tried everything electrical problem on 05 ford focus need help

[whynotthinkwhynot]

Originally Posted by macados

This sound like a problem I'm having in my ZX4. Just bought it 4 months ago. If you can fix the problem, let me know what works. I'll keep the alternator in mind. My IAC is clicking (I just learned from a different thread). It seems there are a lot of culprits to this issue.

The clicking IAC is an effect not a cause of that problem.

Honestly Ghost, I wish I could say for sure, but this is a problem that really has to be diagnosed only by working on the vehicle. It could be something simple, or something profound. My first advice is always to check the battery connections- specifically the neg terminal. I'd go so far as to check the alternator hot, and the starter hot. I know you are a mother, and likely can't do that without a mechanic's assistance. I'd surely hope that the mechanic who worked on the car previously would've checked that.

Other locations that deserve inspection are the bulkhead connector, and the fuse boxes.

Intermittent electrical problems are nightmares to trace down. I'm sorry you have one. It can happen to any car. I have an 05 as well, 85k miles and no problems aside of regular maintenance.

[WRXDK]

Sorry to bring up an older thread but my 2005 zx4 has started acting the same way in the last month. Some times the radio will forget what time it is but remember the presets. There was alot of clicking under the dash last night and the car was very unresponsive. I am looking at the battery connections today along with ground connections, anything else?

[ligardner]

Originally Posted by WRXDK

Sorry to bring up an older thread but my 2005 zx4 has started acting the same way in the last month. Some times the radio will forget what time it is but remember the presets. There was alot of clicking under the dash last night and the car was very unresponsive. I am looking at the battery connections today along with ground connections, anything else?

I need to add my 05 ZX4 to the cars that have this weird electrical problem. When my daughter is driving the clicking will start, the clock and radio stations will reset and the engine acts like it wants to turn off, lurches etc. This continues till she parks and then after letting it cool off the car will start and not do this. Sounds to me like a really bad ground. I will check the fuses when she brings the car to me on Friday. But if the car ain't acting up when I pull a fuse or tweak a ground wire, how am I going to know the culprit?

[sailor]

Posted via FF MobileChecking voltage while driving can help with intermittents. One person with similar problems hooked a voltmeter to a spare cigarette lighter power cord for easy access as suggested here, once he knew what variations happened when the car acted up it was traced to a bad alt. pigtail that caused under & over charge...

[Madrab]

As some have mentioned Ghost electrical issues are really hard to diagnose especially if you are single lady, not wishing to sound patronising of course .My best advice would be, if you are getting sporadic total power failure, e.g. everything is going off and on then it can only be a short/bad connection through the main power feeds in the car. Only way this can be diagnosed properly is take it to an auto electrician, NOT a mechanic or other auto engineer, this can only be found quickly by using the correct electrical diagnostic tools and techniques, mechnics whilst good are not electrical specialists anything else could just be a waste of money if they don't find the fault. Even the best mechanics could spend hours trying to trace faults when an autoelectrician can test every line from the battery right back through the fuse boxes/relays and should find the bad feed much quicker.

Best of luck
Rob

[mikeeshaq]

Positive battery clamp
See that large wire that is crimped onto the positive battery clamp?
That wire goes to the alternator ans starter.
What if that crimped connection was bad or intermittent?
Hint: the insulation on the wire , is it melted or deteriorated by the crimp, if so then excess heat is being generated because of a faulty connection.

[sparky34kv]

If you know someone that can work on the car, unless you do yourself, not trying to be patronizing. Once the car is started, disconnect one of the battery cables. Once the battery is disconnect the car is running completely off of the alternator, which is it's purpose. If the car dies, as it probably will, the alternator is the fault. As somone else stated, if it isn't able to put out enough power, the car will draw from the battery and as you drive faster the car draws more power, so something has to give. If your battery went bad, or went dead, charging it could have killed the alternator. Modern alternators are only designed to run the car and slightly charge a battery, they cannot put out the power needed to recharge a depleted battery, it burns out the regulator. Good luck, I'd offer to help but the commute would kill me.

[sailor]

Posted via FF Mobile Don`t like the disconnect battery test, that trick can kill an alternator that was previously perfectly OK.A good alt can charge a dead battery, it just takes a bit of time - not fully charged in an instant. It can`t charge a bad batt. however, and trying to does put an undue load on the alt., potentially hurting it....

[sparky34kv]

Originally Posted by sailor

Posted via FF Mobile Don`t like the disconnect battery test, that trick can kill an alternator that was previously perfectly OK.A good alt can charge a dead battery, it just takes a bit of time - not fully charged in an instant. It can`t charge a bad batt. however, and trying to does put an undue load on the alt., potentially hurting it....

Sailor, no disrespect but you are wrong on this one. The alternator can charge a normal battery, but they are not made to charge a discharged battery. A car should, and will run off just the alternator, that is how cars are designed. The batteries sole purpose is to turn the starter on start up, after that the car runs off the alternator, with some draw going to bring the battery up to full charge. A car will draw from the battery sometimes when sitting in traffic or idle with the ac running. I could be wrong, if you can name an instance when it has killed a good alternator, I'd like to know. All I know is it is a simple and reliable way to see if the alternator is working.

[eazyrider_tim]

Its the alternator, just had mine replaced and batt as well. Hard start continues, but as long as she starts I guess its liveable but it shouldn't be. Also, it might be the batt. cable....when my alternator fried, it toasted the wire pretty good as well.