Yo Jaco,
Battery Drainer Suspects;
Battery isn’t charging while you drive.
Underhood lamp is always on, if equipped.
Headlight Switch. CORROSION;
Switch Fires, Part Number SW-2103: "...Over the past two years, this office has experienced fires caused by another potential problem in Ford vehicles. The problem exists within the dimmer portion of the headlight switch in Ford vehicles. The light switch involved is a Model SW-2103. These are the pull out type headlight switches usually located in the lower left corner of the front dash of Ford vehicles. The headlight portion of the switch has two pullout positions, the first for parking lights only, and fully out for headlights and parking lights. The shaft of this pull-out light switch can be turned clockwise and counterclockwise which activates a dimmer switch, lowering and raising the intensity of the lighting in the instrument panels respectively. Fully rotating the shaft counterclockwise past a notch activates the interior lights within the vehicles. The potential problem exists within the dimmer portion of this switch. The dimmer mechanism consists of a metallic resistive coil set inside a ceramic disc positioned over the shaft of the switch. The coil is exposed on its front side away from the passenger compartment. The front side of the coil passes across a contact permitting a current to flow through a certain portion of the coil when the switch is pulled our in its first or second positions. The greater amount of coil through which the current is permitted to pass (clockwise most position) creates the greatest resistance and therefore dims the dash lighting to its lowest intensity. The opposite position provides greatest intensity. Through our investigations, we have found that the coil can fail owing to wear and/or possible material defects or damage. A fractured coil can maneuver itself free of the ceramic disc permitting it to come in contact with the metal bracket which mounts and grounds the switch to the vehicle. When this occurs, a current can flow through a portion of the coil creating high temperatures melting the metal material of the coil and possibly igniting surrounding combustibles. This mechanism has been observed in three separate incidents by this office. Two of these resulted in a fire. The mechanism is precipitated by wear and/or defect in the coil mechanism. If the former is true, we expect there will be an increase in fires caused through this mechanism given an increase in service time. To this date the problem appears to be somewhat limited. However, this particular light switch has been utilized in numerous Ford vehicles. Therefore, a small increase in failure rate owing to age and wear could result in a significant increase in fire losses. The SW-2103 Light Switch Assembly discussed above is reportedly installed in the following Ford vehicles: 1986 -1997 F100, F150, F300; 1990-1994 Explorer; 1987-1994 Ranger; 1987-1990 Bronco II; 1992-1997 Aerostar..." Miesk5 NOTE: No Bronco Listed, but this may be the result of typos or incomplete research by the company.
Source: by waltersforensic.com
See:
Battery Testing Procedure TSB 91-10-10 for 85-91 Bronco, Aerostar, Econoline, F-150-350 Series, Ranger; 85-90 Bronco II; 89-91 F Super Duty, F47, F-53, F-59; 91 Explorer, etc.
Source: by Ford @
Loose or Weak Contact at Generator Harness Connector TSB 96-21-4 for 86-93 Bronco
Source: by Ford
"ISSUE: When a generator fails, there are a few failure modes that may cause heat to be produced at the wiring harness-to-generator connector. This excess heat may damage the female terminals on the wiring harness, resulting in increased resistance. The increased resistance produces more heat. When the generator is replaced, the resistance produced by a damaged connector may damage the new generator and could result in a repeat repair, including installation of another generator. High resistance (caused by a damaged connector) will not go away until the damaged connector is replaced.
ACTION: Visually inspect the harness-to-generator connector for damage (heat, corrosion, distortion and cracking) before installing a new generator. Install the Generator Wiring Harness Connector Kit (E5AZ-14305-AA) if the harness-to-generator connector is damaged.
The Generator Wiring Harness Connector Kit (E5AZ-14305-AA) contains the following:
One (1) Red Wire Butt Connector
Two (2) Yellow Wire Butt Connectors
One (1) Wire Connector Assembly
One (1) Instruction Sheet (I.S. 6849)
PART NUMBER PART NAME
E5AZ-14305-AA Generator Wiring Harness Connector Kit
OTHER APPLICABLE ARTICLES: NONE
SUPERSEDES: 95-25-04"
Parasitic Current Drain Test; "...you should be able to trace the "parasitic draw" on the battery in the normal way. Pull the (-) cable off & put an ammeter inline set to the 10A range (or higher if possible) to see how much current is being pulled out of the battery with the key OFF, the doors SHUT, & the hood light bulb REMOVED. Make sure absolutely NOTHING is turned on anywhere on the truck. If it registers 0 or below the meter's next range, switch it down a range until it shows some useful numbers. If it ends up being below 0.5A (500mA), then replace the battery. If it's above that, start by disconnecting all the alternator wires & see if the reading drops under 0.5A. Then move to the fuse block & pull them 1 at a time until there's a significant drop in the reading. That's the circuit that's draining the battery. Follow it to find the problem..."
BATTERY DOES NOT HOLD A CHARGE
L1 CHECK BATTERY CONNECTIONS
- Inspect the battery cables for loose or corroded connections, especially those negative cable grounds.
Are the battery cables clean and tight?
Yes | No |
---|
GO to L2. | CLEAN AND TIGHTEN the battery cables. |
L2 CHECK DRIVE BELT TENSION
Yes | No |
---|
GO to L3. | ADJUST or REPLACE the drive belt. |
L3 LOOSE BATTERY POST
- Check for loose battery posts.
Are posts OK?
Yes | No |
---|
GO to L4. | REPLACE battery. |
L4 CRACKED BATTERY COVER
- Remove battery hold down clamps and shields.
- Check for broken/cracked case or battery cover.
Are case and cover OK?
Yes | No |
---|
GO to L5. | REPLACE battery. |
L5 CHECK BATTERY
- Perform the battery capacity test at local parts store.
Is battery OK?
Yes | No |
---|
GO to L6. | REPLACE the battery. |
L6 CHECK FOR KEY-OFF DRAIN
- Have parts store perform battery drain test.
Is correct drain less than 50 Ma (or test lamp off)?
Yes | No |
---|
Battery is ok! | Find the cause of key-off battery drain. |