Alternator Not Charging Battery

[Jake Oleszak]

Hello all. I need some help with my 2005 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer Edition 5.4L 3v 4x4.

I recently had the "Check Charging System" message and battery light turn on. Over the next few hours the volt gauge slowly dropped down. I figured the alternator was bad because the same message and battery light would come on at a stop and go off when I started moving for a few days prior. I replaced the alternator, started the car, but the battery then died while the car was still running.

The battery is a month old (purchased brand new). I'm thinking the cable that runs from the battery to the alternator is shot. I removed the electrical tape near the fusible link and noticed a lot of broken/corroded/rusted wires crimped into the eyelet connected to the battery. The wires that are still crimped in wiggle around a lot. I'm fairly certain this is causing a bad connection and not allowing the alternator to charge the battery. See pictures below.

I wanted to replace the full cable, but the actual part is on a national backorder and not available in the US through Ford. The part number they gave me is 5L1Z14305BA. I've only found one place online selling it (https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-wiring-asy-alternator-5l1z14305ba) and its not even available. Ebay hasn't given me any results either. I've checked local salvage yards but all the ones near me cut cables upon receiving vehicles into their lots. Auto parts stores don't sell these cables either.

I'm at a loss on what I should do here. I need my truck to get to work and my wife needs her car to take our kids to school. What can I do to fix this?? There is not much excess wire on the cable to cut back to expose fresh wire, nor is the cable long enough to reach if I cut it back.

Any constructive advice on how to fix this/what I should look into is appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Don Hall]

If you can't make your own cable, check your local auto electric shop. They can make and install a cable while you wait.

May help: https://m.wikihow.com/Make-Battery-Cables

 

[Jake Oleszak]

I have to do some more digging to find an automotive electrical specialty shop near me. I started looking but didn’t see much of anything on my initial look but I’ll deep digging. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Don Hall]

Most auto repair shops can make and install a new cable, if you can't find a local auto electric shop.

A few phone calls may help including AutoZone, etc.

You don't need an exact replacement. The only dimension required is one that reaches both terminals. If it is longer, no problem.

 

[Jake Oleszak]

I found a few local shops that will build one. It’ll run me about $200. I should probably test this cable to ensure this is the culprit before dropping that much. Though it probably should be replaced anyway just due to the physical state of the wires themselves.

If I go this route I’ll probably ask them to test the cable before making the new one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Don Hall]

If I go this route I’ll probably ask them to test the cable before making the new one.

 

[stamp11127]

You can make your own cable(s) depending on your skills from pre-made battery cables at the auto parts stores.

 

[Jake Oleszak]

I called a local auto custom shop and they found the cable for me brand new. I don’t know how, but the description he gave me sounded right. Maybe the dealership gave me the wrong information?

I’ll have the part by Monday and keep everyone posted. I’m skeptical but will remain hopeful!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[riphip]

https://www.ebay.com/p/1522121259?i...MI0eePt53V5wIVFKSzCh2-FQqjEAQYAyABEgJCG_D_BwE

 

[TobyU]

I have real doubts about a new cable fixing it.
It doesn't take much to charge the battery. Takes a lot more to start the car.
If the connection is bad it will get warm to quite hot with car running- at the terminal crimp part.
The high resistance or on/off loose connection could damage alternator so it could be chicken vs egg but I bet you have a alt issue now.

Charge the battery and get a new/better piece of cable and end in there then take to parts store and let them test alt with meter on the car to see how many amps it is putting out.
Then you can think about bench testing it, but you will know more at that point.

 

[Blksmk]

Why not go get a older booster cable, cut it to size and make it work ?

 

[Jake Oleszak]

I found a guy that was able to get me the part. He was thinking the dealership gave me the wrong part number or something but he was confident this was the right art. I’ll get it tomorrow and make sure it’s right.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jake Oleszak]

I didn’t want to mess with it myself because I don’t know anything about that fuse link. I guess I could have bypassed it for testing purposes, but with my luck, my truck would have blown up. I’ve been wanting to swap out this cable anyway because of how loose it is. It never really seemed right to me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jake Oleszak]

I took the cable to a custom automotive shop. They confirmed the cable is shot. But they can’t find a fusible link to make a new cable?

So what am I supposed to do here?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TobyU]

I took the cable to a custom automotive shop. They confirmed the cable is shot. But they can’t find a fusible link to make a new cable?

So what am I supposed to do here?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know most people obsess over it but it's really not that critical. The fusible link probably goes to power the ECM or maybe feeding back from the alternator to the battery. It's just there to give it a chance and a place to melt if the wire were too short out so it wouldn't build up so much he from out the entire wire in that circuit. That's why they put it in that little plastic long rectangular sheet. If the wire shorts out somewhere it will just melt inside of that without damaging much else. I'm guessing that's probably the wire coming back from the alternator but I can't say for certain. You can make your own with some similar gauge wire. That's all fusible links are is smaller wire than the rest of the circuit so they will melt through.
I would just match up what's already in there. Sometimes they will be two or even three smaller wires inside. Just check them and see what they are. If they are 12 gauge wire replace with 12 gauge wire. If 14 use 14.
Go to the electrical crimp section and find you some connectors that will work. You could in theory even use like yellow size wire nuts and then shrink wrap it all or tape it or put that plastic back over top of it.
If you use crimp connectors and reuse the plastic it will all be inside and it will look just the same way it did before. If you used a wire nut on each end I would fold the wire nuts over and then tape that small part with electrical tape.
It will make no difference. Electrically it has no impact. It's not a matter of having the perfect size wire so the proper amount can get through or anything like that. Unless you were to go crazy and put very small speaker wire in there then that would not be good. If you simply replace the wire with approximately, or the same size wire it will do the same thing. They're only designed to work in a dead short to ground situation.

 

[stamp11127]

Check out www.batterycablesusa.com for wire and connectors. You can add a "mega fuse" in place of the fuseable link section - rate it just above the max alternator output.

 

[Jake Oleszak]

Alright everyone. I spent all evening yesterday contacting people who were parting out Expeditions. I finally found a guy who had the cable (after hours of people not messaging back and people who had them already cut). They were 2 hours away. I went today to get it, installed, and everything is right as rain!

Thanks everyone for the help and advice.

My next task is replacing my instrument cluster since the message center screen is dimmed out!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bushpilot]

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=battery+...attery+cable+trim,aps,168&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_18