*Get All Your PICO Needs Here: www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go= *Thermometer Used In This Vid: amzn.to/2lcFQDR *True RMS AC/DC Current Mini Clamp: amzn.to/2JKf4Sl
Thanks for the video. Should also look at the wire connector going into alternator. It likes to corrode or burn, and in return this cause the regulator to do this
I have yet to see another mechanic put as much effort in researching the problem and find a root cause. You sir, are a talented and dedicated professional
ISSUE FOUND 2013 F-150 parasitic battery drain...it's the rear defroster relay slot on the bcm that houses the relays on top of the engine compartment. Ford issued a warranty fix for defective rear defrosters for 2012/2013/2014 models...so most of us are past the warranty period. pull the rear defroster relay (40A), and you're battery drain problems are gone. I just came through this problem by trial myself.
I'm a 62 year old tech, and the fancy equipment slowed you down. I have that stuff as well however with any Ford the alternator is almost always the drain. The diodes go bad and if you remove the belt,, you will see the alternator has turned into a motor. Many times the alternator will keep the engine spinning if its shorted the right way, yes with that small of a pulley it will turn the engine.. Some things seem to never change. Thanks for the demo, try my belt off alt turned to motor. Kind of cool!
I like how you admit you made a mistake in your adventures to find the problem. Some folks are too cool for school and their ego's get in the way. Instead, this type of work is a treasure hunt and yes, one goes down the wrong path a time or two but you stuck to it and found the problem and the solution.
I've been told many times that I'm the best mechanic they've ever seen, I tell them to take that and a dollar and you still couldn't buy a cup of coffeee.. I'm 'ol school', love the mechanical aspect of it but will try anything to get out of messing with automotive electrical. Yet I can builf wiring harness for tractors and equipment with no problems. Watching you at work has really helped me. Of course I do not fully understand these 'new cars' with there miles of wire and little small electrical parts that cost off the charts but I don't shy away anymore. You've shown me a lot, changed my perception about electrical and I just wanted to say Thank You for what you do. I don't do much repairs anymore, I'm coming up on the 5year anniversey when the doctor said lung cancer and gave me 'about 90 days', the Lord show him different and I thank him each day. Just not the same as I was, the cancer, chemo and radiation took its toll, I want to return to work but my beat up body says nope, lol......I just 'tinker' these days. Anyway, thank you again sir, you do more than you know, you are a blessed man.
Watching my Dad growing up is what got me interested in mechanics. I find watching someone who knows what they were doing enough to get the right answer without part swapping and not a bunch of hype or screaming is just as enjoyable as doing it myself. The payoff when you hit the key and it starts, nothing else like it.
EVERYONE part swaps still. If a mechanic tells you any different they are not telling you the truth. 😂 Even the best STILL have to part swap sometimes. We just don’t do it quite as often as the shade tree mechanics 😂
This guy is my favorite youtube mechanic because he actually shows you and explains what he is doing, and why he is doing it. All the other ones just talk and talk but you really don't learn anything.
I have this same problem right now. My battery has died 3 times in the last week. I checked my alternator today after sitting for about 3 hours and it was hot, 126 degrees, 6 hours later my battery was dead again. I'm having my alternator changed tomorrow.
After watching about 20 of Dr. O's videos, I see why he won the Motor Age Tech of the year award. Totally deserved, no other auto tech comes close. Good job Eric!
The great lesson here is that assumptions based on prior experience are good, but don't let them drive the diag away from what the data is showing, and what is ultimately a simple fix.
I've seen this before, back when I hung out with some Ford gearheads in the mid 90' to early 2000's. It would take a few battery replacements before we would come back a few hours later and find the alternator was warm when it shouldn't be. I guess having a bunch of large diodes exposed to heat and the occasional "oopsie" wiring shorts caused the diodes in the rectifier to stop behaving. We dubbed the condition "Diodes gone wild".
My brother had that issue and ended up selling his Ford pickup, now I know what the issue was thanks to your patience and knack for knowledge as to why things do what they do. Such a great channel, mechanic and person.
I was a Ford tech back in 99 to 06. The majority of ROs on the pickups were draws, and 90% of them were fuel pump relay or popped diodes in the alternator. Well done bro
Hello Eric I have a ford 98 f150 4.6 a question? My truck drains the battery randomly, after a day or two or a week too. could it be a diode? the battery is new
I found your channel over a month and although I'm not a mechanic, I do enjoy your videos. I work 24 shifts and they make my shifts a lot less boring..
Great video! So many mechanics just throw parts at problems instead of taking the time to troubleshoot the root cause! You're the man! Thank you for the detailed troubleshooting. A man after my own heart and detailed regiments!
Just blows my mind how quick most shops are to just throw parts at a problem when they don't even know what the problem is I guess when it's not your money who cares maybe they work for the government!
...probably. Have you seen how much your government spends on crazy stuff like the military?? Should be a crime!! NO NO NO nation should spend that much of GDP on the military. You make a good point of wasting money!!
Hey i would have replaced the alternator right off the bat if it was a customers car. I had the same issue with my own truck and fought with it gor months because a rarely drive it. I stuck a used alternator on it and its good. After doing all the draw tedts i finally found the alternator smoking hot 3 hours after a brive. Rest of engine was alresdy cold.
@@biz4twobiz463 Military is less than 20 % of the budget... you could eliminate the entire military and the government would still operate at a deficit.
must correct you on your quote"if I can do it you can do it" Sir, nothing can match your training, years of experience and technically devoted to keep up with technology except an = to training, years of experience and so on...you are the teacher we are the students. Respect!
Very nice diag Eric. Shows that it really pays to be diligent and not just throw a bunch of parts at it. Wish I could find a mechanic/technician like you.
This is the perfect case of it does it for the customer not the mechanic. I am so glad you made it happen. I know that customer will be really satisfied. So hard to solve what doesn't happen for the mechanic. You did it. Great job.
Thx for your assessment Eric, helped me out. I was chasing my tail. I have a 2003 F150 with same problem. Bought an alternator from a salvage yard. Had it checked out and amperage was good. Must of had a bad diode. Don't be cheap people, buy a new alternator!! So I just disconnected the alternator and BOOM, no more draw! Problem fixed. Thnx Eric, you gave me a direction to go in. Happy again😀
Had battery problems on 2006 Corvette. Turned out to be headlight relay. Overnight the headlights would come on and drain the battery. Said something to my neighbor about dead battery, he said that when he went to work at 4:30 am the headlights were on. Replaced the really trouble fixed.
