steinerecliner

Hey everyone,

I have a 07 GT Mustang. I know this been a problem for several people. Now here mine deal and at a point of a lost. This message as came on on and off for several weeks. But the car itself was running just fine. The Battery power was and stayed just above the middle on the gauge. So I couldn't figure out what was causing it. Only do it when driving. Since it was running fine. Didn't think much of it.

Now Christmas Eve I went into work. Earily morning as it ran just fine. I go to lunch and was planing to get something to eat. Car is dead, you can here the starter weakly trying to work. The CD changer was switching. All kind of weirdness. Called my dad who comes out. Jump starts it and drives it around for a while. Brings it back to me. Saying I can't get it to do anything not normal. So I get home from work just fine. Next day Christmas Day as we did everything Christmas Eve. My dad looked at it some more. Trying to see if it would do it again. Nothing. So 10 days I drove it without issues. Once in while only briefly the check charging System message would come on. Not even 15 secs.

Yesterday, I drive to work just fine. While waiting for the manager to get there in the parking lot. First I turn the car off as well I was getting hot from the heater. I should just turned it off but whatever it 6 am. Anyway no longer then 5 mins the car being off. I went to restart. The samething that happened on Christmas eve. How the battery be that dead in a very short period of time? So my dad comes out again. Jumps it take it home. To look at it again. Put the volt meter on it, testing the battery and altnater with what he knows with what tools he has. Battery was reading 12.xxx just sitting there. For an hour monitered this. Did stuff like turn the radio on. Start it. Opening doors. Just whatever you could think to draw power. Without running it. Stayed in the same 12.xx window. Jumps up when running. To around 14 close to it.

Now my dad today just took it in and had the battery check and Alternator check and it was fine. The battery was replaced a year ago by dealer. Now it been runnining fine since the jump. But it seems like 9 days from now. We see it again. Any idea what it could be and what to check. To stop this from happening again. This is my only car right now. I total my other one. So it needs to be reliable as it should be for 5 years old.

It has rounding it to 43,000 miles. I really could use some help here. What is the solution.

Thanks

FordService

Hello steinercliner,

Welcome to the forum. My name is Deysha with Ford Customer Service. I recommend you bring your vehicle in to your Ford dealer for diagnosis. Your Service Manager is in the best position to look into this for you. He can also look into any warranty, Recalls, or Customer Satisfaction Programs that may apply to your vehicle. If you need further assistance, do not hesitate to PM me.

Deysha

eighty6gt

I have these issues except for the dead battery. Let me know what you figure out, OP!

steinerecliner

If I can figure it out what it is. I let you know. When you do an online search you get several answers. The message thing went on and off for a while before the dead battery started. So be careful because it may not do it now but it could happen later.

Tuesday it was jumped. My dad ran around all day no problems. I drove it today to and from work. That message flickered once the whole day. I say flicker like was one and off in 5 secs. I would take it to the dealer but the car was brought used a year ago from an Accura dealer and there wasn't a ford warnty on it because it was only good for 30,000. It was passed it.

I'm in a tough spot as in I want to know what wrong to fix it but can't afford to pay an arm and leg to get it done from dealers. How that do it in St. Louis. Go crazy with the charges. It happened in the worst time finically. As I'm paying off my end of the hospitial bill from a nov accident in my other car. PLus Christmas and a new house to furnish.

Paris MkVI

The Shaker system cycling through the disc slots is a typical behavior when these battery-related issues show up. I know. I'm on battery #5. Each one replaced under warranty.

Thankfully, the most recent battery has lasted longer than any of the others. I seem to recall that once the battery was replaced with a higher-spec'd unit, the problem went away.

I also spend a measurable amount of time in heavy traffic, under 25 MPH and under 2000 rpm, and that doesn't help if you're running the accessories.

texastboneking

Sounds to me like the diode in your alternator went out. Probably will need a new alternator.

Sabre

I have to agree with texasboneking, that the alternator is the likely culprit here....at sounds as if it is intermittantly not charging the battery properly. Could be a diode, bearing, etc. The 05 -09 having a weak alternator seems to be somewhat of a known issue...at least from what I've read about alternator issues several times on this forum.

If it is intermittant, it might be hard for your dealer to diagnose and fix....but it doesn't mean that's not the problem.

Glenn

if it is charging fine and the battery is fine maybe it has a faulty starter. Next time it won't start check the battery before you try to jump it.

eighty6gt

Hello gentlemen,

This past weekend I replaced the factory alternator with a Reman unit from Ford.

Upon removal, I found the original unit to have failed mechanically. It sounded bad when I spun it by hand, made noises which I attributed to a failed bearing or misaligned/trashed brushes/commutator.

I didn't autopsy it, just took it back to Ford for my $35.

1 yr / 20,000 km warranty on the reman.

I will keep an eye out for a low mileage factory alt which I will blueprint and keep around for a spare.

I missed the weatherpak o-ring in the 3 wire connector until the car was reassembled - found it in the old alt. Luckily it's all coming apart for a supercharger before rainy season, so I'll get it in there then.

irishn8

I believe the issue you are having is similar a problem I was having. I believe your battery has failed cell(s) and is causing your alternator (diod) to overwork and fail. If this happens again do not charge the battery, take it to get it tested. If it is bad then buy one and get a new alternator.

stupidgenius36

I've had quite a few electrical issues with mine as well. The Shaker shuffling CD's is just what happens when it loses and regains power. I'd change the alternator (not hard to do yourself) and go from there. If it turns out to be the battery also, then it could kill the new alternator as well. So be sure to get a warranty on the alternator.

Have you noticed anything specific that you're doing each time it gives you the message (WOT/a certain RPM/etc)?

Edit: How were you checking the charging system? O'reilly's/Autozone/Napa/etc will also check it for you for free. The battery gauge in the cluster is almost worthless...It won't show anything wrong, until it's too late. Anything between 12V-14V is normal for me. 11V and I start to worry...And I forgot the specific point, but somewhere around 10V and it'll start shutting off electronics. If it's your alternator, that could start happening soon too...so just a heads up.

texastboneking

Anything under 13 is bad...

stupidgenius36

I guess I should add that 12-13V is usually at a stop with the Shaker 1000 blasting.

texastboneking

Still bad...