clicking noise

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CraigAnnette Yedlin

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Hello everyone....I need some help.

My battery light came on & my ST died after running only 5 minutes from cold engine. I changed the alternator because it checked out as bad & the battery tested fine. After I replaced the alternator it started a random clicking noise which makes my RPM's fluctuate everytime it clicks & my battery light is STILL illuminated. My '03 ST has almost 140,000 miles on it. I dunno if I should just take a $75 "gamble" & replace the ignition coil.......plz help !!:cry: ...& my ST still dies after only running a short time (w/jump start assist) with lose of all electrical power. :btddhorse: & I'm NOT running the climate control.
 
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How old is your battery? I'd have it tested again; if you cannot jumpstart the car, remove battery and take it to Sears or Interstate. Make sure all battery cables are clean and secure. I don't recommend throwing ignition parts at it - your description sounds to me like basic voltage problem. You say you replaced the alternator, but what if the new one is not working? Let us know.
 
The alternator is brand new,not remanufactured...I CAN jump start the ST,but it still dies after short run time. After short run time the battery has enough juice to re-start if I turn it off before all power dies,but when ALL power dies the battery need to be re-jumped.
 
Back to my question - how old is your battery? I'd start with a thorough check of that first. Remove from car and take it to Sears or Interstate if you don't want to chance the drive. The battery is heart of your electrical system, so start there first.
 
Just because the alternator is new does not mean it's good. Have you checked the voltage at the battery with the engine running?



If the original alternator went bad and depleted the battery so much that it caused the vehicle to die then it sucked the battery completely dead. Was the battery slow charged for about a 1/2 day before it was tested and confirmed good?





Your random clicking noise could be the ac compressor kicking in and out, it will cause rpm fluctuations when it happens.
 
We are taking the alternator back and having it checked again...the battery was at 12.7 it's a 12 volt battery. The clicking isn't happening anymore, but still wont stay started. :banghead:
 
After I replaced the alternator it started a random clicking noise which makes my RPM's fluctuate everytime it clicks & my battery light is STILL illuminated
Click to expand...

Ditto for those who said a bad electrical connection. That's why 12V troubleshooting is such a PITA, because it's usually intermittent.



The A/C clutch cycling is very frequent and distinct, hard to mistake that sound.

 
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I'm also going with the bad electrical connection crowd.



Check for corrosion where the battery terminal clamps connect to the cables (corrosion may be hidden under the insulation) and for loose connection on the negative where it connects to the frame and then positive connects to fuse box, etc.
 
I would suggest fully charging the battery before going any further. By the way my alternator guy says to always charge the battery after replacing the alternator. He says it makes it much less of a strain on the new alternator.
 
Brett is right.

Also are you load testing the battery or just voltage testing?

If you drove on the battery alone any distance. You can have 12.7 vdc. But the battery will not hold enough charge to stay running. Many,many years ago you could drive on a good altenator and bad battery. Not on cars in the last 20yrs. As Vic said, a good battery is the core of modern cars. Fully charge it then load test it.
 
ALSO on fords you MUST replace the plug pigtail going to the ALT, you will have issues if you dont...



Todd Z
 
20 minutes of some very basic checks with a multimeter would put the battery and the charging system, as well as the connections issues all to rest. You need someone familiar with diagnosis unless you enjoy throwing money and new parts at it.
 
My Gen 1 did the same thing & I replaced to alternator TWICE...the second time it worked(first one was bought bad & thank god for warranties). As far as the clicking noise,the fan clutch does that when the heater is on & nothing can be done aboot that......hope that helps.:haveabeer:
 
The alternator quit on our Aerostar a few years ago about 5-6 miles from home. I had to jump start it about 10 times on the way home. It would run just a short time before it would die, much like OP's truck. Our battery was fine.
 

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