Alternator dead?

[LS6_5SPD]

Guys, Im afraid my alternator is fried. I have a Duralast Gold battery I bought less than a year ago so its definitely not the battery. Plus, if I charge it with jump cables the car runs perfect till it runs out of charge.
Both alternator related fuses are good.
My question is, doesnt the dash has a light for alternator or charging failure?

 

[FrankLS]

I know theres a charging system notification on the menu screen on my 06. If the alternator is no longer functioning properly i beleive it will be set off. I would disconect the battery from the car and meter it. It should be around 12.6 volts, when disonected. I know the duralast golds are good batteries but i wouldnt rule it out.
I know theres also a way to use a multimeter and check the output of the alternator. I beleive it is done off of the poss cable running to the battery. Im not sure but i would research that a bit.

 

[SlickLS]

If I remember correctly, the V6 LS doesn't have the message system like on some V8 models. Therefore, NO, it doesn't tell you, but if your car runs out of power and cuts off while driving, then it is your alternator that is bad.

 

[1LoudLS]

edited for misunderstanding

 

[1LoudLS]

If I remember correctly, the V6 LS doesn't have the message system like on some V8 models. Therefore, NO, it doesn't tell you,

there is a light in the cluster to inform you of this, so you do not need the message center to be notified.

it is a red battery light at the bottom in the center (may be in a different location for 1st gens) of the cluster

I have a Duralast Gold battery I bought less than a year ago so its definitely not the battery.

an i'm going to throw this one out there as well, if you have drained the battery or driven around with a failing alt, you could have also killed the battery.

bad batteries not replaced right away will kill alternators, and like wise, not replacing a bad alt right away will damage the battery as well

 

[LS4me]

there is a light in the cluster to inform you of this, so you do not need the message center to be notified.

it is a red battery light at the bottom in the center (may be in a different location for 1st gens) of the cluster

When my alternator died I had no warning. The "idiot light" only illuminated after the battery and alternator were dead.

 

[FrankLS]

DO NOT DO THIS, you could fry the cars computer and cause thousands of dollars in damage instead of a couple hundred for a alt.

Wrong, wrong, wrong

and if you did do this, the reading should not be around 12.6 volts, a fully charged batter should read around 12.6 volts, a good running alternator should be around 14.4 volts


for the love of god, can we stop giving out dangerous and wrong advise please.

Well then i must have hundreds of dollars worth of damage when i took of my motorcraft batt and installed my kinetik. I also metered the motorcraft to make sure it was in tip top shape before i sell. So no, no damage came of this. So took off battery, metered battery, no damage. The only difference i see between these two situations is the fact that his alternator maybe dead. If this completely changes everything then I am wrong and my apologies.

Wrong Wrong Wrong ??I did state that a disconnected battery would be around 12.6 volts. I dont know what is wrong with this statement but it seams like you agree with this because it is exactly what you also stated. Im confused as i never mentioned anything different. I never once mentioned anything about the voltage testing the battery along with the alternator, or the alternator by itself.

"I know theres also a way to use a multimeter and check the output of the alternator. I beleive it is done off of the poss cable running to the battery. Im not sure but i would research that a bit."

So my apologies LS6 for possibly ruining your car and stating that a fully charged "disconnected" battery should be sitting at 12.6 volts.

 

[1LoudLS]

Well then i must have hundreds of dollars worth of damage when i took of my motorcraft batt and installed my kinetik. I also metered the motorcraft to make sure it was in tip top shape before i sell. So no, no damage came of this. So took off battery, metered battery, no damage. The only difference i see between these two situations is the fact that his alternator maybe dead. If this completely changes everything then I am wrong and my apologies.

well it sounded like you wanted him to remove the battery with the car running and meter the car (as has been recommended many times on here), this can cause major problem with the sensitive electronics in the car as the battery will smooth out the voltage ripple that the alt creates.

for clarification, yes you can test the battery with it disconnected, but never try to tun the car with the battery disconnected

Wrong Wrong Wrong ??I did state that a disconnected battery would be around 12.6 volts. I dont know what is wrong with this statement but it seams like you agree with this because it is exactly what you also stated. Im confused as i never mentioned anything different. I never once mentioned anything about the voltage testing the battery along with the alternator, or the alternator by itself.

well i will apologize for this as i thought you meant to meter the car and the car running should be 12v, you are correct that a fully charged battery should be at 12V+

 

[FrankLS]

It kind of sounded like you must of posted or read in a hurry. Youve helped me a lot with everything electronic so seamed out of place for you to get confused. No worries, i guess ill just have to get advice on electronics from someone else.

 

[cammerfe]

Of all the problems I've had with my '02 since new, the most significant has been the repeated alternator failure.