I like that you don't just edit mistakes out; we're only human after all! I'm an IT guy and I made a mistake the other day replacing a duplexer in a printer. I noticed it wasn't sitting flat before I screwed it down which I should have taken as a hint that something was wrong, but didn't. Luckily it had another issue and when I came back it kept jamming on duplex printing. I inspected and noticed a piece of plastic was behind a part of the duplexer instead of in front, which was causing the jam. I removed the pick arm assembly, removed the duplexer and reinstalled correctly. This time, it layed down flat nicely with no issue. Mistakes happen, always learn from them!
Right on. That's 2 for 2 man. Fixed my corvette hot no start and my f150 overnight battery die. Thanks again. Keep up the good work. You have a guift for thinking it through. :)
Eric, Another brilliant diagnosis on your part! You always use good logic and the correct tools. And I always learn from you. Thank you! God bless and happy Fathers Day! (Give your Dad a big hug - mine is in heaven) Paul
" If I can do it , you can do it " I WISH ! Thank you for your desire to help others , and make no mistake about it , it is a help indeed . Thank you !
Most of the time on 2009 f150 I find the drain is because of the PARK interlock on the column. If the light under the "P" is NOT on while in park, this is your problem and it is a very easy fix.
You, my friend, are a very skilled diagnostician and mechanic. Are you self taught? Keep at it. You'll go far. I love to diagnose but I hate to wrench.
I was fascinated by the steps you went thru in order to make the diagnosis. Like most technicians you are a jack of all trades-electrician, computer tech, and-nuts and-bolts wrench man. The technicians ability to work these three fields was recently demonstrated when the same tech who reformatted my infotainment screen on my Taurus also replaced my rear rotors and brakes.
I'm not only a mechanic of over 45 years, I also have a degree in electrical engineering. The reason that the time was a factor in the alternator current draw was most likely due to 1 or more power mosfets which are used in the voltage regulator. mosfet is a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor. And, when they fail they usually short circuit, but not always and they can become very temperature sensitive when they fail. Time wasn't so much a factor on this excessive current draw as temperature was.
Hi Eric, while I can not be sure this would the reason for the above condition of a battery voltage drain/loss, I do have some suspicion on perhaps what may occur inside the alternator/regulator assembly for the delay on the battery drain. The regulator has built-in capacitors which are designed to minimize the dc ripple after a dc bridge rectifier. Inside a regulator there are several diodes ( possibly a zener and a blocking diode with a voltage regulator IC). If one of those diodes are reverse leaking (but not shorted out to produce a dash light charge fault) there will not be a current flow through the regulator due to a retaining charge across those ripple capacitors. Keep in mind that these caps are very small (probably in order of 10-20 pico-farads. This is where your delay in battery discharge occurs. As the (voltage )charge across the ripple caps diminishes below the voltage of the battery, there is a path (short) between the battery and the stator of the alternator (hence the heat across the body of the alternator). I presume that if an engineering design permitted an installation of a centripetal switch (no current path when no mechanical motion on the alternator is detected) inside the regulator to prevent such occurrences, this would be a preventable battery drain.
You, sir, are absolutely correct! Your deduction, based on electronic knowledge and logic solved this problem. These really small electrolytic ripple capacitors, if physically checked, would probably be swollen a bit on the end. They operate in a pretty hot environment, which is not good - or are they cooled by the motion of the Alternator? Anyways, you nailed it. Aircraft Avionics Man. (I'm also betting on some reversed diode leakage across that depletion region.)
I had a similar problem with my 87 Acura Legend, failed diode that drained the battery when the alternator stopped spinning in exactly the wrong position. If it stopped anywhere else, there was no battery drain.
As for the previous auto shop firing the parts cannon at it, you'd think the alternator would've been replaced with a battery charge issue. Makes me wonder what that garage charged $500 for. How unfortunate for the owner. Good job providing a properly identifiable diagnosis. Now I got some ideas of why my Ford Five Hundred's battery goes flat periodically. Cheers!
Eric, when a diode goes bad it sometimes gets a hairline crack on the inside that you cannot see and when the temperatures change it will make or break contact so after it has cooled down it will separate internally. Just a guess but then seems to be the only explanation for the ghost problem. Great vids as usual my friend.
I had a similar problem a long time ago but with different results. It was a 1991 Krapmaro with a V6 where the battery would die overnight. My son drove it to college at the time. I didn't have all the fancy tools that you have as well as the skills so changed the battery first. Still died overnight. Changed the alternator next. Still died overnight. It turned out to be the positive battery cable that snakes all around the engine compartment. Apparently it wasn't sending the full charge to the battery (voltage read 14vdc) while running. All I could figure was the cable was deteriorated internally. Thanks to your electrical trouble shooting videos, I now carry a 12vdc probe light and a voltmeter in my tow vehicle. When we're out with the travel trailer or boat, it gives me peace of mind.
Good video, thanks for making it. My short turned out to be in the CD player. I disconnected it from the radio (ribbon connection inside) and it solved the battery draw.
I have a possible answer as to why the amp draw was "delayed" by several hours. As the alternator cools from normal running temp to ambient temp, the components/windings within the alternator slightly contract allowing a short. Also keep in mind the alternator winding is coated with epoxy, which can crack over time due to heating/cooling cycles. This can also allow shorting. The owner did not notice this, nor the other shops, as the vehicle was probably at running temp when checked. Without closely monitoring and tracking like you have done, it likely would have never been discovered. Another great job by South Main Auto. 👍
Good work, Eric, even though you did'nt have the large amp clamp, you were able to see what was going on. I'm a Chrysler dealer tech, and this reminded me of a recall (T36) on the L series cars(300, Charger, Magnum, Challenger) the Durango and the Grand Cherokee , in which alternators with a certain part number range have to be replaced. They are experiencing diode thermal fatigue failure. When the diodes fail, they'll create a short in the alt. I had a Charger that had a dead short in the alt, it sucked down a jump pack, and i was only trying to get the car across the aisle into my bay. Disconnected the alt power feed, and was able to get the car into my bay under it's own power. However, the engine was barely warm, yet the alt was so hot, like it had been running for several hours. Put a new alt in under the recall, fixed the problem.
