I have a 2004 Freestar. My daughter borrowed it and drove it 2 hours from home. Just before she got to her destination, she called and said the following:

• The radio had a message saying "Low Battery"
• The Brake light on the dash was on
• The fan for the heater was not working
• She could hear a clicking noise in the dash
• The oil light would come on and go off (there is oil in it)

When she got to her destination she shut it off. She tried to restart it and it wouldn't turn over. When she turned the key the starter wouldn't turn...she could just hear clicking from the dash.



The van sat for 10 days about 2 weeks ago and I had to jump start it. I'm guessing the battery is probably about 3 years old.



Could a bad battery cause this many issues, or is it likely that my alternator is bad? The car is stranded 2 hours away so I can't troubleshoot. I'm thinking of buying a battery and making the trip to replace it.


Any advice?


Thanks.

 

I would take a new battery and a digital volt meter with you. Install the new battery. Ensure the cable connections are clean along with the battery posts of the new battery. Meter the battery voltage before starting. Then when the van is started (if it does), check your voltage reading. Should settle down to about 13.5 with the engine running if the alternator is working properly. If you turn everything on, voltage should go up to about 14.2-14.5 volts, again if the alternator is working properly. If battery voltage stays the same as before starting or is slowly going down from the initial voltage reading, the alternator is most likely bad. I had to replace my alternator at 116,000 miles due to it only putting out about 12.3vdc.

 

So I found someone to replace the battery...The van started fine and everything worked. But...the battery light is still on. I wasn't able to test the voltage. I'm assuming if the battery light is on while the van is running, there's a good chance the battery isn't being recharged? Probably an alternator?


Thanks.

 

Alternator sounds like a logical assumption. Voltage reading should determine it for sure.