Can anyone post a picture of the fuseable link of a saff battery I have a voltage problem my secs is showing 12.6 volts idle electrics of and as low as 11.9 with stuff on also the light check display goes silly when the voltage goes low, its a 1990 4x4 saff. im ok with a soldering iron but i need to know what to repair before I can repair it.

 

Hi Trev,
the fusible links to which you refer are within the wiring loom located close to the battery positive terminal. If the links were shot then you would have no voltage at all! I cant help but feel that your idle voltage is a little low, you should be seeing around 14 volts! Check your alternator output at the back of the unit with a voltmeter making sure you put the negative probe on the alternator casing, what does it read there?

Next check voltage at the battery terminals what have you there? if you have a difference of a couple of volts then the problem is probably a bad earth connection either on the chassis or on the engine.

CheeRS, Mike

 

The voltage at the altenator is 14V the voltage at the battery is 13.5V the voltage at the secs monitor (confirmed with a meter at the ciggarett lighter is 12.7V all readings at idle, with all electrics on altenator is 13.1V battery is 12.6V and secs reads 10.9V I looked at the fuseable links they seem ok ish the red plastic stuff around them was quite hard but the wires where still fairly soft. Im stuck now altenator is obviously ok as is the battery but the power isnt getting into the car, alarm (which doesnt go through links is battery voltage) seems it must be fuseable links or something after them.

 

Hi again,
The voltage at the battery should be the same as the alternator so you are 0.5 v adrift there, I know this doesnt like a lot but you typically only have to lose 1.5 volts in this way and you can experience starting and charging problems. You only need a couple of bad connections and before you know it you have dropped a couple of volts.

As far as I am aware the fusible links feed the fuse box so you may have a problem in that area. Check what voltage you have on the related fuses, Fords are notorious for fuse box problems. Have you checked the voltage at the cigarette lighter wiring or have you probed the inside of the lighter unit? Where does your secs monitor get its supply from?

Let me know how you get on.


Mike.

 

Hi yet again!
It may be worth checking the voltage to other services inside the car to see if you have differing voltage elsewhere, try on the ignition switch for example both the feed and the switched positions.

Mike.

 

secsmonitor gets feed from same place as ecu, from the diagrams one fuseable link goes to the ignition and in turn this feeds fuse box for ign on fuses, other fuseable link goes direct to fuse box, 2 other conections on the battery are 1 feeds to hazzard warning switch one goes to abs block 1 to starter and one from altenator, I havnt tried the power on the back of the ign switch, should i replace the wire between the altenator and battery or just clean terminals?

 

Hi
I would just clean up all the battery connections first, then check that the earths on chassis and engine, also clean up the alternator terminals and see if this improves the situation, before spending any money
If your secs monitor is powered by the ECU feed this means the ECU itself is not getting NBV (normal battery voltage) This is not good. If this is the case you may have to replace the feed cables from the battery to the fuse box and ignition switch etc. See what happens after a clean up.

Mike.

 

Cleaned up battery connections and connection on back of altenator replaced fuseable links, voltage is very slightly better 13v idle on secs, drops down to 11 everything on, checked voltage on the ignition barrell, same as battery voltage at all times!! Where do I look next, where does the feed for the ecu come from?

 

Hmmm.
What is the voltage at the battery when you rev the car up? You should be seeing around 14 ish volts, with the headlights etc also turned on it should only drop a little less! Is your charge light on the dash working ok? Like does it come on when you turn on ignition and go out when you start up or what, something very wrong here! Is the car starting ok if left for a day or two or is it a bit lazy on the starter?
I live quite near Plymouth and often travel in and out so will pop round and have a look if you get stuck.

CheeRS, Mike

 

secs can show up to 0.5v less than battery due to wiring and everything still be ok. its in the secs instructions...

hth

 

Battery light works fine, like I said altenator kicks out 14v at idle and still 14 when revved, battery is 13.5 at idle and at revs, cars starts fine every time even if left for a week or more my next step was going to be to see what the supply to the ecu read on my multimeter, and check the input output at the ign relay, anyone got any more ideas?

 

oh i must check the earths as well I will try that next