David B. Fishburn same I used to drive a Ford with a jump pack and capacitor all the time. Had to use really heavy gauge wires. Never had any problem with the alternator getting hot, and it’s a wonder I didn’t even have a problem with H2+O explosives.
South Main Auto Repair - Happy father's day. Great job on all your repairs. Your camera work videos are a work of art in motion. You are an insperation to the hands on working people. Thank you, for sharing your talent of video and repair work. You make the hard jobs seem easy. The people trying to make ends meet and are willing to try, can see the possiblity of "can do" attitude. Thank for many jobs, very well done, Paul
I used to install batteries for years. I 've always learned that the alternator was the biggest culprit for draws. It consists of 3 diodes (triodes). Works similar to temp switches on electric clothes dryers. One draws frm battery, one charges battery, one works with both by shutting off amps when necessary. In this case, diode was stuck open, hence, open circuit, drawing current frm battery. 😁
Literally the only thing you said that's close to true is that the alternator is a big culprit for parasitic draw. 1. You can have more than 3 diodes in an alternator. 2. a diode is nothing close to a temperature switch and diodes do nothing at all close to what you said any of them do. A basic diode in an alternator only allows electricity to go through it in one direction and that is all. 3. An open circuit means NO current is flowing and is not a reason for battery draw
Great job Eric! I had the same problem with my 78 trans am , I was chasing a battery going dead and by chance I brushed up against the alternator and it was hot . There’s not many things that can cause a draw on that car tho like the one you were working on lol. Difference kennel of fish all together but great diagnostic work on your part!
Thermal camera sure would help. I imagine even on the fusebox, it would tell the tale. Thanks Eric, now I can tell my brother-in-law which direction to look as he has a battery (new) that is being killed overnight.
Wish your shop was closer to me, you'd be one of the main shops I'd take my vehicles to. You thoroughly investigate the issue and get it right the first time. Also I can tell by your bits of humor that you still enjoy what your doing and want to share it. I truly wish you the best of luck on your channel and business. You're the only automotive repair channel that makes learning about cars fun for me, keep it up. I'm about to put a new battery in my f150 but going to double check for extra draw upon reinstallation. I'm positive my problem is the battery since it is about 8 years old, I just want to be sure nothing is going to drain the new one.
Great use of the Pico, the mention of jaws reminds me of killer sharks, can't say have come across delayed current flow. Goes to show, the customer was on target. Nice fix.
Backyard mechanic I upgraded this year and bought a 20gal compressor, Impact, air ratchet, grinder, chisel, spray gun ( Yard sale 5 bucks each) Canadian tire brand so if they break you can bring them back for 100% replacement without bill 05' Blazer 2D LS 4x4 Had a alarm system and remote start put in a few years back Since then changed out 2 batteries and upgraded to a Tahoe alt AD-244 for my amps Noticed i was losing battery power over a few days at first Then over night .. Long story "short" I only get the draw when i set my aftermarket alarm on..I still have the factory lock remote and use that and no issues Too cold outside to be messing around with a firewall and under the dash But what i am thinking is it might be a bad / rusted ground Love your work Keep them coming Thanks
I had this same issue a couple years ago on a friend's F150. I noticed the alternator was getting hot and drawing a lot of current with the engine off. Replacing the alternator fixed the problem.
I had my friend scrap their cavalier a few months back. Wish I would have seen this earlier. Never thought to check the alternator. lol ...To be fair it was a rusty pile of crap and the heater core was clogged too... lol
@@nicholaslandolina My understanding is such: the alternator is wired to be able to use a higher voltage to push current to the battery, i.e. current flows FROM the alternator TO the battery when the car is running. This wire-path, therefore leaves a way for the battery to push current back through the alternator when the car is not running. To prevent this they use "diodes" that are like one-way valves for electric current. If these "break down", they can leak and allow the battery to push current through them the wrong way. Can be fixed many times by replacing the plastic pack of diodes and circuitry on the back of the alternator, rather than the whole alternator. Where my understanding is totally clueless: What in a car's electrical system can keep doing this to alternator after alternator under 5k miles each time?
Great video Eric. For what it's worth I see quite a few of these complaints at my shop, and I actually had a Ford truck that had the same problem. I thought I was crazy when I checked it two or three times and found nothing through the day...then I left the scope on it and sure enough it had a draw. Thermal imager in my phone called a bad alternator as well. Circuit tested and replaced the alternator...never did figure out why it was an intermittent...but fixed is fixed. Great walk through on your approach and thought process.
You happy with that thermal imager on your phone? Seems to me a few times so far I catch my self saying that I wish I had one. Sure wish I knew why this one took so long to show its face but the fact is we caught it and it is fixed and out the door :) Guy told me the other shop got him for $500 with no fix. Sad...
Its likely a leaky diode that slowly charges a coil until a FET reaches a threshold and engadges as if the ALT were told to excite the field and begin charging.
I took a terminal end and a battery post adapter and made a one foot jumper cable and now my amp clamp fits in many hard to get situations. Works great.
A hot alternator and a small amp clamp then throw in some camera angles and what do we get? Another awesome repair video from the man himself. Eric "o"
Also if I may add brother you are the definition of a mechanic... The amount of effort and the amount of knowledge use just dropped in this video is mind-blowing 🤯🤯🤯. Keep up the good work and I will be subscribing to you.
This is the most educational and entertaining guy I've seen with auto stuff. Thank you for the video. Im on the hunt for my electric gremlin in my 2012 f150 eco boost. Been going on for 2 years. Been through 10 batteries, thanks to life time warranties onlu cost me for 2. But no shop had figured this out.
We all make mistakes but overcome them. Great videos! my gm had a 2.66amp draw with your videos I was able to find the issue which was the factory amp staying on with the key off.. I don't have the pico scope but I used a mulitmeter wired it to the battery in series and dropped down to about .066 ma..which is relieving for me..when I bought the truck it was neglected and it was a work truck..so im tryin my best to make it perform as it should. Anyways great videos. I love your content. Feels like im a part of them. Keep up the great work :)
I tore into a Ford 3G alternator not long ago to learn how they work in more detail. I think I've finally came up with a plausible failure mode for this that doesn't require two failures. The stator (S) pin (center pin on the connector, the square plug visible on the top of the alternator in the video) takes voltage from one winding when the alternator is running and feeds it to the voltage regulator. It appears it really balances the light circuit to keep the bulb off and as an indicator the alternator is spinning. It seems likely that this S pin voltage balances against the always hot (A) pin with the residual the signal for the alternator to turn on. This pin is only separated from the Batt post by one diode. If that diode failed short circuit, then battery voltage could be fed to the voltage regulator (VR) indicating the VR should operate. When the VR is on and the battery voltage is above the set charge point, all the circuits I've found, show this causes a transistor to turn on which turns off the transistor that switches the rotor field winding on and off using the always hot pin on the VR. So there is a small current flowing. So what I think is happening with the VR set to operate, when the battery voltage drops below the charge point due to the small discharge and any other sleep loads, the VR turns on the current through the field winding causing the high amp discharge. I believe this explains why there is current flow in both the always hot (A) wire and via the Batt post.
