03 F150 with Battery drain issue

Asked by Michael Feb 05, 2019 at 04:11 PM about the 2003 Ford F-150 XLT Extended Cab 4WD SB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Ok, so for probably a year now, we
have had intermittent issue with my
sons 03 F150. Sometimes he will go
outside to crank it and the battery is
nearly dead. Other times it will start
just fine. This past weekend under
the advice of a mechanic friend, we
replaced the alternator. Well, I drove
back to the store to return the core
and it was dead when I came back
out. They tested the battery and said
it was weak, so they swapped it out (
was also the place I bought a new
battery from when the issue first
started. ) Today he tried to start it,
and the battery was again sluggish
and now it acts like it’s not getting
any fuel either...

2 Answers
74,180

OJ answered 5 years ago

You have to begin from a good condition. Get a battery charger and charge it that way. It may take overnight. When the battery is fully charged, check the voltage using a multi- meter. It should be 12.5 volts or so. Now start the car and let it idle. Check the voltage again. It should be charging at about 14.5 volts. If not at 14.5 volts, there is a problem with the alternator or circuitry. NOTE: I never purchase rebuilt alternators. If the wrong voltage regulator is installed, you will have problems. You can also have a parasitic drain on the battery. Check the net for a video on how to check. It's not difficult, but takes a while.

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