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Hatchbacks Ford Focus Ford Focus Electrical and Lighting Problems
286 messages, Last post on Nov 13, 2009 at 4:52 PM
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Does anyone know of an electrical wiring issue that can cause alternators to fail? I drive a 2002 Focus ZTS and have replaced the alternator twice already and am now looking at alternator #4. The alternator in the car is barely 7 months old and today the battery light came on and stayed on, not even going off when I revved the engine to higher RPMs as I have usually seen it do when the alternator was the issue. Had the charging system tested at Auto Zone who said the battery was fine and it was the alternator. I find it hard to believe that the brand new alternator just randomly decided not to work at all halfway through today. It was also coincidental that one headlight went out yesterday and I had just had a mechanic friend replace the bulb today just before the drive home when the battery light came on. He didn't mess with anything but the light, but I have a hard time believing they aren't somehow related. The first alternator went bad in August of 2006, when it started charging intermittently. Replaced it with a remanufactured alternator and got a new battery. Then that alternator supposedly went bad in late December of 2008. The symptoms that time around included some less typical for a bad alternator (i.e. audio system randomly rebooting in the middle of a drive) and I was suspicious of an underlying electrical issue. I mentioned my concerns to the guys at the Tuffy's where I had to take it (car wouldn't hold a charge more than 3 minutes so I had to take it to the closest possible auto shop). They pretty much just patronized me, told me they'd check, and acted like I was an idiot for thinking it could be anything other than the alternator. The alternator they put in is still under warranty so I shouldn't have a problem getting that replaced but I don't want to keep treating this rather expensive symptom if the real issue is something else. From what I gather from reading others' complaints, there are a lot of electrical/alternator problems with the Focus, so if anyone has any ideas about what could be causing my '02 to eat alternators, I'd really appreciate it!
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Replying to: floridagirl85 (Aug 16, 2009 12:52 pm) |
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Replying to: floridagirl85 (Aug 16, 2009 12:52 pm) My name is Cliff-an old Ford mechanic. #1.check the wiring plug in at the alt. pull slightly on the wiring at the plug in to see if you have any loose connectors also check plug in wiring for any sign of (GREEN) corrosion. Next check BOTH ends of each battery cable and make sure they are CLEAN & TIGHT. Next check that you have a GOOD ground from the eng to the body. You should have approx 14.2 volts at the battery with the eng at 1000 rpm and a good load on the system, headlights, blower motor on high,wipers on. Let me know what you find out. |
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| Two years mine, no problem except ignition locked up a year ago. But tonight... tried to start it... ignition key turned, but engine wouldn't turn over... very faint click, no dash lights but map lights and dome light worked (bit faint). I wanted to push car out of parking spot to get a boost, but couldn't even get the transmission (auto) into neutral (locked in park). CAA arrived and used an "Eliminator" to boost, car started fine. I headed home (20 mins, highway speed). Everything seemed fine. About 2 mins from home, some of the dash lights came on, car seemed to sputter a bit, but didn't stall. I pumped the gas a bit, car responded. At a stop light, I put into neutral and rev'd, car responded. Dash lights went back to normal (none on). Once home, switch off, and tried to restart... nothing. Remote Key Entry will unlock driver door, no other doors... and won't lock anything. I had to use the key to lock doors. Hatch (stn wgn) won't lock. Tomorrow, I'll check cables to battery for corrosion, check connection to alternator and check ground. Any other thoughts? Where is the GEM ? | |
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The front and rear nearside side lights have stopped working!!! any ideas what could be wrong? At the back the same bulb is also the break, the break light work but not the side light. the bulbs are good (checked), front and back. any thoughts
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Two weeks ago, my daughter took my 2006 focus zx3 to the local ford dealer to replace a right rear turn light bulb. The next day the battery light came on. The problem seemed intermittent, so she neglected to take it to the garage. Last Friday she picked me up from work and during the 25 mile drive, the lights gradually dimmed, the cd player quit and then the radio came on by itself. We made it home just as everything died; power steering, brakes, everything. I had it hauled to the dealer who took two days to replace an alternator and battery, but that's another issue. My question is this: Is the fact I started having electrical problems right after they replaced a bulb coincidence or could the service department have caused the problem, either accidentally or deliberately?
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Replying to: littleslick (Aug 27, 2009 12:09 pm) |
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Replying to: janestahl (Aug 29, 2009 6:40 am) |
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Replying to: janestahl (Aug 29, 2009 6:40 am) |
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2 things to check, 1. both ends of battery cables must be clean and tight. 2. grab wires at alt plug-in and give a slight tug and look for any signs of corrosion at the wire ends in the plug-in. Also, changing a stop light bulb in no way had anything to do with your other problems, just bad timing. |
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