urgent!! f-150 problems!

[country_boy]

My uncle was driving his 98' f-150 and is having all kinds of electrical problems. While driving all the gauges went dead, windows quit, a/c quit, radio quit, lights quit, abs light is on, check engine light is on, but the truck is still driving. The truck has a cracked gas tank neck for a long time now. Has 240k miles on it. Im thinking its a big electrical problem.

 

[country_boy]

Maybe the alternator?

 

[M. Sage]

Start with the basics! The alternator charges the battery and provides current for everything electrical on the truck. A bad alternator will usually result in a dead battery and immobilized truck, but sometimes will cause hell with electrical systems if the rectifier is bad and throws too much AC voltage into the system. If it was bad enough to kill systems that are low on electronics, the truck wouldn't run.

The basics? Check fuses! If they're good, you'll have to check the grounds for at least a couple of those systems.

 

[Texas1911]

I'm 100% sure it's the alternator... I got the same exact problem before on my Nissan and it was the alternator. Brake Light + Check Engine Light = Alternator in most cars out there.

 

[TexasRedneck]

That, or a cell shortin' out in the battery can give the same symptoms...

 

[country_boy]

Fuses are fine. The truck will not crank now. Its at the ford dealer in Georgetown. What would it cost to get the gas tank fixed?

 

[308nato]

always make sure your battery posts and cables are clean.

 

[M. Sage]

Fuses are fine. The truck will not crank now. Its at the ford dealer in Georgetown. What would it cost to get the gas tank fixed?

It's probably the tube running from the filler to the tank, they break all the time on Fords. They're not cheap...

Does the starter crank the engine over?

I'm 100% sure it's the alternator... I got the same exact problem before on my Nissan and it was the alternator. Brake Light + Check Engine Light = Alternator in most cars out there.

You forgot the windows, AC and radio, though.

Japanese cars and trucks are a bit different. Most American cars won't trip a check engine light or brake light because of an alternator. Some Japanese cars apparently stay in bulb-check mode below a certain voltage.

 

[country_boy]

Nothing happens when the key is turned. Also, failed to mention that the truck started to miss a lot for a mile then just died. Also, the abs light tripped.

 

[cuate]

Go to the nearest parts store and get a little manual for that model, will help your troubleshooting 100% . I am not conversant with Fords any more but many vehicles have a fused link in the wiring that can open, burn into that is causing a loss of electric power to nearly everything, manuals will show where in the wire bundles they are located. I had to repair a couple in my son's Vette several years ago.

It isn't proper to replace a burned fuse link with a plain piece of proper sized wire but
where we were and the availablity was the cause of my quicky fix, no further problems but the circuits were no longer protected. Good luck...

 

[TexasRedneck]

5'll git ya 10 that it's either the alternator or battery - or both. A shorting cell will "suck" all the alternator power, an' progressively pull things down until it shuts down. It'll also keep the engine from turning over - and if there's a short, it will NOT "jump" with cables.

 

[country_boy]

thx for the help but, this is my familes companies truck. Im not allowed to work any of our companies vehicles. Its at the dealer getting troubleshooted.

 

[TexasRedneck]

thx for the help but, this is my familes companies truck. Im not allowed to work any of our companies vehicles. Its at the dealer getting troubleshooted.

Well then - may I ask (with all due respect) why you even asked in the first place?!?!??

 

[Shorts]

HAHA! I thought this was going to be a joke about Fords

 

[JKTex]

Well then - may I ask (with all due respect) why you even asked in the first place?!?!??

 

[TexMex247]

You have a power distribution problem if power features(windows,etc.) are inoperative but fuses are good. An alternator problem would only effect a running engine(unless the battery has been run completely down). Maybe it's a bad ignition switch - be sure and tell us what fixes it.

 

[M. Sage]

You have a power distribution problem if power features(windows,etc.) are inoperative but fuses are good. An alternator problem would only effect a running engine(unless the battery has been run completely down). Maybe it's a bad ignition switch - be sure and tell us what fixes it.

I've had an F150 with a bad fuse box do something similar to me. Apparently I'm not the only one, but it's not a really common failure.

 

[TexasRedneck]

I keep tellin' ya...a bad battery will give you the exact same symptoms.<G>

 

[MadMo44Mag]

I guess that BIG BLUE OVAL on the grill has nothing to do with it - ROFLMAO!!!!!

 

[TexasRedneck]

I guess that BIG BLUE OVAL on the grill has nothing to do with it - ROFLMAO!!!!!

Actually, it does. Were it a POS Mopar, it'd just died whar it was. Even tow trucks won't pick up the Mopar's no more - no one wants 'em!