Question Battery Indicator Lamp flickering?

[CHPMustang]

When it rains it pours sorta

I installed one of the new(not reman) Autozone alternators a couple months back but starting yesterday the battery indicator on the dash lights up then turns off,flickers some,turns off for awhile lights up again and stays steady. I took it off the X,ran it down to get tested,the machine tested it okay. For about 15 mins I had the scangauge hooked up to observe the volts charging.

It'll charge at 14.1 then turn off and drop to 12.1 volts then kick back on to 14.1 and so forth,odd?

The manager stated without doubt it's most likely the internal voltage regulator acting finicky.

He ordered one for me to exchange out,should be in Weds afternoon,I'll keep you posted.

Anyone else experience this with your 7.3L?

 

[hheynow]

Yup in my OBS. There are three thin/tiny wires on top of the stock alternator, two together and a single. A heater core hose passes above it through a metal P loop clamp. When the clamp and hose gets mashed down on the thin wires it wreaks havoc with the alternator and the battery light will flicker until you jiggle one of the thin wires.

 

[CHPMustang]

On the 99-2003 7.3L there's nothing close to that wire harness,perhaps that section of the harness is bad. If the small wiring controls the dash lamp would that mean the alternator is still fully charging regardless of the wiring issue?

 

[Tbar]

Anyone else experience this with your 7.3L?

Yep...........exactly and to a tee.


Tbar

 

[CHPMustang]

The exchange for a replacement new alternator at autozone was painless,just had to be ordered in which I picked up the next day.

The defective unit indeed had a bad voltage regulator,the new one charges at a consistent 13.9 volts at the OBDII port