New Alternator Problems

[Denisefwd93]

Unless I'm imagining it, that's the fastest rebuild I ever heard of, and its of course nothing to do with the transmission, it's always something else right?

Par for course....tranny was installed and car won't start. Charge system is reading good but he said it is not getting gas. Told him to bypass inertia(sp) switch and that did not do it. He checked dues and ECU fuse was blown. All fuses were good when I checked them after 2nd bad alternator. He put in new fuse and still will not start. He is going to check fuel pump in tank. Never had any hesitatation with that car starting before. Grrrrrr....going to take up drinking hard stuff.

 

[PonyUp]

Yeah, he only took 3 days. Had the car on lift and old one out the first day and had parts next morning. Broke down and my brother is going to work with him. I am tired and up to my hairline doing my elder care/ helper plus I take care of a weekend rental property with a pool and 3 houses. Pool developed algae. I am ready to go crazy like someone in a viral video. Lol. Once upon a time there was this bad alternator. .....

 

[Denisefwd93]

Probably something stupid like a neutral switch

 

[PonyUp]

They lowered it after tranny installed and it started fine then died. He checked everything my brother said he would have checked. Fuel pump is working. Sent it next shop over for a check
Bro said he would get on internet tonight and I will be as well>>>with adult beverage. First one since way toooo long. Thanks for reading and shareing. Peeved at myself to put it mildly.

 

[Denisefwd93]

It ran when you took it in, they did the transmission, it should start when they are finished, so they can road test it. why should you and your brother take that responsibility for it not starting is beyond me

 

[PonyUp]

Cetainly I pointed it out to tranny guy>>My car went to him working and now it won't even start to test rebuild. He did spend a few hours trying to track it down but he is not really a engine repair person. He does trannys and differentials. Pretty much the thought is, there is still electrical issues and has nothing to do with tranny rebuild/install.

I never was convinced the electrical was fixed diagnosed right. Too much is not making sense to me. Something is being missed. Being that I cheacked all fuses and all were good after second (bad) alternator and he finds a blown ECU fuse after car initially starts, then dies and now won't start...Would a short which everyone has missed, possibly be creating this entire mess? The alledged "electrical" shop did not leave me feeling confident even after they charged me $$$$ for diagnostic, ICU, 2 grounds added and then another alternater with new plug.

I am on the hunt for a shop that only does electrical depending on what the current shop says after on hour of diagnostics.

Anyone think I need to pull the computer off my donor car and switch it out? Or wait to find someone who can trace wires which has something to do with that circuit. I have the shop manual on the electrical but it may as well be in chinese to me. ""Electrical" shop said they has computer access to it.

 

[JerryC]

Par for course....tranny was installed and car won't start. Charge system is reading good but he said it is not getting gas. Told him to bypass inertia(sp) switch and that did not do it. He checked dues and ECU fuse was blown. All fuses were good when I checked them after 2nd bad alternator. He put in new fuse and still will not start. He is going to check fuel pump in tank. Never had any hesitatation with that car starting before. Grrrrrr....going to take up drinking hard stuff.

Ask them if they disconnected the battery before they worked on the trans.

When he says "why would we do that?", you answer with "so you don't blow any fuses or worse."

OTOH, it is and old truck and bad connections, rubbed through wire insulation, etc... can pop up at anytime. Shortly after I bought mine the radio SMOKED. I pulled it out and saw that whoever installed the radio used electrical tape on the harness. Most of the tape fell off and there was tangle of bare wires, eventually the wrong two touched and "poof"!

 

[PonyUp]

Ask them if they disconnected the battery before they worked on the trans.

When he says "why would we do that?", you answer with "so you don't blow any fuses or worse."

OTOH, it is and old truck and bad connections, rubbed through wire insulation, etc... can pop up at anytime. Shortly after I bought mine the radio SMOKED. I pulled it out and saw that whoever installed the radio used electrical tape on the harness. Most of the tape fell off and there was tangle of bare wires, eventually the wrong two touched and "poof"!

