So, I have a 98 Sho and have had numerous problems and it's been in and out of shops and dealerships since I had it. My current issue may simply be an alternator but I want to make sure that it isn't something else before we buy an alternator and attempt to put it in (soon to be thankful for all the walkthroughs online).
What happened this time is that the dealership said I needed to get rid of the bad gas (from sitting for almost a year) replaced the old battery and told me I had a couple misfires. But before the mechanic gave me my keys after running a bs diagnostic, (they're own techs don't even know how to work on SHO's) the car stalled as he was pulling it out. He thought that since I had totalled the car at one point, the guys fixing it never replaced the fuse box that apparently is damaged and corroded. I thought well heck maybe I can just rig someway of keeping this guy together for the time being until I can find a used one. Well I drove home and ran inside (turned the car off) and came outside and it wouldnt start.
We'd jump it and it would start but then it would stall 10 minutes later and won't turn over. There was a clicking sound and the theft light was on. I read that at that point you need to reprogram your key because the PAT system isn't reading my key. So i went out, jumped it, and it started. I let it idle awhile then turned it off. Wouldn't turn back on and the clicking was going on. Tried to start it later today and it was dead. Jumped it, let it idle a minute, tried starting it again, dead battery. (new battery mind you) Well that screams alternator not charging the dead battery but I also read that alternators aren't designed to charge a "dead battery". We let it charge off the jump for ten minutes or so and started it. Let it run, turn it off, same thing. No power. So here are my questions..
1. If it's an alternator why wouldn't the ford mechanics diagnose it. I was thinking that since clearly the old battery was dead that maybe they didn't even bother checking the alternator.
2. Does a bad alternator throw a code? I have no check engine light on...
3. Since my battery was bad, when I replaced the old alternator I could see that my battery may have shortened the life of my new alternator or does it not work that way.
Help. This issue has been bothering me for months and I don't want to give up on this car. Thanks for your assistance.
What happened this time is that the dealership said I needed to get rid of the bad gas (from sitting for almost a year) replaced the old battery and told me I had a couple misfires. But before the mechanic gave me my keys after running a bs diagnostic, (they're own techs don't even know how to work on SHO's) the car stalled as he was pulling it out. He thought that since I had totalled the car at one point, the guys fixing it never replaced the fuse box that apparently is damaged and corroded. I thought well heck maybe I can just rig someway of keeping this guy together for the time being until I can find a used one. Well I drove home and ran inside (turned the car off) and came outside and it wouldnt start.
We'd jump it and it would start but then it would stall 10 minutes later and won't turn over. There was a clicking sound and the theft light was on. I read that at that point you need to reprogram your key because the PAT system isn't reading my key. So i went out, jumped it, and it started. I let it idle awhile then turned it off. Wouldn't turn back on and the clicking was going on. Tried to start it later today and it was dead. Jumped it, let it idle a minute, tried starting it again, dead battery. (new battery mind you) Well that screams alternator not charging the dead battery but I also read that alternators aren't designed to charge a "dead battery". We let it charge off the jump for ten minutes or so and started it. Let it run, turn it off, same thing. No power. So here are my questions..
1. If it's an alternator why wouldn't the ford mechanics diagnose it. I was thinking that since clearly the old battery was dead that maybe they didn't even bother checking the alternator.
2. Does a bad alternator throw a code? I have no check engine light on...
3. Since my battery was bad, when I replaced the old alternator I could see that my battery may have shortened the life of my new alternator or does it not work that way.
Help. This issue has been bothering me for months and I don't want to give up on this car. Thanks for your assistance.