WHAT??? A bad "G.E." module on a ford? I was expecting to hear "water came in from the leaking windshield and soaked the fuse panel and gem". very nice diag....really enjoyed it. thanks eric. hope all is well with you and the family.
JC! what have you found to be the cure for the windshield leak?! Ive been trying to stop water from filling my wiringf channels since i got the thing , is a 08
I have a 1997 and that exact thing happened to mine. Windshield started leaking on drivers side and soaked the fuse panel. Caused all kinds of problems including dead battery and finally the starter kicking in and the truck trying to start on its own. The windshield got cracked so I had it replaced and the problem was solved.
This is totally fascinating to me! As an actual electrician, we always had data loggers readily available to track issues but we aren’t talking 3 phase or Δ Y’s (240v with a kicker leg). Totally different thought process and I’m loving your videos. I am low voltage certified but we are talking alarms (fire, burglar, intercoms, intercoms and such. I’ve been doing research into AC & DC integration.
Had the exact same issue happen on a 06 mustang 6 banger. Strange enough, it still happened after 2 referb units. New unit from Napa finally cured the problem
Perhaps when the alternatoris heated up from driving, the pack is not a short to ground, but after having a chance to cool it connects. If heat was sinking into the diode pack from the alternator housing, that could definitely take hours. Sometimes in troubleshooting electronics people use freeze spray on chips and transistors and such looking for this very thing. Well done!
Hey Erick another great video diagnose. I replaced my battery when my Opel/insignia didn’t/wouldn’t start it was only 2 years old But kept draining overnight. Love how you explain stuff great content
John Dubpernell my mom was a medivac nurse over there. She also worked in a big hospital in Okinawa Japan. Thank you for your service sir. Rudy from NH (brother 82cnd airborne,uncle did 26 years 16 in 10th SF cousin flew ah-64 in the desert 3 tours. Uncle in 101st for 20+
Good job Eric these sneaky draws are difficult to catch I see this ford problem frequently When I suspect the alternator field is shorted on I use a screwdriver or wrench and touch the drive pulley if the wrench gets sucked on to the pulley like a magnet the regulator is on if there is no power is present on the red/green wire alternator is bad. I loved the current monitoring technique with the scope
Eric I just want you to know your videos have helped make me a better tech and thank you. You would do the tech community a great service if you could teach an occasional class at your local vo tech because I feel like proper electrical diagnosis skills aren't really being taught to younger techs these days.
Hi SMA Just a tip on alternator parasitic draw. As an electrician by trade diodes and resistors are effected by ambient temperature. Causing strage results when hot and also cold.
Having this same problem with a 2015 F_150. Kept battery on charger overnight as a result. Do to your video I checked and my alternator is indeed hot to the touch after sitting all night. Still under warranty so off to the Ford dealer armed with this info, thanks.
Great video Eric, like the way you described the total current drawn by the bad alternator, not only from the Main feed to the battery but the 12 volt sensing line to the battery fro alternator. Awesome !!! And thanks.
*Get All Your PICO Needs Here: www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=
*Thermometer Used In This Vid: amzn.to/2lcFQDR
*True RMS AC/DC Current Mini Clamp: amzn.to/2JKf4Sl
The current clamp is different??
You can get a thermal imager for you phone - I have a Seek, works really well, about $100
Thanks for the video. Should also look at the wire connector going into alternator. It likes to corrode or burn, and in return this cause the regulator to do this
Mmm Mmm...I love pico on tacos & shtuff.
I have yet to see another mechanic put as much effort in researching the problem and find a root cause. You sir, are a talented and dedicated professional
I’m here in Canada with same type of problem needing u to get to fixin on it
ISSUE FOUND 2013 F-150 parasitic battery drain...it's the rear defroster relay slot on the bcm that houses the relays on top of the engine compartment. Ford issued a warranty fix for defective rear defrosters for 2012/2013/2014 models...so most of us are past the warranty period. pull the rear defroster relay (40A), and you're battery drain problems are gone. I just came through this problem by trial myself.
We need clones
Meh 😪
@@americanveteranaceshigh9051 ppl p
I'm a 62 year old tech, and the fancy equipment slowed you down. I have that stuff as well however with any Ford the alternator is almost always the drain. The diodes go bad and if you remove the belt,, you will see the alternator has turned into a motor. Many times the alternator will keep the engine spinning if its shorted the right way, yes with that small of a pulley it will turn the engine.. Some things seem to never change.
Thanks for the demo, try my belt off alt turned to motor. Kind of cool!
I like how you admit you made a mistake in your adventures to find the problem. Some folks are too cool for school and their ego's get in the way. Instead, this type of work is a treasure hunt and yes, one goes down the wrong path a time or two but you stuck to it and found the problem and the solution.
I've been told many times that I'm the best mechanic they've ever seen, I tell them to take that and a dollar and you still couldn't buy a cup of coffeee.. I'm 'ol school', love the mechanical aspect of it but will try anything to get out of messing with automotive electrical. Yet I can builf wiring harness for tractors and equipment with no problems. Watching you at work has really helped me. Of course I do not fully understand these 'new cars' with there miles of wire and little small electrical parts that cost off the charts but I don't shy away anymore. You've shown me a lot, changed my perception about electrical and I just wanted to say Thank You for what you do. I don't do much repairs anymore, I'm coming up on the 5year anniversey when the doctor said lung cancer and gave me 'about 90 days', the Lord show him different and I thank him each day. Just not the same as I was, the cancer, chemo and radiation took its toll, I want to return to work but my beat up body says nope, lol......I just 'tinker' these days. Anyway, thank you again sir, you do more than you know, you are a blessed man.
❤
Watching my Dad growing up is what got me interested in mechanics. I find watching someone who knows what they were doing enough to get the right answer without part swapping and not a bunch of hype or screaming is just as enjoyable as doing it myself. The payoff when you hit the key and it starts, nothing else like it.
