quote:

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Originally posted by 91sleeper:
It's defnatley the alternator, try that first.

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Posted by shade-tree (Member # 298) on :
 
I think it's called a short
 

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Posted by 88gt (Member # 579) on :
 
My guess is that the six piece light set of purple neon lights you installed on the underside of your car is probably draining the battery pretty severely. It just plain and simply can't handle that kind of load.
 

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Posted by Jimbo (Member # 1456) on :
 
Always re check the most recent work done when a problem occurs(espically if it happens right after you do the work). As rr mustang said I would look for a short in the headlight wiring, then try the pull the fuse routine that 93 Pony talked about. It COULD be the alternator, but just because that is what caused someone elses similar problem doesnt mean thats your problem. An easy way to tell if it is the alternator itself is to unplug the alternator overnight and see if the battery is drained in the morning. Hope this helps.
 

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Posted by ONELOWSPLITBUMPR (Member # 2067) on :
 
IT IS NOT THE ALTERNATOR!!!!!!!! alternator is only designed to charge the battery when the engine is running!!! IT IS NOT THE ALTERNTOR..... possibly could be a glove box light stuck on, some circuit is using power, check the mirror lights, ashtray light....does it have an alarm??
 

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Posted by 93PONY (Member # 60) on :
 
Woops.
I ment Amps....not volts.
& to properly test it, you'll have to disconnect the negative & jump it with the multi-meter.
 

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Posted by shade-tree (Member # 298) on :
 
very common for an alternator (with a @#$load of miles) to develop an internal short.

so yes, it could be the alternator...
 

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Posted by TheBrain (Member # 35) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by ONELOWSPLITBUMPR:
IT IS NOT THE ALTERNATOR!!!!!!!! alternator is only designed to charge the battery when the engine is running!!! IT IS NOT THE ALTERNTOR..... possibly could be a glove box light stuck on, some circuit is using power, check the mirror lights, ashtray light....does it have an alarm??

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It is a VERY common problem for the diodes in an alternator to go bad and drain a battery overnight !!!! I replace 1-2 alternators EVERY WEEK at work for this EXACT problem

Sawson,
The best way to figure it out is to test alternator diodes, but the "other" way is to disconnect the main feed wire from the alternator and see if the battery goes dead, if it doesn't, you have bad alternator
Good Luck
Brian
 

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Posted by chosen1 (Member # 1906) on :
 
im gonna side here with rr. replacing the six front lights, which ive done on all my 5.0's, does not require any wiring or removal of any wiring. all you do is unplug and re-plug. i bet if you had tried to start your at 5:01 pm it would have started. if your alt was shot, you should have noticed a change in reading on your ammeter guage. the alternator does not malfunction when the car is not running or while you are sleeping. it merely charges the battery while the car is running. check for a short...or if something else is draining your battery.
 

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Posted by chosen1 (Member # 1906) on :
 
...the brain...how do you like your afr heads?everyone seems to like them.
 

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Posted by st5150 (Member # 51) on :
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm willing to bet its sometihng simple like a hood light or glove box light. I should be feeling better by this weekend and will get to the bottem of the problem. Those of you that know me, know I'm an electrical gremlin's worste nightmare

As for Brian and the AFR 165's, please allow me to stick some words in his mouth.... he'd like them better if they were AFR 185's
 

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Posted by TheBrain (Member # 35) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by st5150:

As for Brian and the AFR 165's, please allow me to stick some words in his mouth.... he'd like them better if they were AFR 185's

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quote:

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Originally posted by hidnn.o.s.:
Alternator.

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Short, sweet, to the point and most important of all... correct

3.5 amp current draw with the car off

0.5 amp current draw with the car off and the alternator unpluged

3G upgrade here I come. Thank's for the advice everyone

[ November 23, 2002, 12:10 AM: Message edited by: st5150 ]
 

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Posted by hidnn.o.s. (Member # 1219) on :
 
Glad to hear you got it squared away. Sounded dead on from what you experienced.

The fucked up part was the day after I posted that some prick that has AOL decided to im me with some bull shit screen name and talk shit about diagnosing your problem having never seen the car. Saying that he would bet me 50 to 1 odds that the problem was elsewhere and that I didn't even own a stang. I pretty much blew it off after he/she rambled on for a good 5 minutes. then, after I stopped getting im's I tried to look at the profile and there was none, then I tried emailing the person and it said there was no known member or something. So for some reason someone made up a name and decided to talk some shit for a minute and then delete the screen name.

Whoever that was..... Good job with your own diagnosis. Thanks for the 5 minutes of humor.
 

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