battery light

[hondacr250]

i wonder if any1 can help?

ive got a 03 plate mk1 ford focus st170 and recently the engine management light came on with code P1246- Alternator load input failed possible causes wiring or alternator. the battery light is staying on when i am running the car? i have changed the alternator, the battery is newly new and im not sure where to look?

if any one can help me i need to get it sorted.

thanks

[mintalkin]

first thing to check would be that you have 14.5 volts at the battery terminals with the engine running, also the alternator connecting clip can throw up problems.

[dezwez]

;) have you cleared the fault code

[hondacr250]

;) have you cleared the fault code

yeah ive cleared the fault code and its now just the battery light staying on when the car is running, the lights are also all flickering when its running any more ideas??

thanks

[hondacr250]

first thing to check would be that you have 14.5 volts at the battery terminals with the engine running, also the alternator connecting clip can throw up problems.

i have had it all checked and the battery is charging. is the alternator connecting clip the one that is on the top of the alternator? a rac man told me it was called a smart charge but i have been to ford and they dont no wat im going on about, is this the same thing as your saying if so how do you fix the problem??

thanks

[mintalkin]

easier to put a link than try to explaine so see here,

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=104396

[FocusKid]

That grey clip is what i think your talking about.

it is a voltage regulator built into the system for the alternator. The ford focus is notorious for this problem as i have been through 3 seperate alternators all with this issue. Look in the area containing your Relays(dont know if thats what you call them) Under the dash....it should be like R24 clicking at you. This means there is a load not cooperating in the system.

And most likely will lead to your alternators demise. i had it happen on the highway car started to lose power dash cut out then the car just stalled. Couldnt even roll start her.

Look at that relay and ask ford to check your voltage regulator

[Adam78]

I am having similar problems but am also getting power steering malfunction how do you fix this?

[StephenFord]

19 hours ago, Adam78 said:

I am having similar problems but am also getting power steering malfunction how do you fix this?

With respect Adam, by the very fact of you posting this on a 15 year old thread, I'd be taking it to a competent independent garage. You could try and use a diagnostic tool called ForScan to get you definitive fault codes which will give you a better idea of what is wrong.

I would start a new thread stating specifically the actual faults you are experiencing...

[troy45]

Looks to me like it could be the alternator failing then power-steering throwing its hand in as the battery voltage starts dropping

[DaveT70]

Isn't an ST170 PAS system hydraulic?

[troy45]

I was going off the user with similar issue listing a 2006 Focus in their profile, not actually referring to the ST170 from the historical original post

[DaveT70]

15 hours ago, troy45 said:

I was going off the user with similar issue listing a 2006 Focus in their profile, not actually referring to the ST170 from the historical original post

If you're a 2006 MK2 then I would suspect the cluster solder issues first