TECH TIP FOR AUGUST, 1998

WHEN WE SUPPLY A FORD IAR (INTERNALLY REGULATED) ALTERNATOR, WE ALSO SUPPLY A NEW PLUG FOR THE MAIN BATTERY CONNECTION AND THE ALTERNATOR HAS A TURBINE FAN INSTALLED. THE TUBING FAN DRAWS MUCH MORE AIR AND THE ALTERNATOR SHOULD RUN COOLER AS A RESULT. PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE TO THE ORIGINAL STEEL FAN BECAUSE IT WAS WHAT WAS ON YOUR CORE. THE ALTERNATOR WILL PROBABLY LAST LONGER WITH THE TURBINE FAN, SO LEAVE IT ON.

ON THE SUBJECT OF FORD AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS, WE HAVE BEEN SUPPLYING A NEW SWITCH CONNECTOR WITH ALL OF THE LATE MODEL PMGR STARTERS. THIS IS THE ONE WITH ITS OWN SOLENOID ATTACHED TO THE STARTER. THE SWITCH CONNECTOR IS PRONE TO GETTING CORROSION UP INSIDE THE CONNECTOR AND THE WIRE, CAUSING AN INTERMITTENT "CLICKS BUT WON'T START". FORD HAS CHANGED THAT SOLENOID TO HAVE A THREADED POST SWITCH TERMINAL TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM AND WE ARE MAKING THE CHANGE TO OUR UNITS AS WE BUILD THEM. I CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE ALL THE BUILT UNITS OUT OF STOCK AND CHANGE TO THE NEW STYLE. UNTIL CURRENT STOCK IS USED UP, PLEASE REPLACE ALL SWITCH WIRES WITH THE ONE SUPPLIED. I KNOW THE WIRE "LOOKS" GOOD BUT FOR SAFETY SAKE, REPLACE THE WIRE.

A WHILE AGO I MENTIONED THAT I STOLE SOME OF THE "TECH TIPS" FROM A GENTLEMAN NAMED MOHAMMAD SAMII WHO RUNS A REBUILD/AUTO ELECTRIC REPAIR SHOP IN THE USA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR ONE OF THE TRADE PAPERS AND THIS MONTH HAS SEVERAL REALLY INTERESTING ITEMS IN HIS ARTICLE. FIRST HE TALKS OF A 1987 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER WHERE THE CUSTOMER HAD DONE A SELF DIAGNOSTIC BEFORE IT CAME TO HIM. THE CUSTOMER HAD REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND THE BATTERY, TRYING TO GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO OFF. THE SCAN TOOL REVEALED SEVERAL CODES RELATED TO LOW VOLTAGE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE WAS A CODE #12. THIS CODE IS "LACK OF FEED TO THE MODULE".

THE SCHEMATIC SAID THAT THE POWER HAD TO BE AVAILABLE ON PIN # 41 OF THE SINGE MODULE ENGINE CONTROLLER (SMEC), AND IT WAS NOT. BY STRIPPING THE HARNESS BACK THEY FOUND A CORRODED WIRE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO FEED THE PIN #41. A SIMPLE REPAIR OF THE WIRE AND THE SYSTEM WORKED PROPERLY. THEY TOOK THE NEW ALTERNATOR OFF AND PUT THE ORIGINAL ONE BACK ON AND OF COURSE IT TOO WORKED PROPERLY.

THE MORAL OF THIS STORY, OTHER THAN CUSTOMERS WHO DO THEIR OWN DIAGNOSIS ARE LIKE LAWYERS WHO REPRESENT THEMSELVES, IS IF THE CHARGING SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING, YOU CAN'T JUST START REPLACING PARTS. WELL YOU CAN, BUT THEN, WHAT DOES THE CUSTOMER NEED YOU FOR?

MOHAMMAD REPORTS A STARTER WHICH WAS CAUSING THE BATTERY TO GO FLAT ON A 1986 DODGE CARAVAN, WITH A 2.6L ENGINE. THERE WAS A CONTINUOUS 300ma DRAIN AND DISCONNECTING ALL OF THE NORMAL CIRCUITS DID NOTHING. WHEN FINALLY THERE WAS NOTHING LEFT BUT THE SWITCH WIRE TO THE STARTER SOLENOID, THEY REMOVED IT AND THE DRAIN WENT AWAY. UPON DISASSEMBLY OF THE STARTER, THEY FOUND A BLOB OF DIRT/BRUSH MATERIAL ON THE INSIDE IN A POSITION TO CONTACT THE MAIN BATTERY CONNECTION AND THE GROUND OF THE CASE.

CLEANING UP THE STARTER MADE THE PROBLEM DISAPPEAR. I HAVE TO SAY THAT IF YOU HAD CALLED ME TO ASK IF A STARTER. IN THE AT REST POSITION COULD CAUSE A DRAIN, I WOULD HAVE SAID NO. IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE INDUSTRY WITH PEOPLE TAKING SHORT CUTS. A CASE IN POINT IS 2 OLDS CALAIS W/2.5L ENGINES , WHERE AFTER THE ALTERNATORS WAS REPLACED THE TECHNICIAN DID NOT BOTHER TO REPLACE THE CLIPS WHICH LOCATE AND SUPPORT THE WIRING HARNESS. THE RESULT? THE HARNESS EVENTUALLY SAGGED AND TOUCH THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CAUSING SHORTS AND EVENTUALLY FIRE DAMAGE. IF THE CUSTOMER IS PAYING TO HAVE THE JOB DONE, ISN'T HE ALSO PAYING TO HAVE IT DONE CORRECTLY.

MR. SAMII ALSO HAS A VERY INTERESTING ITEM IN HIS ARTICLE. ABOUT SEVERAL 1988-90 TOYOTA CAMRYS, WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS. THESE CARS CONTROL THE TAIL LIGHTS THROUGH A "LAMP FAILURE MODULE" WHICH NOT ONLY SUPPLIES POWER BUT IS SUPPOSED TO TELL THE OPERATOR IF A BULB IS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE MODULE CAN FAIL FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT ONE OF THE MOST COMMON IS THE INSTALLATION OF GENERIC 1157 BULBS. THE GENERIC BULBS DRAW TOO MUCH POWER AND CAUSE THE MODULE TO BURN OUT.

MotorService MAGAZINE RECOMMENDS BUYING THE ORIGINAL KYOTO BULBS, AS THERE ARE ENOUGH DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE ONES THE MODULE WAS DESIGNED FOR, AND THE AFTERMARKET VERSION THAT THE MODULE WILL EXPERIENCE PREMATURE FAILURE. THE PART NUMBER FOR THE MODULE IS 89373-32120, AND IT COSTS $130.00 (US), FROM THE DEALER. BET YOU CAN'T SAVE $1.00 PER BULB BETWEEN OEM & AFTERMARKET. AS AN ASIDE TO THIS, I HAVE HEARD THAT ON THE VERY LATER MODEL FORD PRODUCTS, A CHANGE TO AFTERMARKET BULBS CAN CAUSE DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE AMP DRAW. THIS APPEARS TO BE A PROBLEM, ON THE FORD, AFTER MULTIPLE BULB REPLACEMENT.