.
                              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                              Originally posted by phayzer5
                              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                              Comment

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