Freestar electrical problems

My 2006 Ford Freestar (gasoline engine) is starting poorly with system failures like radio cutting out and climate control issues. Lights are weak, and the battery seems weak on startup. I'm getting undervoltage errors. Terminals are clean. Could a voltage drop be the issue? Is it the charging system, alternator, or voltage regulator? It has about 229400 km on it.

4 comment(s)

Sounds familiar. I had similar issues with my Freestar. Check the alternator output. Could be a bad diode. Also, are you still on the original battery? How old is it?

Thanks! I'm not sure if it's the original battery, but it's at least 5 years old. What exactly should I be looking for regarding alternator output? Should I test for voltage drop across specific points?

5 years is probably your culprit. Mine was doing the same thing. You should probably take it to a shop to get it properly diagnosed. Could be the alternator, but I'd bet on the battery first. A weak battery can cause all sorts of weird electrical problems.

You were spot on! The battery was heavily discharged and defective. A new battery fixed everything. The repair cost 290€. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

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