EVERYONE part swaps still. If a mechanic tells you any different they are not telling you the truth. 😂
Even the best STILL have to part swap sometimes. We just don’t do it quite as often as the shade tree mechanics 😂
This guy is my favorite youtube mechanic because he actually shows you and explains what he is doing, and why he is doing it. All the other ones just talk and talk but you really don't learn anything.
I have this same problem right now. My battery has died 3 times in the last week. I checked my alternator today after sitting for about 3 hours and it was hot, 126 degrees, 6 hours later my battery was dead again. I'm having my alternator changed tomorrow.
Did it fix yours and what year is yours
You should say Thank You Eric.
After watching about 20 of Dr. O's videos, I see why he won the Motor Age Tech of the year award. Totally deserved, no other auto tech comes close. Good job Eric!
He is very thurough for sure sharing a lifetime of knowledge for absolutely free.
You Sir are a rare Gem
The great lesson here is that assumptions based on prior experience are good, but don't let them drive the diag away from what the data is showing, and what is ultimately a simple fix.
I've seen this before, back when I hung out with some Ford gearheads in the mid 90' to early 2000's. It would take a few battery replacements before we would come back a few hours later and find the alternator was warm when it shouldn't be. I guess having a bunch of large diodes exposed to heat and the occasional "oopsie" wiring shorts caused the diodes in the rectifier to stop behaving. We dubbed the condition "Diodes gone wild".
My brother had that issue and ended up selling his Ford pickup, now I know what the issue was thanks to your patience and knack for knowledge as to why things do what they do. Such a great channel, mechanic and person.
Nice to see a real mechanic diagnosis, instead of parts replacing.Love your vids bro,keep up the good work.
WOW...thats dedication to a problem...your customers are very lucky to have you for their mechanic...GRATZ
I was a Ford tech back in 99 to 06. The majority of ROs on the pickups were draws, and 90% of them were fuel pump relay or popped diodes in the alternator. Well done bro
What is an RO?
Shad Rogers Repair Orders
Hello Eric I have a ford 98 f150 4.6 a question? My truck drains the battery randomly, after a day or two or a week too. could it be a diode? the battery is new
Repair order @@MrJeepmarine
I found your channel over a month and although I'm not a mechanic, I do enjoy your videos.
I work 24 shifts and they make my shifts a lot less boring..
Great video! So many mechanics just throw parts at problems instead of taking the time to troubleshoot the root cause! You're the man! Thank you for the detailed troubleshooting. A man after my own heart and detailed regiments!
Just blows my mind how quick most shops are to just throw parts at a problem when they don't even know what the problem is I guess when it's not your money who cares maybe they work for the government!
...probably. Have you seen how much your government spends on crazy stuff like the military?? Should be a crime!! NO NO NO nation should spend that much of GDP on the military. You make a good point of wasting money!!
Hey i would have replaced the alternator right off the bat if it was a customers car. I had the same issue with my own truck and fought with it gor months because a rarely drive it. I stuck a used alternator on it and its good. After doing all the draw tedts i finally found the alternator smoking hot 3 hours after a brive. Rest of engine was alresdy cold.
smoke skull *teSts
@@biz4twobiz463 Military is less than 20 % of the budget... you could eliminate the entire military and the government would still operate at a deficit.
Nigron Hoodley that’s a lie.
must correct you on your quote"if I can do it you can do it" Sir, nothing can match your training, years of experience and technically devoted to keep up with technology except an = to training, years of experience and so on...you are the teacher we are the students. Respect!
Very nice diag Eric. Shows that it really pays to be diligent and not just throw a bunch of parts at it. Wish I could find a mechanic/technician like you.
This is the perfect case of it does it for the customer not the mechanic. I am so glad you made it happen. I know that customer will be really satisfied. So hard to solve what doesn't happen for the mechanic. You did it. Great job.
Further adventures with Dr. Eric O and nurse Hannah
Thx for your assessment Eric, helped me out. I was chasing my tail. I have a 2003 F150 with same problem. Bought an alternator from a salvage yard. Had it checked out and amperage was good. Must of had a bad diode. Don't be cheap people, buy a new alternator!! So I just disconnected the alternator and BOOM, no more draw! Problem fixed. Thnx Eric, you gave me a direction to go in. Happy again😀
This stuff amazes me. A true example of an excellent mechanic.
Had this happen to an old Pontiac I had. Turned out to be bad diodes in the alternator that caused a parasitic draw. Good diagnosis Eric O!
14:58 - when you plug it back in, looks like there's a wisp of smoke passing by your light. Great video, thanks
Had battery problems on 2006 Corvette. Turned out to be headlight relay. Overnight the headlights would come on and drain the battery. Said something to my neighbor about dead battery, he said that when he went to work at 4:30 am the headlights were on. Replaced the really trouble fixed.
These video's are better than murder mysteries
I like that you don't just edit mistakes out; we're only human after all! I'm an IT guy and I made a mistake the other day replacing a duplexer in a printer. I noticed it wasn't sitting flat before I screwed it down which I should have taken as a hint that something was wrong, but didn't. Luckily it had another issue and when I came back it kept jamming on duplex printing. I inspected and noticed a piece of plastic was behind a part of the duplexer instead of in front, which was causing the jam. I removed the pick arm assembly, removed the duplexer and reinstalled correctly. This time, it layed down flat nicely with no issue. Mistakes happen, always learn from them!
Right on. That's 2 for 2 man. Fixed my corvette hot no start and my f150 overnight battery die. Thanks again. Keep up the good work.
You have a guift for thinking it through. :)
Eric,
Another brilliant diagnosis on your part! You always use good logic and the correct tools. And I always learn from you. Thank you!
God bless and happy Fathers Day! (Give your Dad a big hug - mine is in heaven)
Paul
So glad you posted this. My truck is doing the exact same thing. I will now check the same thing. Holly COW! Thank you!
Bruh. How you not gonna come back and tell us what the problem was......
I think he is great! He always explains when he is doing something. I like it because there's no guessing.
" If I can do it , you can do it " I WISH ! Thank you for your desire to help others , and make no mistake about it , it is a help indeed . Thank you !
Most of the time on 2009 f150 I find the drain is because of the PARK interlock on the column. If the light under the "P" is NOT on while in park, this is your problem and it is a very easy fix.
