Have you done a basic tune up on this car? Fuel filter, air filter, spark plugs... If it cranks over and starts it's probably not your battery/alternator.

 

Yeah, all that stuff is straight, I'm not sure about the fuel filter. For the past week the alternator/battery light would come on when I reached about 40mph or turned the A/C on. Today it just died on me. Maybe it's the alternator plug, hopefully something cheap cause all I have is $30 right now.

Oh, the battery is also atleast 2 years old. I thought they last longer than that tho.

 

the fuel filter is cheap and easy to replace so i would consider that if i were you. other than that i would check around the engine bay for anything obvious. check all the sensors and vaccum lines. make sure your intake piping is tight especially after the MAF. clean the MAF. try the little easy things first to eliminate them.

 

Have you checked the battery connections for being tight and clean? Any disruption of battery power even for a split second can cause grief and misery for you. If you haven't done it already, with the ignition switch OFF, remove both battery cable clamps, check the cables at the clamps for damage, and using course emery/sand paper/wire brush clean up the ID of the clamps and both battery posts and reinstall the cables, ensuring that the clamp bolts "snug up". Follow the ground cable down to the attach point on the body and check it for being tight and free of corrosion. Also as you've picked up on already, the alternator connector can be an issue evidently, but check the basic battery connections first. Be aware the car may run and idle "funny" for awhile until it "relearns" the adaptive "stuff".

 

i dont think the car would start if it was a bad ground.

 

Ok so I took it to AutoZone and the battery is fine. My dad said he changed the fuel filter recently so I ruled that out too. AutoZone said the alternator is bad, so unfortunately I'll have to buy one of those today. Anyone know how to take out the alternator and swap in the new one? I'll look online for instructions but FF seems to have better explanations than other places haha.

 

ive done it...oh 8 times... its not fun. but after the first time its not that hard. i'd do a how-to but i dont have any pictures of the process.

basic idea...
disconnect the battery
remove the acc belt
move the coolant tank and power steering tank out of the way
disconnect electrical connections on the back of the alternator
remove the 2 bolts holding the alternator on
fight the alternator
it'll come out through the top
install in the reverse order. i have found that it makes it easier to install the new one if you losen the 3 bolts on the alternator casing slightly (you'll understand why when you look at it) you just have to make sure you tighten them back down which isnt easy unless you have really small hands and tools.

i also highly recomment to anyone who is having issues with the battery/starter/alternator to go ahead and replace the battery cables if it hasnt been done before. thats why i had so many issues with my alternators.

if you have any questions feel free to pm me about it.

 

Sounds like a dead IACV...if you keep the throttle open manually or if you're rolling in gear with the foot off the gas will it run?

 

As stated above, check the IAC valve. Your symptoms are consistent with a massive intake manifold vacuum leak. Check the PCV hose where it enters the intake manifold at the back of the engine.

 

agreed which is why i mentioned to check all the easy things first, such as the vacuum lines.

 

Ok, Thanks Gump for the How-To, it'll come in handy. I went ahead and bought the alternator, but won't get to "attempt" to put it on until tomorrow haha.

If I'm in gear with my foot off the gas it won't run. I found that out the hard way...stuck in traffic at a stop light on a hill.

 

i doubt the alternator is the cause of this problem, unless your having to jump the battery on every attempt to start the car the alternator is less likely any problem. starting the car with a bad alternator will allow you to run the vehicle on the voltage thats existing in the battery and will not be charging, and will eventually cause the car to stall. If your able to start the car and it immediately stalls then its definitely a sensor possibly a IAC valve look into that before replacing the alternator

like the above posts, check and clean out the IAC valve behind the throttle body, underneath the intake manifold. its known to be a PIA to get to, but it should be a start

The PCM uses the IAC valve assembly to control:

No touch start
Cold engine fast idle for rapid warm-up
Idle (corrects for engine load)
Stumble or stalling on deceleration (provides a dash pot function)
Over-temperature idle boost.
Air Assist to Injectors.

