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Alternator


Bamm

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

Have had the '11 Ford Edge Limited for three months and it has performed flawlessly, including the My Ford Touch ... until this past Monday.

 

My wife, after having parked the car for only two hours, returned to the car to find the battery dead. She could not even access the inside of the vehicle (we have a fob) with either the remote or keypad, having to use the manual key. When we got in, there was a rapid clicking sound, syncing with a flashing air bag indicator. After getting a charge via CAA (the Canadian AAA, who advised the battery only had 0.5 A vs. the normal 14), the car operated normally when I then brought the vehicle to the dealer for a 'once over' on Friday. It is worthwhile to note that the car, while not making any attempt to turnover prior to the charge, had the headlights come on as soon as the cables were hooked up but prior to to activating the ignition.

 

The dealer did a test on the battery and discovered the battery as dead so it was replaced.

 

The following day, after having been in the driveway all day (except for a brief succssful idlestart around 2:00 p.m.), the battery was again dead when I went to move the vehicle around 3:00 p.m. A neighbour tried to boost the car, but to no success, though we did hear constant clicking, even with no activity. However, CAA returned and was able to start the car. The thinking between myself and the neighbour it is the alternator.

 

Will be returning to the dealer on Tuesday (it's a long weekend here in Canada).

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It could be the alternator, but you are jumping to that conclusion, without considering something is pulling the battery down.

In new cars there are a lot of systems that draw on the battery even with the ign switch off. The dealer should have checked

1st the output of the alternator, after replacing the battery and 2nd to see if there was an abnormal draw on the battery with

the vechicle shut down. Did not mean to get long winded. The reason your neighbor could not jump the vehicle off was the

bargain house jumper cables do not have sufficient cable size and or the output of his vehicle is too weak. The CAA equipment

is for jumping off dead batteries. If you want to charge your battery, take a voltage reading with the engine off and then with

the engine running. The battery should be around 12 volts, with the engine running the battery should read about 14 volts.

You can do this with a simple volt/ohm meter, which will not damage anything or be dangerous. The dealer needs to be a

little more thorough, and it could be the alternater.

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[railroad, Thanks for your insightful reply. I'm not sure what diagnosis the dealer went through on Friday (i.e. if the alternator, a relay sticking, and/or what is abnormally drawing down the battery, either before or after replacing the battery) but am sure to ask tomorrow. Your reply to my question on our unsuccessful attempt to charge the battery on our own was most helpful. We were using booster cables that had not been used for 15 years and our neighbour's car was likewise older, so either may have contributed (at the time, I thought asking CAA to give it a go, pre-towing, was a longshot but it worked).

 

Will let you know how things make out tomorrow, but it could not have occured at a worse time, i.e. long weekend here with major plans de-railed.

 

Thanks again.

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