Awesome! They'd be insane not to give you the job. It's much safer in your hands.
You, my friend, are a very skilled diagnostician and mechanic. Are you self taught? Keep at it. You'll go far. I love to diagnose but I hate to wrench.
Congrats for being mentioned by the Trained by Techs org and named as a Top Gun! Keep it up.
I was fascinated by the steps you went thru in order to make the diagnosis. Like most technicians you are a jack of all trades-electrician, computer tech, and-nuts and-bolts
wrench man. The technicians ability to work these three fields was recently demonstrated when the same tech who reformatted my infotainment screen on my Taurus also replaced my rear rotors and brakes.
I really wish we had mechanics as good as you around here. Thank you for great videos
I'm not only a mechanic of over 45 years, I also have a degree in electrical engineering. The reason that the time was a factor in the alternator current draw was most likely due to 1 or more power mosfets which are used in the voltage regulator. mosfet is a Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor. And, when they fail they usually short circuit, but not always and they can become very temperature sensitive when they fail. Time wasn't so much a factor on this excessive current draw as temperature was.
Hi Eric, while I can not be sure this would the reason for the above condition of a battery voltage drain/loss, I do have some suspicion on perhaps what may occur inside the alternator/regulator assembly for the delay on the battery drain.
The regulator has built-in capacitors which are designed to minimize the dc ripple after a dc bridge rectifier. Inside a regulator there are several diodes ( possibly a zener and a blocking diode with a voltage regulator IC). If one of those diodes are reverse leaking (but not shorted out to produce a dash light charge fault) there will not be a current flow through the regulator due to a retaining charge across those ripple capacitors. Keep in mind that these caps are very small (probably in order of 10-20 pico-farads. This is where your delay in battery discharge occurs. As the (voltage )charge across the ripple caps diminishes below the voltage of the battery, there is a path (short) between the battery and the stator of the alternator (hence the heat across the body of the alternator). I presume that if an engineering design permitted an installation of a centripetal switch (no current path when no mechanical motion on the alternator is detected) inside the regulator to prevent such occurrences, this would be a preventable battery drain.
You, sir, are absolutely correct! Your deduction, based on electronic knowledge and logic solved this problem. These really small electrolytic ripple capacitors, if physically checked, would probably be swollen a bit on the end. They operate in a pretty hot environment, which is not good - or are they cooled by the motion of the Alternator? Anyways, you nailed it. Aircraft Avionics Man. (I'm also betting on some reversed diode leakage across that depletion region.)
I had a similar problem with my 87 Acura Legend, failed diode that drained the battery when the alternator stopped spinning in exactly the wrong position. If it stopped anywhere else, there was no battery drain.
A high-current centripetal switch would cause a preventable battery recharge, instead.
a what switch? More junk??!! we're trying to get rid of it,don't give the manuf. centroids ideas.
As for the previous auto shop firing the parts cannon at it, you'd think the alternator would've been replaced with a battery charge issue. Makes me wonder what that garage charged $500 for. How unfortunate for the owner. Good job providing a properly identifiable diagnosis. Now I got some ideas of why my Ford Five Hundred's battery goes flat periodically. Cheers!
Eric, when a diode goes bad it sometimes gets a hairline crack on the inside that you cannot see and when the temperatures change it will make or break contact so after it has cooled down it will separate internally. Just a guess but then seems to be the only explanation for the ghost problem. Great vids as usual my friend.
Or possibly make a connection after it cools down.
I had a similar problem a long time ago but with different results.
It was a 1991 Krapmaro with a V6 where the battery would die overnight. My son drove it to college at the time. I didn't have all the fancy tools that you have as well as the skills so changed the battery first. Still died overnight. Changed the alternator next. Still died overnight. It turned out to be the positive battery cable that snakes all around the engine compartment. Apparently it wasn't sending the full charge to the battery (voltage read 14vdc) while running. All I could figure was the cable was deteriorated internally.
Thanks to your electrical trouble shooting videos, I now carry a 12vdc probe light and a voltmeter in my tow vehicle. When we're out with the travel trailer or boat, it gives me peace of mind.
Abunai One and now thanks to a 1991 Krapmaro you now drive a tow vehicle.
Awesome job Dr O wished all mechanics was as legit as you buddy!
I had a craptastic day today (we all have em' occasionally) but the SMA video was sure to put a smile on my face.
Good video, thanks for making it. My short turned out to be in the CD player. I disconnected it from the radio (ribbon connection inside) and it solved the battery draw.
I have a possible answer as to why the amp draw was "delayed" by several hours. As the alternator cools from normal running temp to ambient temp, the components/windings within the alternator slightly contract allowing a short. Also keep in mind the alternator winding is coated with epoxy, which can crack over time due to heating/cooling cycles. This can also allow shorting. The owner did not notice this, nor the other shops, as the vehicle was probably at running temp when checked. Without closely monitoring and tracking like you have done, it likely would have never been discovered. Another great job by South Main Auto. 👍
First time I have ever seen something like this! Good job Eric O!
Good work, Eric, even though you did'nt have the large amp clamp, you were able to see what was going on. I'm a Chrysler dealer tech, and this reminded me of a recall (T36) on the L series cars(300, Charger, Magnum, Challenger) the Durango and the Grand Cherokee , in which alternators with a certain part number range have to be replaced. They are experiencing diode
thermal fatigue failure. When the diodes fail, they'll create a short in the alt. I had a Charger that had a dead short in the alt, it sucked down a jump pack, and i was only trying to get the car across the aisle into my bay. Disconnected the alt power feed, and was able to get the car into my bay under it's own power. However, the engine was barely warm, yet the alt was so hot, like it had been running for several hours. Put a new alt in under the recall, fixed the problem.
David B. Fishburn same I used to drive a Ford with a jump pack and capacitor all the time. Had to use really heavy gauge wires. Never had any problem with the alternator getting hot, and it’s a wonder I didn’t even have a problem with H2+O explosives.
There's your problem lady ! :)
South Main Auto Repair - Happy father's day. Great job on all your repairs. Your camera work videos are a work of art in motion. You are an insperation to the hands on working people. Thank you, for sharing your talent of video and repair work. You make the hard jobs seem easy. The people trying to make ends meet and are willing to try, can see the possiblity of "can do" attitude.
