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Ford WindstarIntroduced in the mid-1990s, the front-wheel-drive Ford Windstar minivan campaigned with an emphasis on, and reputation for, safety. And in the hotly contested family minivan market of the time, that was an especially solid piece of ground to be on. As long as buyers didn't need to haul adults in back on a regular basis, the Windstar served a family's needs just fine.
I am not getting enough juice from the alternator; my van runs fine with the battery power. I put a new alternator (tested twice), new belt and battery. I also ensured all the fuses in the Engine Compartment Fuse Box, checked the cables. Can some one suggest where should I look for next or please advice me on this.
you need a multimeter and tell us what the battery is recieving,( at the battery and at the alternator) in volts. also make sure the battery cables are clean
The battery receives 1Volt less when the engine is running. Say Multimeter shows 12V in the battery before engine running, but when the engine running I am getting only11V to 11.4V.
battery receives 1Volt less when the engine is running. Say Multimeter shows 12V in the battery before engine running, but when the engine running I am getting only11V to 11.4V.
I don’t know how to check cables out from alternator, I doubt on this cables. I have Haynes manual it wont explain how to check the cables. There are three cables out from Alternator B+ (Black/Orange), A (Yellow) and “I” (Green/Red). Per the manual I suppose to get 12V on the “A” terminal when I turn the ignition key ON (engine not running), instead I get nothing. When the engine running I get only 2V in “A” terminal. I feel something is wrong in between alternator and battery. Can I try jump any of this wires directly to battery to test it? I don’t know which wire I should do.
you sad you checked all the fuses because there is a fuse that gives power to the alt to energize it. you should recieve 13 to 14.5 volts at the battery the wire to check at the alter. is the big black with orange or yellow strip, while the vehicle is running. if all that is okay i would say the voltage regulator on the alter. is bad when you replaced the alt. you did diconnect the battery before you removed it!!!!!!!!!
I did checked all the fuses located in Power Distributor Box located next the battery (not sure I should look at another location), also I followed all the instructions properly when removing old alternator and installing new one.
Yes there is a thick black cable with orange strip running out from the alternator, is this the one charges the battery? Can I jump this wire directly to the battery to test it?
My buddy found the problem. We jumped the yellow wire from Alternator to the battery positive, and then everything is resolved. We are getting 13.5 to 14V to the battery when engine running. Now we doubt it’s the fuse between Alternator and the Battery, we checked all the fuses in the power distribution box, my Haynes manual won’t explain where to look for. Does any one have an idea where this fuse is located?
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98, 3.8L Windstar. Battery wont charge 
Linear Mode
