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'03 Windstar charging issue

My Windstar is giving me fits. It recently began to need a jump at about every start. I put a meter on the battery when not running and got a reading of about 10.xx volts. It is the original battery so I replaced it. The newly installed battery reads about 12.5v not running. When checking with the engine running I get about 12.02v. I expected the running read out to be in the 14.v + range. It is with my other vehicles. I ran the system check in the message center, and it says *charging system ok*. It seems to me that something is draining the battery. Short of removing the alternator for diagnostics in a shop, is there anything I can do to check it here? Any ideas what might be going on? Thanks.

Reply to
JWald
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If you are checking the DC voltage with a reliable meter while the engine is running and it says 12.02VDC, then the system probably is not charging (assuming the new battery is good).

Reply to
Steve N.

seems you doing everything right ... check to be sure the electricity is coming out of the alternator (12 volts goes back to the battery, the other 2 volts (14 total) runs the whole vehicle). Your readings show something is amiss.

Other then that, checking and swapping the alternator ... it is make sure the battery is 'receiving' the electricity ... clean posts ... continunity of the wires.

Some people hot glue gun a penny down on the battery so that it is the one that gets eaten by battery acid and nothing else.

sumbuddie hopes this helps

:?

Reply to
Alan Mac Farlane

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