Issue! Battery Warning Light

[flynford]

What's up raptor enthusiasts! So I just Had my first "major" problem with my truck after 10 years.. Yesterday my battery Warning Light Came on. I tried replacing the battery hoping that would solve the issue, didn't help. In the mean time It also started making this weird whining noise whenever the battery light would pop up. I put the old battery back in bc I didn't want to ruin a brand new Optima Red Top (hopefully the new battery is still fine). Started to smell a weird burning electrical wire type smell as well. When I opened the hood I noticed pine cones stashed up in my engine compartment maybe from squirrels or other rodents. I have found pine cones under the hood before so there is a chance its unrelated but they could be chewing up the wires?
I know some will maybe say alternator and it could be, but I have a feeling its not. A week or two previously I did have a dead battery assuming it was my stereo and running lights were on while truck was off. (battery died pretty quickly, hence why I thought I needed a new battery), the alternator had charged the dead battery back up. maybe that was its last leg idk...
Any advice would be greatly appreciated?
I have an apt. to take it in to Capital Ford in Carson City but still is a lil ways out, feb 2nd.
This just started happening yesterday and I'm not driving the truck bc I don't want to damage it any further. Probably going to have to tow it to the dealership. Maybe put on 4-8 miles in total with the problems that started happening just to get home.

Do you happen to have a volt meter handy? You don't need a fancy/expensive one and if you don't have one it would highly suggest to have one in the tool box anyway. If so, check the voltage while engine-off, and then again when the engine is running. If the alternator is working it should bump the voltage to 13.5 to 15.2 range. If there is no change then it's gone. If you get little change then it is dying a slow death.

One thing to note, especially for folks who install aftermarket gadgets/gear that these Fords don't have much for switched hot circuits. Even with no extra gear installed, the battery won't stay charged well enough to start the truck after a couple weeks. If the battery is in good condition, you can still hear the weaker tone when cranking. My older Fords can be parked for months and not observe a degradation as compared to the newer Fords. This is because of the many items on the truck are powered-on with the engine-off-key-off. I decided to install a Switch Pro myself and found this out on my own and hunting down a switched hot took some time. Also, be sure that there are fuses installed for the gadgets/gear you have had installed. For the very reason like you stated, things happen, in this case critters maybe chewing on wires and if there aren't fuses there, it could cause intermittent shorts while you're driving around town to where you maybe frying wires for while until its gone. Or, later things get pinched and severe shorts develop. Depending on what gear you installed you may not know until you try it again.

 

[Silver2Raptor]

BB gun for rodent, Ford for anything else don’t get mad at price you have the best thing that ever happened to you!

 

[Milertimeraptor]

Do you happen to have a volt meter handy? You don't need a fancy/expensive one and if you don't have one it would highly suggest to have one in the tool box anyway. If so, check the voltage while engine-off, and then again when the engine is running. If the alternator is working it should bump the voltage to 13.5 to 15.2 range. If there is no change then it's gone. If you get little change then it is dying a slow death.

One thing to note, especially for folks who install aftermarket gadgets/gear that these Fords don't have much for switched hot circuits. Even with no extra gear installed, the battery won't stay charged well enough to start the truck after a couple weeks. If the battery is in good condition, you can still hear the weaker tone when cranking. My older Fords can be parked for months and not observe a degradation as compared to the newer Fords. This is because of the many items on the truck are powered-on with the engine-off-key-off. I decided to install a Switch Pro myself and found this out on my own and hunting down a switched hot took some time. Also, be sure that there are fuses installed for the gadgets/gear you have had installed. For the very reason like you stated, things happen, in this case critters maybe chewing on wires and if there aren't fuses there, it could cause intermittent shorts while you're driving around town to where you maybe frying wires for while until its gone. Or, later things get pinched and severe shorts develop. Depending on what gear you installed you may not know until you try it again.

very good info thank you!
I haven't installed any aftermarket electrical stuff to my truck yet just for that same worry. To answer your question about the voltage I have not yet tested. I don't have a volt meter at the moment and didn't wanna drive my truck to a local auto parts store in its condition and screw it up even more.
Good news is, I have a mutual friend coming up to ski Lake Tahoe from Canepa Designs out of Scotts Valley very high profile cars and one of the best diagnostic techs ive seen. He's going to show me how to diagnose my truck with a multi meter? (I believe) and will give me the tool once he's done helping me diagnose the truck, then I will know how to use it for future problems too.

 

[Milertimeraptor]

BB gun for rodent, Ford for anything else don’t get mad at price you have the best thing that ever happened to you!

In Lake Tahoe using a bb gun for squirrels would be a full time job haha. Especially with my aim. Please explain what u mean by "the best thing to ever happen to you?" if your talking about my raptor I completely agree!

So as of now I think I will try and tackle this problem myself if it truly is just the alternator. will keep you guys posted!
by all means any other advice still at this point, definitely willing to listen.

 

[CoronaRaptor]

In Lake Tahoe using a bb gun for squirrels would be a full time job haha. Especially with my aim. Please explain what u mean by "the best thing to ever happen to you?" if your talking about my raptor I completely agree!

So as of now I think I will try and tackle this problem myself if it truly is just the alternator. will keep you guys posted!
by all means any other advice still at this point, definitely willing to listen.

Take pictures as you replace it!!

 

[Milertimeraptor]

how do you guys feel about replacing all the belts pulleys and tensioners? figure might as well anyway since ill be in there...
https://www.fordpartsonsale.com/v-2...-4l-v8-flex/cooling-system--belts-and-pulleys
comes out to be about 400 bucks with everything including alternator
minus 75$ core charge for the alt. seems like a pretty good deal

 

[flynford]

Did you friend come out last weekend to help you diagnose the problem? As for the above, depending on the mileage, I'd just stick with the belt, but if there is bearing noise then replace the items that have bearings which should only be the tensioner assembly.

 

[KOBRA2848]

I would stick with just changing the alternator and a new belt. The idler pulley and tensioner are pretty easy to replace if they start making noise. I would give them a spin with the belt off to make sure they spin freely.

Mark

 

[Milertimeraptor]

Did you friend come out last weekend to help you diagnose the problem? As for the above, depending on the mileage, I'd just stick with the belt, but if there is bearing noise then replace the items that have bearings which should only be the tensioner assembly.

My friend wasn't able to make it unfortunately. I don't really want to drive it though. I'm thinking about going to o'riellys to just buy the tool to diagnose it myself I don't know how complicated that is but I'm sure I could ask the parts guy how he would use it to see if my alternator is working. All signs kind of seem to be that's the problem anyways. I can always send back the parts/ pulleys I don't use but figure I would rather have them while everything is torn apart just in case I need them.

 

[Dane]

My friend wasn't able to make it unfortunately. I don't really want to drive it though. I'm thinking about going to o'riellys to just buy the tool to diagnose it myself I don't know how complicated that is but I'm sure I could ask the parts guy how he would use it to see if my alternator is working. All signs kind of seem to be that's the problem anyways. I can always send back the parts/ pulleys I don't use but figure I would rather have them while everything is torn apart just in case I need them.

You are SOOOOO overthinking this. This is a two hour problem/solution, and it has been days. There isn't anything to tear apart. There is a positive and negative connection, a couple bolts, and the belt.

Go pick up a $10 multimeter, set it to DC voltage. Take a reading on the battery - positive to positive, negative to negative - should be like 12ish volts if your battery is good/charged. Now test with the vehicle running. You should be more like 14ish, odds are you aren't. If you aren't, your alternator is bad. Replace it.

Option two. Remove your alternator. Take it to the parts store. They'll test it for free. If bad, put a new one in.