Q: Hi there i have a 2004 ford taurus ses 24 valve dohc the car will run for about 30 minutes than it will shut off had the alternate

asked by on October 18, 2017

Car will run for a little while like 40 minutes than after turning it off the battery is dead and will not start just the other day it turned off while driving for a few miles while i was at a stop and it had been ideling for a few minutes battery tested good alternator tested good voltage regulator tested bad but isnt the voltage regulator in the alternator ? Starting motor also tested bad could that drain a fully charged battery that fast ?

My car has 180000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi Craig. Thanks for stopping by tonight. If your battery is draining quickly, it’s likely one of two issues. Either you have some loose or faulty charging system connections (from the alternator to the battery) or you have a parasitic battery drain. This occurs when an accessory or vehicle system that is powered by the battery when the engine is not started, but switches to the alternator after, has an open or stuck relay or fuse. This will cause the component to continually draw power even if the key is not in the ignition. The voltage regulator is a separate component that is a part of the alternator system, but if it has failed, this could also be the source of your problem. It might be best to have a professional mechanic come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection, so they can pinpoint the root source of this problem.

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