 

very possibly could be the iac valve, however it isnt behind the throttlebody as described above. it is on the underside of the intake manifold, sort of between the cylinder head and the intake manifold, just above the starter.

 

IACV, or Idle Air Control Valve, in case you were wondering what it was, or some other leak in the vaccum system. BTW, there would be no visable leak of anything if there is a vaccum leak, but rather a disconnected hose or tube somewhere, these things can be hard to narrow down. Another suspect could be an issue with the fuel pump or filter, a lack of fuel pressure could be culprit.

 

my bad i forgot to state its on the underneath of the intake

 

I understand what your saying, but the alternator light has been on for awhile which means somethings wrong with the charging system. If the new alternator doesn't work than I know what to do next. Fuel filter and stuff is fine tho.

 

again, let me stress if you are taking the time to replace the alternator go ahead and save yourself the headache and replace the battery cables at the same time if its never been done.

 

NintendoSkater.......to clarify.......at some point you were driving he car down the road, the "battery" light had been on, or was on, the car then quits and you coast off to the side. You were able to then restart the engine with no jumper or assistance?

 

Yes, it starts up again without a jumper. After it sits overnight it can idle in the morning for 10 minutes or so before it dies. I guess cause the battery get charged up.

again, let me stress if you are taking the time to replace the alternator go ahead and save yourself the headache and replace the battery cables at the same time if its never been done.

Okay, I'll get some battery cables and switch them out. Seems simple enough.

 

Awesome news. My dad actually had a spare alternator for a Focus in the garage so we put the one and no alternator light. It was a horrible experience replacing it (6:30pm-1:45am on a weekday). I'm happy that its working tho, if the light comes on again than were doing the IAC valve and replacing batt. cables. Atleast, I get to go to Autozone and get my $200 back for the new alternator I got earlier.

 

haha well i hope my directions helped somewhat. dont feel bad though, the first time i did it, it took me 6 hours.... now i can do it in less than 1, and i've proven that.

 

I know this is a dead post, but my car has been doing this same thing for a long time. I replaced the IACV,fuel filter,battery cables and just recently bought a new battery. My car stills dies if I don't hold the gas down. I took the MAF out and cleaned it and then tried using a new one. It still has the same problem. I had the alternator checked and it was fine. I couldn't find any leaking in the vaccum hoses, but its kinda hard to check them all. I thought it might be my fuel pump? I don't really want to buy a new one and have it not fix the problem. Any other ideas?Thanks guys, Jeremy.

 

Does your battery light come on?
Possibly alternator plug isn't any good or the ground cables aren't good. Those are the only two things I can think of and I don't think their expensive fixes

 

Yes, for nicu37, go with the usual suspects here, fuel pump/filter, check your air filter, might even be the ECU

 

Ive had the same problem, only when its cold out it does it. So far to date I have changed fuel filter, battery, EGR valve, DPFE (all in the last month), and now 10 minutes ago I just got done changing the IAC valve. I will let you know tomorrow if it starts fine or not as its too warm out now for it to effect my car. Im running out of things to change, MAF is next. Hopefully this is it...Thank god I my car is chipped with a diablo sport chip otherwise it wouldnt start at all. If I shut the chip off it wont start...atleast with the chip it will run on its own eventually...

 

I guess this is pretty common, mine is doing the same thing. I have not had time to dig into it yet (not a daily driver, so no rush) the Autozone code reader says IACV. That will be the first thing I try, oh and PCV valve. It is a 2000 so it could easily be a bad vaccum line. Mine will not idle hot or cold, unless you keep your foot on the gas, raising the RPM's a little.Anyone know if the fuel pump was recalled on the '00 models?

 

try takin it to a ford dealership and ask them to check out the ignition coil harnesses. I Had a similar problem

 

Well I changed the IAC, didnt fix this type of problem...my car spent two days at the ford dealer I work at, car throws no code, but they said possible MAF, bought the part myself, installed myself, we will see tomorrow...im guessing it wont start again...car is Satan