Think mine is on the way out...

When the car is idling with front lights and stereo on it struggles on the SECS to show over 12.5v

Would it be the battery not holding charge or the alternator not charging it?

And any idea on how much a new one would sting me?

 

I think it should see over 13v all the time................Mine did anyway

 

https://passionford.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=151843

I get that reading from my SECs too.

 

My SECS says min 13.1v normally sits at 13.7v

 

Mine does that sometimes aswell Lynne, Turn the car over and the SECS drops right down to 11 volts...

Don't fancy splashing out for an alternator if it's the battery i need....

 

anything above 13 is good nothing over 14v tho

 

Smit,

your famous your car is in the Jan 2006 edition of Fast Ford on page 53 during the night pod meet

Steve.

 

Awesome

 

I have a brand new heavy duty Varta battery and it still does it. Using it the other night with headlights and heater on, it was reading 12.5v. If I turn the engine off and just leave the ignition on, it drops quite rapidly to around the 11v mark. I think there is something draining mine. I got Si at A1 Rally Sport to check it over last week, but he couldn't find anything and at most times his ammeter was reading 13.7v... when I have time, I will take it into an auto electricians, as it really pees me off having to put it on a trickle charger every time after driving it. My car does still have the original alternator, so maybe it is that, after all it is over 11 years old.

 

13.8v is a regulated healthy alternator

 

But... could the SECs be giving a false reading??? Ammeter showed 13.7v

 

Secs reads from the ECU, not the battery.
The feeds into the car are dog rough on Fords, especially the saffs.

 

Have you actually read it with a meter on the battery itself? Ours is over 13 when running. Leave it standing a couple of days and like Redkops around its 11 then wont start

Z

 

I might get a proper gauge n see what it says then, Just reading from the SECS (as it's handy) did worry me a little............