Ford Falcon Undervoltage Issue

I'm having undervoltage issues with my 2010 Ford Falcon with a gasoline engine, only 49145 km on it. Sluggish starts, onboard systems failing, weak lights, and the battery seems weak when starting. I suspect a bad battery. Anyone else had electrical issues in their Falcons? I'm interested in charging system, voltage drop, or battery terminal/voltage insights.

4 comment(s)

Whoa, sounds like a real electrical headache! I had something similar happen once. First thing, did you check the battery terminals for corrosion? A bad connection can cause all sorts of weird voltage problems. Also, maybe get the battery voltage checked while the engine is running to see if the charging system is working right.

Could you elaborate on assessing the charging system's functionality? I have a multimeter, but I'm unsure how to tell if the alternator is working properly.

Right, okay, so with the multimeter, set it to DC volts, then connect the leads to the battery terminals while the engine is running. You should see something around 14 volts. If it's lower, like around 12 or less, then the charging system isn't doing its job. Honestly, though, with all those symptoms, it might be best to just take it to a workshop. Electrical stuff can be tricky.

I appreciate your advice. I ended up taking it to a shop. The diagnosis matched my guess: a defective battery. The replacement and diagnostic fees cost 290€. Thanks again for your help.

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