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    #1

    Intermittent Battery Light

    In the last few days, when I drive the car after it has sat for a few hours and I get around 3 or 4 miles down the road, the battery light briefly would flash and go away. There haven't been any weird quirks outside of that. I took the car on a decent drive today and got no light. I also checked the battery while the car was running and I was getting a constant 14.5v. When the car is off, I'm getting around 13v.

    Now I did change the serpentine belt and installed a new Gatorback on it last weekend (the original one was OE), but the odd battery light didn't occur until Thursday. Also, for the record, this is a 6G alternator from a '98 CVPI, not the original 3G one. I think it has around 250K miles on it now. I have a new voltage regulator on order for it just in case. Anyone else got any other ideas why this might be happening?


    My Cars:
    -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
    -1979 Ford LTD Landau (38K Miles) - New Cruiser    ​
    -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
    -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
    -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner
    Tags: None
    #2
    Could be a crusty connection, or the alternator brushes being right nearly worn out.
    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

      #3
      yeah... I'm wagering the brushes are about shot. Which means the slip ring (part with the contacts) is also about shot. I've rebuilt my 3G once and have the parts on hand for one more rebuild (bearings and slip ring - brushes are a trip to AutoZone/Oreily away).

      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

        #4
        https://youtu.be/hhpZ2Sc3j9s


        Looks like a pain in the ass. I also don't agree with their method of fixing bearings. THose should have had grease in them originally. Once the grease is done, the bearings are pretty much done too. You can loosen up old grease with oil, but it'll run out and screw you in a bit. For all the bother, new bearings are cheap.
        Last edited by gadget73; 09-05-2015, 11:41 PM.
        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
          Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
          https://youtu.be/hhpZ2Sc3j9s

          Looks like a pain in the ass. I also don't agree with their method of fixing bearings. THose should have had grease in them originally. Once the grease is done, the bearings are pretty much done too. You can loosen up old grease with oil, but it'll run out and screw you in a bit. For all the bother, new bearings are cheap.
          I might just bang off the back and see how bad off the brushes and slip rings are. I guess I should be impressed for how long it has lasted considering its prior use. The junkyard only charges around $25 for an alternator and I can turn in a core and get some money back. If I don't go the junkyard route, a good new or re-manufactured one can be had for around $125 or so.

          I still did not get a warning light driving to or from work, but I am still curious as to what prompted it. I hate electrical quirks, especially those that only present themselves briefly and then everything somehow returns to normal.


          My Cars:
          -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
          -1979 Ford LTD Landau (38K Miles) - New Cruiser          ​
          -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
          -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
          -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

          Comment

            #6
            I figured out the problem, and I didn't even have to take the alternator off. The small plug with the green and yellow wires had an issue. The yellow wire's connector pin had been shoved backwards. It would appear the plastic that held it in place broke so the pin was just sitting on top of the contact on the alternator. Engine vibrations would sometimes cause it to not make contact and result in the battery light coming on. I'm going to get a new pigtail on order and for the time being, get the connector glued into place so it won't back out when it's plugged in.


            My Cars:
            -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
            -1979 Ford LTD Landau (38K Miles) - New Cruiser            ​
            -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
            -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
            -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

            Comment

              #7
              That'll do it. And that's Not on my list of things I would think of to check for either.

              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

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