Re: battery discharging-battery strap

[a6561TB@gnn.com ()]

Hi, Steven,

you might want to check the thin blue wire that runs across the RF 
longitudinal member, right behind the headlight, next to the jumper stud 
box. It has a beige M-F connector at that point. This is a field wire, if it 
is not running +12v when the engine is running, then the alternator's stator 
is not excited = no charge. When I had this problem on my car, I just cut 
the connector off and spliced the wire. If you have to do this, make sure 
that you:
1. Solder splice it
2. Heat shrink the joint with the tube that is lined with glue on the    
inside. You want the joint air and water tight.

Off course, on your 5000, the color of that wire might be different. You 
probably should consider installing two ESSENTIAL gages that your car lacks:
the oil pressure gage and a voltmeter. I did it on my 5000 (as well as on 
all the cars I owned) and those things saved my butt on many potentially 
expen$ive ocassions.

My 200 has a voltmeter, so when exactly the same problem occured on my car I 
new immediately that it was not the battery but the loss of charging on the 
alternator part. 

Check that wire, I am sure this is it.

>I have a recurring problem - @ once a year my 88'5000TQ starts unexpectedly
>losing all battery charge at random times. Last year had two new batteries
>put in by dealer (one under warranty)  before they discovered a voltage
> drop
>at the battery vs. at the alternator. That led to claim by the dealer that
>there is a problem they repaired with connections in cable (called a
> "strap"
>by dealer) running under the floor from engine compartment to the battery.
>They claim to have solved the problem by retightening and cleaning up
>connections under passenger seat area. The problem wetn away until the last
>few weeks. I am now having the same problem again with unexpected battery
>dishcarges in the same pattern. Anyone heard of this problem? Dealer told
> me
>last year that the new strap and installation was >$500 job.  Any help
> would
>be appreciated. Thanks. Steven Meyrich 
Igor Kessel
the sweetheart: 200TQ, chipped and MOMO'd through out,
in Tornado "arrest-me-officer" Red;
the ex: 5000s, the EE's nightmare
Phila PA, USA
a6561TB@gnn.com