As the owner of Omega Auto Clinic in Kansas and purveyor of the YouTube channel the Car Wizard, David Long has quite a bit of experience working on all kinds of vehicles, which means that it isn’t often that he’s a bit caught off guard by any specific issue, or model, for that matter. However, that all changed recently when the Sedgwick County Zoo brought Long their 2016 Ford Transit 250, which is a custom vehicle used to transport wildlife.
It’s safe to say that this Ford Transit isn’t something that most see on a regular basis – save for the folks that use it – which is also a bit of a problem for the zoo itself. After visiting multiple shops, no one had been able to figure out why the van’s gauges go dead while it’s out being driven. Making that problem even more complicated is the fact that it only began popping up after the Transit was modified – with the addition of an auxiliary air conditioner in the rear designed to keep animals cool.
After performing a simple scan, Long figured out that there were problems with lost communication and low voltage issues in this customer Ford Transit, which revolved around four specific modules. Turns out, the van is still using its original battery – which is now eight years old – but that wasn’t the root cause of the issue, either. Rather, the relays used to install the auxiliary air conditioner had melted, as the relay simply isn’t the right size to accommodate that demand in voltage. Making matters worse, the stock 150 amp alternator simply isn’t able to keep up, which is actually the root cause of the issue in this case.
Thus, some larger relays and a beefier, 250 amp alternator are enough to fix this particular issue, closing the chapter on yet another mysterious issue. Previously, we’ve seen Long do precisely the same thing with a bevy of Blue Oval models as well, including strong exhaust fumes emitted by a 2016 Ford Explorer, an HVAC actuator replacement in a Lincoln Town Car, a new clutch and other repairs for a 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, and a few nagging issues with a 1966 Mustang, too.
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