All was good until I had a failure at about 85K miles. I checked with several places, and the only place with one on the shelf was Autozone. Any place else would entail a wait of several days. At that point I put in both the A-zone alternator, and also an Optima red-top. The alternator lasted two or three months and failed in the staging lanes at Maxton. The second one was thus changed at Maxton, in the pits, by flashlight. And that one lasted about a year, before leaving me beside the road on my way home. The replacement---lifetime warrantee---has now lasted for more than two years, and I installed a voltmeter to monitor output as I drive along. I do have some sort of current drain because the battery is too weak to start the car if I just leave it set for a week or more. I've taken the easy way out at this point and simply plug in a trickle charger if the car is going to set for very long. I'll get around to doing a diagnostic sometime soon.

KS

 

[SlickLS]

When my alternator died I had no warning. The "idiot light" only illuminated after the battery and alternator were dead.

Mine did the same exact thing. No warning. Just pulled in my driveway, luckily, and my car started to die and cut off before I turned the key off. Then the message saying check charging system came up after I tried to turn the car back on. Changed the alternator and no more problems.

 

[Kumba]

Remanufactured Alternators are such a crap shoot. Even with good name brands like Napa it's still a used alt with new brushes, bearings, and maybe a rectifier. Whatever you end up getting I would recommend getting the lifetime warranty if they have one.

If you have the option, I'd recommend you go to an actual starter/alternator shop and have them rebuild yours. This way you can make sure things are done exactly how they need to be instead of by whatever is most cost effective with a minimal rate of failure. Half the time I actually end up with a better reman for less this way, specially if you pull the alt yourself.

Probably the most bullet proof option is buying a new alternator from Ford. But then again, that's a $350 part. Not exactly an inexpensive option by comparison

 

[BatMobile]

Hmmm. Had the same problem last year. From my experience, the alternator goes out really quick when it's bad - only happened once the week after I bought mine. You'll certainly know since the car is so electronic heavy.

My issue ended up being a bad cell in the battery. The dealership lied and lied about it but I had to go to an outside source to get it verified. No problems since.

Basically, be sure the battery is definitively not the problem.

 

[Timer]

Of all the problems I've had with my '02 since new, the most significant has been the repeated alternator failure.

and I installed a voltmeter to monitor output as I drive along.
KS

Just a suggestion, but an AMP meter would better monitor your charging systems condition. A volt meter will only show a lower than normal reading after the alt has died and the system load has started to drain the batt. An AMP meter will show if the ALT is keeping up with the demands of the car (while running) and charging the BATT so it will be able to start the car after you turn it off...

 

[97 Octane]

A good alternator should be able to charge between 13.2v at idle and up to 14.4v at 1000rpm or above.
Stress and damage to the alternator may have been caused by having to repeatedly supply the car's electrical load
combined with charging an ill battery.

I have a Duralast Gold battery I bought less than a year ago so its definitely not the battery.

This is a great example of misunderstood belief that a battery is immune to failure based on chronological aquisition.
Your starter battery may be severely damaged on the first day you let it completely run out of charge.

if I charge it with jump cables the car runs perfect till it runs out of charge.

Did you really drain the battery til it ran out of charge? If you did, your Duralast battery is now
ready for the AutoZone battery recycling program.

Permanent damage to the starter battery occurs when you let it drain completely
as low voltage presents irreversible calsification to the internal plates limiting its ability to
effectively transfer and store energy within the cells.

A VOM or volt ohm meter will not be able to tell you the extent of the calsification damage
to the battery. Relying soley on a 12 volt reading might give you a false sense of security
that your damaged battery is in tip-top shape.

If after a few days, you determine the battery no longer holds a strong charge, then it
has calsification damage. Time to buy a new one. Starter batteries aren't designed for
deep cycle discharge.

If not replaced, you stand to stress the new alternator to premature failure.

Carefully inspect the negative polarity connection throughout the engine compartment.
A bad negative connection may be the initial cause to this problem. A good negative connection is
required as the battery gets re-energized in the reverse or negative current flow.

My question is, doesnt the dash has a light for alternator or charging failure?

I'm not sure on your model but most only has a real-time low battery indicator. Thereby letting you know
that it has less than optimal available voltage stored in the battery that instant.

It is up to the driver / owner to initiate the diagnostic process to determine why there is a
low voltage situation once the light comes on and stays on.


It appears you have 2 problems. The solution to your dilema is to replace, both, your battery
and your alternator at the same time. Replacing only one or the other may create a vicious cycle of
repeated charging system failure.




Ren/Octane

 

[pragmatic]

When my alternator dies in October, I had just started the car and within three blocks the battery light came on. I made a u-turn to come back home and the car radio turned itself off, then the lights turned themselves off. Parked in the driveway and shut the car off.

Purchased a new Chinese alternator at a starter/alternator shop (around $120). I have a manual transmission so the pulley is a clutched pulley to control vibration. He needed to order the automatic alternator and take a clutched pulley from a Chrysler alternator.

On examining mine he asked if it was installed under the car since everything was corroded beyond use as a core for rebuilding.