No charge on bat

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I have a 2000 ford ranger xlt.6 cyl 3.0 gas not electric.Battery keeps going dead.Has new battery and alternator and belt.Shows no charge on dash gauge.If jump started,it will have all the dash lights come on and will run for a few minutes then shut down.Help,Hve to get back to columbus.

2

Even tho the alternator is new I would still have it tested - could be defective.

If that’s ok, the next thing I would do is make sure that the terminals are clean. Then check/clean all of the other grounds/connections.

3

The dashboard should also have a red alternator light. Does this light illuminate when the key is turned to the RUN position? If it does not then the alternator will not charge.

I think (don’t remember for sure) this truck may also have a fusible link in the main power lead from the alternator to the battery. If this link blows alternator current will not charge the battery.

Quick test (although not definitive). Turn the key to the RUN position. Take a small piece of metal wire, screwdriver, etc. and touch the front of the alternator pulley. You should feel a magnetic attraction from the pulley. If not, it sounds like a problem in the dashboard alt. light or it’s wiring. This is easily verified with a test light by probing one of the small wires on the back of the alternator with a test light. One of these is in the circuit with the dashboard lamp and should have power when the key is on.

If you do feel a magnetic attraction at the pulley then it sounds like a fault in the fusible link between the alt. and battery. With a voltmeter on the battery you should have a roughly 14 volt reading when the engine runs IF the link is good.

Hope some of that helps anyway. You might post back with any more info.

4

I have found my problem.Thanks to all the replys,they helped me track down the problem.There is a hidden fuseable link.At the power distribution box at the point where the battery cable connects and the cable that goes to the alternator connect to the box under the flap.Remove the cables and the link is under there.A 25 amp link.It was coroded.