Alternator Clip "How-To"...

[osufans]

glad you kicked this back up....i have noticed my car whine just a bit, and i've noticed my lights have a bit of flicker, but nothing real bad...since i'm new to the svt, and HID's in particular, I didn't know if it was related or not...but i may have something new to look for.

thanks

[FiFoci]

my battery light comes on and im running 14.5 at idel and driving. but i dont get voltage right away. i start the car and it sits around 12.7 then builds slowly to 14.5. i am using an X3 to look at volts

[drjkel]

In case anybody missed the first three people who said it already, be sure to SOLDER these connections. Ask me how I know.

[MVent]

The pigtail was like a $28 part from my dealer. It's prolly a good thing to replace just as a preventative measure. I wish I had done it before I had to deal with all sorts of electrical issues.

[fatpandas]

just did this to the wife's SVT, between this and the Thermostat housing ORing fix, this first time since we bought the car that it hasn't acted like a ten year old VW. Thanks a bunch for the info!

[figurado]

This thread is really helpful. I had similar problems and saw that the red wire to my alternator connector "clip" was broken. I have the new pigtail kit in hand but getting the old "clip" loose from the alternator is turning into a nightmare. I read the original poster's tip about using a small flat screwdriver but I can't get anything to work. I know I am getting close to breaking the connector on the alternator side while attempting this maneuver. Any tips?

[MVent]

Originally Posted by figurado

This thread is really helpful. I had similar problems and saw that the red wire to my alternator connector "clip" was broken. I have the new pigtail kit in hand but getting the old "clip" loose from the alternator is turning into a nightmare. I read the original poster's tip about using a small flat screwdriver but I can't get anything to work. I know I am getting close to breaking the connector on the alternator side while attempting this maneuver. Any tips?

I

I ended up breaking the clip on mine but it still attached fine, was real snug. I've checked it several times since changing it in march and it's still good.
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[samzx3]

Originally Posted by SVTFucus

This Friday I decided to find out what was causing my electrical problems. The problems leading up this were:
-flickeing headlights and interior lights
-battery light coming on and off while driving
-"clicking" noise coming from underneath the dashboard

I had read many threads from various boards from buying grounding kits to replacing the alternator clip to correct this problem. Upon closer inspection I noticed that one of my wires had come out of the clip to the alternator, with hope that this was causing ALL of the above symptoms. I bought a new "wiring pigtail kit" from ford and followed the instructions to install it. Below are the pictures(still need to take some more pictures) showing the broken wire, the kit, the butt connectors I used to wire the new clip in place of the old one and the final result.

Broken wire:


What the packaging looks like of the kit:


What the kit consists of(new clip, 3 wire connectors, 3 heat shrink tubes):


The butt connectors I used to connect the new wires of the clip, to the wires leading to the old clip:


I will have more of the wires connected, and then of the heat shrink wrapped around the connectors and wires. Just thought I'd show everyone how it looked. Total time it took to install was about 30 minutes.

Also, the clip can be removed from the alternator by using a small flat head screwdriver and sliding the clip off the bracket.

I have the same symptoms, but i hear the click sound under the dash and whats making the sound is a relay. The car is dead ,it does nt start ,i have change the relay and the battery but the problem still there .2morrow im going to check the cable that u said.

[Sabine]

Hi all,

I have to try this fix on my car tomorrow. It showed these symptoms for about two weeks and now has a dead battery. I'm really worried about doing this myself - I'm not the most experienced car-fixer, but I'm unemployed and broke, so I don't really have any options.

I have a few questions:

My car is the Focus SE (2003). Is the part number for me the same as the one on the bag in the first picture? Or if not, what is the name of the kit?

Also, can this part be purchased at an Auto Zone or Napa, or only through the dealer?

Thanks for the help - please wish me luck!

[SuperFlea]

The part number would only be for the dealer, i don't think AutoZone would carry this part. I just bought mine, it was 48 bucks with tax.

Good luck!