Charging system issues?

2011 FORD MUSTANG
82,000 MILES • 5.0L • V8 • 2WD • MANUAL
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TERRANCE D FARMER
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car starts after a jump but drops voltage, is it my alternator? should i even start there i don't have any wiring diagrams for it, every place tells me it's a different fuse i need to check, is there a way to bench test an alternator that isn't confusing as heck? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.
Oct 27, 2022 at 1:32 AM
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STRAILER
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
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Once the car is running, use a voltameter to check the alternator output.

Here is a guide to help:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-alternator

If it turns out the alternator is working, I would say the battery is bad. here is a charging system wiring diagram so you can see how the system works. This guide can confirm the battery failure:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-load-test

The wiring diagrams show the fuses that run the system so you can check them as well. Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens.
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Oct 27, 2022 at 9:47 AM
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TERRANCE D FARMER
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Thank you so much for exactly what i was looking for i appreciate the help! i don't quite understand the wiring diagram...
Oct 27, 2022 at 10:04 AM
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STRAILER
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 54,832 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
It is like a road map game; follow the wires and they show you how it works, and the components involved. Usually the alternator is the problem, I would get a top-quality rebuilt unit and install it. Let me know.
Oct 29, 2022 at 1:59 PM
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