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2025.05.21 Escape 18v alternator again:



5/21/2025

12:15 pm - driving home (vai UPS) from work for AE0TB's funeral, suddenly radio goes off, along with dash lights. I thought the engine had died, but the entire dash was dead, no usual check lights when the engine stalls. Pulled off to the side and tried to crank it, nothing. Thought my battery was disconnected, but as I slowed to a stop I realized the engine was still running smoothly. Checked dash volt meter, 18 volts. Got back on the road, noticed voltage climbing as I accellerated, 18.5v and up. No turn signals, can't roll down window even, probably no brake lights. Do I stop and get a tow, or try to make it home? Turn from hawkeye road East on San Marnan, will try to make it home. Timing lights and traffic so I don't have to slow down a lot or need to signal a turn with other traffic behind or beside me. Made it home via some side streets. Egnition off, voltage falls back to 14.3 or so. Restart, back up to 19. Off. Got out and got the clamp meter out. Popped hood, battery is hissing and sizzling like bacon in a pan, a little water is visible on the top. Clamp meter on + from battery, 4.5 amps. Close car door, wait for dome light to turn off. 3.5 amps. Seems high.

Called J&J, Jeff immediately concludes it's the regulator. (in the alternator) Asked about high off-current, he says that's normal for the compupters. I'm skeptical. Will find a way to get it in. Took meter inside, noticed it's reading 0.3 amps, I didn't zero it. So it was drawing more like 3.0 amps off. Took Explorer to Tom's visitation.

8:00 pm - back rom the visitation, checked voltage, it's down to 11.8 volts already. That won't last till morning. I'd rather not disconnect the battery because I suspect that will "reset" the alternator's voltage regulator and I'd like to be able to demonstrate the problem to J&J tomorrow, but I will need to recharge and keep the battery charged until tomorrow noon at least. My solar can only do up to 5 amps, and obviosly won't work overnight so it'll be deeply discharged by morning.

Connected my 5 amp gophert regulated supply. Once the dome light went out it was getting a net charge into the battery at only around 0.7 amps according to the clamp meter. Better than nothing I suppose? What's weirder, the battery is continuing to quietly hiss. It was doing this long before I connected the gophert, and I have no explanation of why it would hiss while being slowly drained to death? The remote is showing 12.3v now, though I'm skeptical of the accuracy of that number. Tomorrow when the solar panels get back to work it might just get to charging back up at a decent rate, despote the drain. I'm still suspicious that the alternator's regulator is causing this 3 amp drain, although I installed the solar panel to make up for what seemed to be either a slow drain or a poorly performing alternator. I was thinking after the alternator got replaced that might eliminate the need for the panel, but there may yet be another drain in the vehicle somewhere.

5/22/2205

7:00 am - gophert has charged the battery up to 13.6v and current has dropped to 4.5 amps

7:30 pm - gophert has reached 13.8v and current is down to 4 amps. disconnected gophert, battery draw is about 3 amps with vehicle off. Battery wasn't hissing anymore but a puddle had definitely been on the ground. a 60 amp-hour battery could run a 3 amp load for about 20 hours before being dead, there's no way a 3 amp idle draw is normal, it wouldn't last the weekend. Tried starting it. Voltage climbed over 17 volts in only a few seconds. The alternator was pushing well over 100 amps into the battery. Shut off vehicle. Battery is now hissing and gurgling, fumes in the air. Probably not a good idea to drive it any distance starting with a fully charged battery, so I'll leve the gophert disconnected and hopefully it will be low but not too low to drive tomorrow.

10;40 pm - I may just call a tow truck in the morning, since it's 2.6 miles to J&J and I only limped 0.4 miles home from hawkeye road yesterday. It's at 12.2v right now. If it's too low tomorrow morning I may put it back on charge before the tow arrives



5/23/2025

8:00 am - battery is at 4.6 volts. clearly that battery is toast, I'll have to get to advance auto and get it replaced.
will definitely need to call a tow truck, waved off Spencer.




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