93 F-150 Electrical Failure

Asked by TipUrWaiter Jan 21, 2019 at 09:02 AM about the 1993 Ford F-150 XL LB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

The Vehicle:
-1993 Ford F-150, 6L 4.9L, 5-Speed.
-Previous owner rebuilt the engine, replaced starter, replaced clutch, and installed an aftermarket LED
light bar, klaxon horn, and radio.

The Problem:
-Driving the pickup, I suddenly began to lose power (both electrical and horsepower). Lights dimmed,
engine sputtered. It was almost like I was running out of gas. After several minutes of this, the engine died
and all lights went out. I jumped it, it started/ran fine, then died again in the same manner just minutes
later.

My Response:
-I replaced the alternator brushes and got the battery checked out (AutoZone said it was "Good"). The
problem and symptoms persisted so I bought a new alternator and installed it. The pickup ran without a
problem for two days and then today it again sputtered, dimmed, and lost power before finally dying.
Turning the key gives me "the click". The same symptoms as before.

My Suspicions:
-The aftermarket features are too great an energy drain and they are draining my battery faster than the
alternator can charge it.
-There is some corrosion or poor connection in the wiring harness.
-The previous owner incorrectly installed the starter or went too cheap with the part and it is failing.

2 Answers

1,655

I think besides the aftermarket parts being the problem you nailed it right on the head. check all your harnesses and if it continues run an ECU scan on it.

1 people found this helpful.
74,290

When the engine dies, and you get it back home, what is the voltage present in the battery? Do you need to recharge it? While sitting in the driveway idling, Is the alternator charging the battery? Check for a parasitic drain on the battery. Too long to explain here. The net will have many how-to videos to guide the way.

Your Answer:

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