Thank for many jobs, very well done, Paul
I used to install batteries for years. I 've always learned that the alternator was the biggest culprit for draws. It consists of 3 diodes (triodes). Works similar to temp switches on electric clothes dryers. One draws frm battery, one charges battery, one works with both by shutting off amps when necessary. In this case, diode was stuck open, hence, open circuit, drawing current frm battery. 😁
Literally the only thing you said that's close to true is that the alternator is a big culprit for parasitic draw. 1. You can have more than 3 diodes in an alternator. 2. a diode is nothing close to a temperature switch and diodes do nothing at all close to what you said any of them do. A basic diode in an alternator only allows electricity to go through it in one direction and that is all. 3. An open circuit means NO current is flowing and is not a reason for battery draw
I love how all you master nobody’s debate someone else’s work and know nothing yourself about wtf you are saying! 😂
And believe me, that includes Alex too! 😂
@@DayTrader__ they argue based off something some one typed on the internet as if it’s facts and true! it cracks me up so much
Yeppers go to know thanks
Eric has all the cool tools to diagnose a fault, the best tool though is his encyclopedia like knowledge.
Great job Eric! I had the same problem with my 78 trans am , I was chasing a battery going dead and by chance I brushed up against the alternator and it was hot . There’s not many things that can cause a draw on that car tho like the one you were working on lol. Difference kennel of fish all together but great diagnostic work on your part!
No need to apologize you are working, I'm learning.nice to see a normal person
Thermal camera sure would help. I imagine even on the fusebox, it would tell the tale. Thanks Eric, now I can tell my brother-in-law which direction to look as he has a battery (new) that is being killed overnight.
Oby-1 dead 💀 men tell no tales.
Wish your shop was closer to me, you'd be one of the main shops I'd take my vehicles to. You thoroughly investigate the issue and get it right the first time. Also I can tell by your bits of humor that you still enjoy what your doing and want to share it. I truly wish you the best of luck on your channel and business. You're the only automotive repair channel that makes learning about cars fun for me, keep it up. I'm about to put a new battery in my f150 but going to double check for extra draw upon reinstallation. I'm positive my problem is the battery since it is about 8 years old, I just want to be sure nothing is going to drain the new one.
Great use of the Pico, the mention of jaws reminds me of killer sharks, can't say have come across delayed current flow. Goes to show, the customer was on target. Nice fix.
Backyard mechanic I upgraded this year and bought a 20gal compressor, Impact, air ratchet, grinder, chisel, spray gun ( Yard sale 5 bucks each) Canadian tire brand so if they break you can bring them back for 100% replacement without bill
05' Blazer 2D LS 4x4 Had a alarm system and remote start put in a few years back Since then changed out 2 batteries and upgraded to a Tahoe alt AD-244 for my amps Noticed i was losing battery power over a few days at first Then over night .. Long story "short" I only get the draw when i set my aftermarket alarm on..I still have the factory lock remote and use that and no issues Too cold outside to be messing around with a firewall and under the dash But what i am thinking is it might be a bad / rusted ground
Love your work Keep them coming Thanks
I had this same issue a couple years ago on a friend's F150. I noticed the alternator was getting hot and drawing a lot of current with the engine off. Replacing the alternator fixed the problem.
Should have emailed Mr.O back them.....hind sight 20/20 :)
m.blacktree what would cause that
I had my friend scrap their cavalier a few months back. Wish I would have seen this earlier. Never thought to check the alternator. lol ...To be fair it was a rusty pile of crap and the heater core was clogged too... lol
@@nicholaslandolina My understanding is such: the alternator is wired to be able to use a higher voltage to push current to the battery, i.e. current flows FROM the alternator TO the battery when the car is running. This wire-path, therefore leaves a way for the battery to push current back through the alternator when the car is not running. To prevent this they use "diodes" that are like one-way valves for electric current. If these "break down", they can leak and allow the battery to push current through them the wrong way. Can be fixed many times by replacing the plastic pack of diodes and circuitry on the back of the alternator, rather than the whole alternator. Where my understanding is totally clueless: What in a car's electrical system can keep doing this to alternator after alternator under 5k miles each time?
Snap-off More than likely inferior parts. The diodes are probably crap made in China or Mexico. Chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
You're so full of win Eric...as busy as you obviously are you keep making videos for us to watch and learn from!
Great video Eric. For what it's worth I see quite a few of these complaints at my shop, and I actually had a Ford truck that had the same problem. I thought I was crazy when I checked it two or three times and found nothing through the day...then I left the scope on it and sure enough it had a draw. Thermal imager in my phone called a bad alternator as well. Circuit tested and replaced the alternator...never did figure out why it was an intermittent...but fixed is fixed. Great walk through on your approach and thought process.
You happy with that thermal imager on your phone? Seems to me a few times so far I catch my self saying that I wish I had one. Sure wish I knew why this one took so long to show its face but the fact is we caught it and it is fixed and out the door :) Guy told me the other shop got him for $500 with no fix. Sad...
$500 is cheap. They didn`t get out the parts canon. bwahaha (might have accidently fixed something.) Karma should get them in a just world.
the milwaukee thermal imager is awesome, idk about a phone app for that tho
Its likely a leaky diode that slowly charges a coil until a FET reaches a threshold and engadges as if the ALT were told to excite the field and begin charging.
REDACTED hell yeah brother
I took a terminal end and a battery post adapter and made a one foot jumper cable and now my amp clamp fits in many hard to get situations. Works great.
Wow, that is an odd one. 1 1/2 - 2 hrs before the alternator began to draw. Thanks to Picoscope!
When you do a Good analysis ,you get good results. Alway enjoy your approach to a problem.
I so enjoy the "Hunt" ! - Sherlock Homes would give your efforts 2 thumbs up.
Wonder how many techs say "Theres your problem lady!" A legend is born.... LOL! Thanks man!
A hot alternator and a small amp clamp then throw in some camera angles and what do we get? Another awesome repair video from the man himself. Eric "o"
Rlxb
Also if I may add brother you are the definition of a mechanic... The amount of effort and the amount of knowledge use just dropped in this video is mind-blowing 🤯🤯🤯. Keep up the good work and I will be subscribing to you.
Excellent video Eric. I'm no mechanic but I work on my own stuff, well I try to.
This is the most educational and entertaining guy I've seen with auto stuff. Thank you for the video. Im on the hunt for my electric gremlin in my 2012 f150 eco boost. Been going on for 2 years. Been through 10 batteries, thanks to life time warranties onlu cost me for 2. But no shop had figured this out.
