Dead truck, Voltage regualtor?

[FLATBEDFORD]

I went out to start the truck yesterday to drop it off for its annual. New York State safety inspection. I turned the key, and only a "clunk". The truck was dead. No lights either. The battery is only two years old, but sometimes these thing happen. So, I busted out the cables and jumped it with the Focus. It took a while before there was enough juice to get it to start. Once I had it running, I turned on the lights to make sure they were all working for the inspection. As soon as I turned on the lights, the engine stopped,no lights either. One more jump and it running again. I took it for a ride around the block to give the battery a charge. After 5-10 minutes driving, I shut it down, turned the key, Dead! I' was smart enough to try this while the truck is still rolling, so, I let the clutch out and it fires up. In total, I ran it about 20 minutes, no charge. When I got the truck home, I metered the battery about 13-14 volts when its running, lights work, etc. I shut it down, still 13-14 volts, but no start, no lights. I tightened the battery cables to be sure it wasn't a bad connection. With the hood open, I turned the key again and heard a buzzing noise from the voltage regulator. Is this the sort of stuff that happens when the voltage regulator goes bad? Anything I should know about when replacing it?

[Thunderfoot]

Sounds like you have a bad ground connection... (the one that goes from the engine to the firewall).
The Voltage regulator will not effect the lights not working but this ground connection will, and it will effect the voltage regulator working correctly as it has to be grounded good to the fender---- the fender gets it's ground connection from the firewall to the engine (which is where the ground from the battery is connected)
This bad connection will also make the starter solenoid not work correctly as well and could be why it didn't want to start...

You could also check to make sure that the voltage regulator and starter solenoid are making good contact with the fender as they are grounded through the mounting bolts to the fender...

[FLATBEDFORD]

The strange thing is that everything works if the engine is running, but not if it isn't. Its as if the battery is out of the loop. What about the noise from the voltage regulator when I switch the ignition to the run posttion?

[Thunderfoot]

That's a pretty good sign of a bad connection... More then likely a Ground connection, electricity will try to find a ground path somewhere and sounds like it might be back feeding into the voltage regulator...
If your truck still has the original or older voltage regulator in it they use points in them kind of look like the points in the distributor to regulate with, where as the new ones are solid state and don't have points in them. The noise you are hearing could be some of this back feed voltage making the points chatter in it. (that's my guess anyways)

Current can be a funny thing with bad connections +/- a lot of the times you increase it enough and it will go through the connection it is supposed to (Like you have with motor running or jumping it with cables) but drop it a little and it wont go through where it is supposed to and finds somewhere else to go... (like with the motor not running)

Double check the connection of the wires on the solenoid on the side that the + wire from the battery is connected. The feed from the Alternator is connected there as well as the power supply wire to the ignition, and the lights... I have seen where the battery cable doesn't make good connection there but the alternator cable will so once it is running it's fine as the alternator supplies the voltage but battery still not making a good connection.

[FLATBEDFORD]

I'll have to spend some time with it and check all that stuff. I won't be able to until next week. No days off from work this week.

[basketcase0302]

Steve,

Any autozone or discount will load test the battery for free if you don't have a load tester.
Our batteries down here last about that long, (the heat destroys them).

I'd try tapping on the solenoid while cranking, (kinda sounds like the solenoid might be going out to me). And make sure it's grounded well like Thunderfoot said.
13-14 volts while running tells me the regulator is working, (but could be intermittently going out).

Jeff

[FLATBEDFORD]

I won't crank. NOTHING happens, but a buzzing sort of sizzling noise form the regulator when I turn the key.

[seattle67]

Steve,
To me that reinforces what Thunderfoot is saying. A bad regulator wont keep the truck from starting, but a bad ground will. And the sizzling sound you hear could be the current trying to find a path through the regulator instead of the ground connection. If electricity hits a road block, it will look for a detour.

[spartman]

BAAAHH!!!!!!


Just get rid of that Ferd and get a real truck. CHEBY!!!!!

[FLATBEDFORD]

Good idea. Anybody want my truck?

I'm gonna put it on Ebay. Starting bid; $795,000.

[spartman]

Trade ya.

My Previously loved Cheby for your Ferd.

[FLATBEDFORD]

I had a minute to look under the hood tonight. The ground wire from the battery to engine is pretty rotten looking. The insulation is cracking off and the wire is starting to come apart at the ends. The one from the engine to the firewall doesn't look so good either. The one from the battery to the solenoid looks new. I think I'll be buying some wire. I've not had any strobing lights, so I guess I can rule out the regulator for now.

I won't have any time to mess with it until next week. Busy week at work and Mrs Flatbedford and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary over the weekend at an undisclosed location.

[FORDification]

When you replace your ground cable, consider this:

If you want any engine to start easier, attach battery ground to a starter bolt. Buy a longer negative battery cable and the largest diameter one you can find and ground it to one of your starter mount bolts. I GUARANTEE your truck will start easier, especially when it is hot. It's ALL about resistance. Your juice is leaving the battery, going to the starter and returning to the battery. The less paint, metal parts, dirt, and grease it has to travel through to get to the ground cable, from the starter, to return to the battery the better. This works especially well on high compression motors with a lot of timing advance that are hard to start in the first place.

[FLATBEDFORD]

I replaced the ground wire yesterday. Once again, my friends at Fordification helped me out and saved me some bux.
$15 and 15 minutes and it fired right up.
Thanks all for your help.