Thanks Jerry. I have trusted this tranny guy ftom the beginning but I did ask. He indeed did disconnect before any tranny work. Current shop cannot get to it until Monday and it is $114 per each hour of diagnostics. I explained allof the electrical/charge issues in past month and His words>>It is a old car and things can go bad all at once and their computer will track it down eventually. I am not feeling good about this. Tranny guy said it is not getting gas but has great spark/starter, proper amps showing with alternator. Pump/relay are good, not bad inertia. I am taking day off and headed there with a donor computer and inertia (pretty easy switch right?). I will do that myself. Any other simple things I can check on my own in a parking lot? I looked for disconected or broken anything, blown fuses after 2nd alternator
I am not a mechanic but I do my own oil changes, filters, lubes, fuel filter and I have changed a starter, fan, brakes, hoses. Simple things. I don't mind paying someone to do what I cannot do, don't want to do, as long as that is what is known to be wrong. Geeze...from the first alledged bad alternator to now.

Tranny may have went south by coincidence,but all this other stuff is not making sense. To me or anyone else. Just keep throwing diagnostic and parts.

 

[Denisefwd93]

Do not! take that vehicle away from the transmission shop before they road test it and prove to you it's a good & proper rebuild

 

[PonyUp]

Do not! take that vehicle away from the transmission shop before they road test it and prove to you it's a good & proper rebuild

Thanks. It will not go anywhere. I contacted a mobile company with excellent reviews and talked with a guy. They charge $164 but not sure if they charge the same per hour or first hour included travel fee. Got a better conversation with him than where it is was pushed to/parked right now. Waiting for a return call from him.

Tranny guy knows he gets paid nothing until rebuild comes back checked by him and me. Should have not paid any of them anything from the get go when things were amiss after their services/parts. Lesson learned. Forever.

 

[JerryC]

I just went through a fuel issue. To shorten a real long story, it was just a loose connection at the frame mounted fuel pump. I had fixed it in about half an hour. I had it was towed home from a three week stay at the ford dealer who estimated the repair at about $1600 (replace both pumps).

My steps were, hook up FP guage at the fuel rail (pressure good), have wife turn the key so I could crawl under and listen to both pumps activate (good), check connectors and it was the first connector I checked. I touched it and it fell off. I've had it about four years and that connector must have barely on the whole time and eventually wiggled to point where the connector was intermittent.

The frame pump is easy, the in-tank requires you to drop the tank or cut a hole the floor.

 

[PonyUp]

Thanks. 89 has 2 fuel pumps? One in tank and where would other one be. I know about a inline regulator/filter on frame about where driver door is. On my way to get a coil. FP was good, gas on spark plugs and mobile mechanic said coil spark is weak and car can't start. Measuring 12.1 and drops to 11.6 when starter is bumped. I am putting one on and will see.

 

[JerryC]

Thanks. 89 has 2 fuel pumps? One in tank and where would other one be. I know about a inline regulator/filter on frame about where driver door is. On my way to get a coil. FP was good, gas on spark plugs and mobile mechanic said coil spark is weak and car can't start. Measuring 12.1 and drops to 11.6 when starter is bumped. I am putting one on and will see.

Rock auto shows two, in the tank and the other external. I'd guess it would be the same place as on my '88, on the drivers side frame rail under the drivers compartment. It's mounted to a plate like L- bracket that bolts to the frame. You have to unbolt the bracket to get to the pump, but I was ably to get to the connections without removing the bracket. When I saw that connector was messed up I ended up loosening the bracket to get a little more working room.

 

[PonyUp]

Rock auto shows two, in the tank and the other external. I'd guess it would be the same place as on my '88, on the drivers side frame rail under the drivers compartment. It's mounted to a plate like L- bracket that bolts to the frame. You have to unbolt the bracket to get to the pump, but I was ably to get to the connections without removing the bracket. When I saw that connector was messed up I ended up loosening the bracket to get a little more working room.

Not sure why it is showing as a fuel pump. That is a inline filter on my 89 and 90.

Was close to parts store and bought a coil. No change. Removing distributor, computer from donor car in the morning. Heck..will take as many sensors as I can off donor a soon as I figure what/where they are.

Fuel rail has 40 PSI and there was fuel going to spark plugs.

 

[JerryC]

On my 88, going from memory....
In order from back to front, on the driver side frame rail under the driver compartment: plastic fuel reservoir and filter (looks like small oil filter) then fuel pump then metal fuel filter.