Figure it out yet? I also have a 2012 I can't figure out. Some days battery charger won't charge it other it does. Jumps always get it going.
We all make mistakes but overcome them. Great videos! my gm had a 2.66amp draw with your videos I was able to find the issue which was the factory amp staying on with the key off.. I don't have the pico scope but I used a mulitmeter wired it to the battery in series and dropped down to about .066 ma..which is relieving for me..when I bought the truck it was neglected and it was a work truck..so im tryin my best to make it perform as it should. Anyways great videos. I love your content. Feels like im a part of them. Keep up the great work :)
I tore into a Ford 3G alternator not long ago to learn how they work in more detail. I think I've finally came up with a plausible failure mode for this that doesn't require two failures.
The stator (S) pin (center pin on the connector, the square plug visible on the top of the alternator in the video) takes voltage from one winding when the alternator is running and feeds it to the voltage regulator. It appears it really balances the light circuit to keep the bulb off and as an indicator the alternator is spinning. It seems likely that this S pin voltage balances against the always hot (A) pin with the residual the signal for the alternator to turn on. This pin is only separated from the Batt post by one diode. If that diode failed short circuit, then battery voltage could be fed to the voltage regulator (VR) indicating the VR should operate. When the VR is on and the battery voltage is above the set charge point, all the circuits I've found, show this causes a transistor to turn on which turns off the transistor that switches the rotor field winding on and off using the always hot pin on the VR. So there is a small current flowing.
So what I think is happening with the VR set to operate, when the battery voltage drops below the charge point due to the small discharge and any other sleep loads, the VR turns on the current through the field winding causing the high amp discharge. I believe this explains why there is current flow in both the always hot (A) wire and via the Batt post.
WHAT??? A bad "G.E." module on a ford? I was expecting to hear "water came in from the leaking windshield and soaked the fuse panel and gem". very nice diag....really enjoyed it. thanks eric. hope all is well with you and the family.
Water in the cab is only on the brand new ones.LOL
JC! what have you found to be the cure for the windshield leak?! Ive been trying to stop water from filling my wiringf channels since i got the thing , is a 08
I usually have the windshield removed and the sealing surface cleaned and resealed. i have also seen roof cab lights leak and do the same thing.
I have a 1997 and that exact thing happened to mine. Windshield started leaking on drivers side and soaked the fuse panel. Caused all kinds of problems including dead battery and finally the starter kicking in and the truck trying to start on its own. The windshield got cracked so I had it replaced and the problem was solved.
What kind a laptop is that.?
This is totally fascinating to me! As an actual electrician, we always had data loggers readily available to track issues but we aren’t talking 3 phase or Δ Y’s (240v with a kicker leg). Totally different thought process and I’m loving your videos. I am low voltage certified but we are talking alarms (fire, burglar, intercoms, intercoms and such. I’ve been doing research into AC & DC integration.
nice one Eric.Your current video that is!
Great video, thanks for hanging with it despite having so much going on around you!
Good stuff! My car has the same symptom, but it takes a week to die. (I'm unemployed and sick.) I'll be trying your method here. Thanks from Texas!
i have a 2004 chevy tahoe z71 4x4 5.3 litre my battery dies over night you have any videos on chevy diagnose the electrical problem
Thanks so much for this. I have a 98 F-150 that's doing this exact thing.
Had the exact same issue happen on a 06 mustang 6 banger.
Strange enough, it still happened after 2 referb units.
New unit from Napa finally cured the problem
NAPA KNOW HOW lol
napa not a sponser
Perhaps when the alternatoris heated up from driving, the pack is not a short to ground, but after having a chance to cool it connects. If heat was sinking into the diode pack from the alternator housing, that could definitely take hours. Sometimes in troubleshooting electronics people use freeze spray on chips and transistors and such looking for this very thing. Well done!
That's was and amazing find! Thanks for sharing. I am having the same problem with a 2013. but does it about every 4 months or so.
Hey Erick another great video diagnose. I replaced my battery when my Opel/insignia didn’t/wouldn’t start it was only 2 years old But kept draining overnight. Love how you explain stuff great content
Another " Job Well Done"....Keep up the Good Work...Cheers from San Francisco. former Crew Chief on Huey UH-1C Gunships Vietnam December 1970-1971.
John Dubpernell my mom was a medivac nurse over there. She also worked in a big hospital in Okinawa Japan. Thank you for your service sir. Rudy from NH (brother 82cnd airborne,uncle did 26 years 16 in 10th SF cousin flew ah-64 in the desert 3 tours. Uncle in 101st for 20+
Thank you for your service!
Well done, Eric. I've heard it can be the alternator, but this is the first time I've ever actually seen it! Thank you for sharing.
Do what?
ERIC,excellent find and thank you for what u do by taking the time to show this.cheeeeeeers
It is so interesting watching how he gets to the problem!
"Hey, there's Canada!" Lol, thanks for the shoutout!
Good job Eric these sneaky draws are difficult to catch I see this ford problem frequently When I suspect the alternator field is shorted on I use a screwdriver or wrench and touch the drive pulley if the wrench gets sucked on to the pulley like a magnet the regulator is on if there is no power is present on the red/green wire alternator is bad.
I loved the current monitoring technique with the scope
I've heard of this happening, but never seen it. Sweet diag Dr. O. Thanks!
Eric I just want you to know your videos have helped make me a better tech and thank you. You would do the tech community a great service if you could teach an occasional class at your local vo tech because I feel like proper electrical diagnosis skills aren't really being taught to younger techs these days.
For those who are interested, there are any number of thermal imaging apps for your cell phone that could be used for diagnostics on a job like this.
Hi SMA
Just a tip on alternator parasitic draw. As an electrician by trade diodes and resistors are effected by ambient temperature. Causing strage results when hot and also cold.
You Sir,are a troubleshooting guru...THUMBS UP
Having this same problem with a 2015 F_150. Kept battery on charger overnight as a result. Do to your video I checked and my alternator is indeed hot to the touch after sitting all night. Still under warranty so off to the Ford dealer armed with this info, thanks.
Parts cannon- ready (parts estimate) aim (customer approval) fire! (put on parts and cross fingers).
Great video Eric, like the way you described the total current drawn by the bad alternator, not only from the Main feed to the battery but the 12 volt sensing line to the battery fro alternator. Awesome !!! And thanks.
Best line: "I wish I had a thermal imager!"