Help!!! 2nd alternator....

[SHOstuff]

Hi Y'all! This is my second alternator that I got from Advanced Auto and its already bad. I just changed this alternator last Friday so in really it only lasted a week. Could anybody tell me whats going on? :frantic:

 

[sperold]

Your story is not as unusual as it sounds. Many people have had the same experience.
Often it is better to get the original alternator rebuilt at a repair shop. But you are now on the merry-go-round at Advance Auto, so it is best to get another one from them for now. Usually the voltage regulator goes.

 

[luigisho]

It's a crap shoot as far as these units go. The next one could be the godd one or it could go on for several more units. Quality of remans has been a problem for many years.

 

[SHOstuff]

Oooh ok. So y'all think it could be the quality of the alt and where it came from? For it to be a week though? Man that is very bad.

 

[luigisho]

I've had them bad out of the box, after 30 minutes, after 2 days, after a week....

 

[SHORANGERBIRD]

This is my second alternator that I got from Advanced Auto and its already bad. I just changed this alternator last Friday so in really it only lasted a week. Could anybody tell me whats going on? :frantic:

-get a Ford one. you'll be changing them out as long as you own the car with an aftermarket...

 

[SHOstuff]

I was just going in to take the alternator off and I noticed, the little ground wire thats on screwed on the side, it looked as if it got hot and some of the little strands of wire broke from heat. What is this wire, why would it get hot and where does it run to from the alternator. I believe this is what causing the alternator to go bad because with the first one I noticed it was the same thing but it had came apart at the connector. What is this guys and how can I fix it?

 

[JRA2000TL]

-get a Ford one. you'll be changing them out as long as you own the car with an aftermarket...

x2. I always try to buy Motorcraft replacement parts from RockAuto, especially if they are on closeout.

Not to hijack but my Gen I seems to have the 90 amp alternator and my brother's 95 has a 120amp, which he just replaced and it was alot more $$$. When I look up the part for mine, it shows a 120 amp for the Motorcraft one and 90 amp for other brands.

Does it matter what the amperage is? I thought Gen I's took the 90s and Gen IIs took the 120s but not sure if it matters now.

 

[SHOZ123]

All the positive current the alternator produces will return through the alternator body as negative current. Usually this is through the aluminum casing to bracket to engine block.

If this return path is compromised by corrosion (bad ground) then you will have charging system problems.

 

[SHOstuff]

But it's no corrosion on there. Seems like the wire itself is bad. Is there anyway I can replace that wire or something should it completely go away?

 

[SHOZ123]

On my '97 I put my own ground wire to bypass the cast iron alternator bracket. What year do you have?

 

[SHOstuff]

It's a '89. So I can just bypass that little wire and make my own? What would you make it out of?

 

[SHOZ123]

90A would require #6 wire. But the reality is you will probably never see 90A out. So 10ga should do.

 

[SHOstuff]

How would I connect it and to what? Where is the wire thats already on there going to?

 

[SHOZ123]

Just from one of the alternator mount bolts to a major ground wire. Make sure the connector you use is in contact directly with the aluminum casing.

This is more a matter of **** electrical practice. But especially on DC systems the grounds are just as important as the positive hot wires.

 

[chrism3784]

x2. I always try to buy Motorcraft replacement parts from RockAuto, especially if they are on closeout.

Not to hijack but my Gen I seems to have the 90 amp alternator and my brother's 95 has a 120amp, which he just replaced and it was alot more $$$. When I look up the part for mine, it shows a 120 amp for the Motorcraft one and 90 amp for other brands.

Does it matter what the amperage is? I thought Gen I's took the 90s and Gen IIs took the 120s but not sure if it matters now.

The 90 SHOs came with 90 amp alt? Thats no good, with my large system I'd for sure need a bigger amp one, like the 120. Doesn't seem to cause a problem though and alternator seems to keep the batter charges pretty well. Maybe mine got switched out to a 120 amp, do they have the same plugs and connectors?

 

[SHOstuff]

You just said to make sure that the ground wire is in direct contact with the aluminum casings. So should I have did that with the original wire and not have it sandwhiched btwn the 2 bolts? When I go to Radio Shack to get this wire, whats the name of the wire that I get and the number resistant? You mentioned 10ga....what is that?

 

[SHOstuff]

But I'm still wondering why that wire got hot. Where is that wire going and why is it getting hot when there's obviously no corrosion on it? SHOZ123 you can answer but you don't have to, somebody else can give it a shot. Please!

 

[SHO1]

x2. I always try to buy Motorcraft replacement parts from RockAuto, especially if they are on closeout.

Not to hijack but my Gen I seems to have the 90 amp alternator and my brother's 95 has a 120amp, which he just replaced and it was alot more $$$. When I look up the part for mine, it shows a 120 amp for the Motorcraft one and 90 amp for other brands.

Does it matter what the amperage is? I thought Gen I's took the 90s and Gen IIs took the 120s but not sure if it matters now.

I believe they started changing from 90 to 120 in '93 or so, don't know for sure, but My '93 is 90amp stock.

 

[SHOstuff]

Ok. I misspoke. Its not the ground wire, its the positive wire.