bdgoudy

2001 Expedition battery light came on and truck died. I had the alternator checked at NAPA and they said it was good. I bought a MAXX battery at Wal-Mart with a 850 cca rating. Worked fine for 1/2 hour then the battery light came on and stayed on. It is a steady light. The battery guage stays in the middle. The truck starts fine. When i put the alternator back on, I lost the brass nut that holds the wire coming from the battery to the alternator. I put a regular nut on in it's place. What is the reason the battery light is staying on? Could it be a loose belt? Thank you for the help.

 

RickMN

Do you know if the battery you bought had a full charge in it? An alternator cannot charge a discharged battery. Try charging the batt with a charger. With a full charge on the battery (at least 12.6 volts), start up the vehicle, turn on all the lights and the blower and rev to 2000 rpms. Then check the voltage at the battery. If it reads less than 13.4 volts, your alternator is bad.

Or, you have a bad ground wire.

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bdgoudy

I didn't even think the battery might not be charged. I assumed that the alternator charged the battery. I know just enough about cars to break them. I will put the battery on a charger overnight and then try it in the morning. Thanks for the help, I appreciate it.

kurtdaniel

I believe the battery light is on because the RPM does not hit the 1400 rpm mark. My bet is the exhaust. With the engine running, you should not be able to hold your hand blocking the exhaust system. If so, look at the exhaust.

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