Possible bad alternator?
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 701
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From: Western PA
Possible bad alternator?
The other night my truck wouldnt start, the battery was dead. So i had to grab a jump needless to say it took one car for each battery to get my truck started. Then i got it started and drove down the road on my way home. I made it about a mile and my lights shut off and all my interior lights went out and my windows stopped working and everything. Then About a mile further my truck just shut itself off. Needless to say to i had to call AAA for a tow home. Does this sound like an alternator to you guys?
Post Fiend
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 10,977
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From: Lancaster, Pa.
I think its rebuild time, find a reputable rebuilder and keep that stock unit, its a good one, guys told me here, I had mine rebuilt. Take it out and have it load tested, batteries too and you'll see where your at. Good luck.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 288
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From: Maryland
My original alternator on my 2002 F350 went up a few years ago. I ended up buying a Ford remain alternator from Ford. So far so good. I have heard that the remains directly from Ford are good quality, not like some remains from some of the auto parts chains.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 13,144
Likes: 11
From: Rochdale MA
The other night my truck wouldnt start, the battery was dead. So i had to grab a jump needless to say it took one car for each battery to get my truck started. Then i got it started and drove down the road on my way home. I made it about a mile and my lights shut off and all my interior lights went out and my windows stopped working and everything. Then About a mile further my truck just shut itself off. Needless to say to i had to call AAA for a tow home. Does this sound like an alternator to you guys?
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Auburn, Wa
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Western PA
My batteries are only a year old and my alternator has been in my truck since i bought it 4 years ago.
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Elder User
Joined: Oct 2010
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From: Western PA
I went to the junk yard the other day they said they had 3 of them. So i search and search and low and behold all 3 trucks had the motors out of them! 2 hours later! I found an 03 F350 with a diesel and the alternator wasnt located on the front right like mine in was more front/middle on the left! Can anyone tell me why it was different?
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
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From: CA Bay Area
The difference might be that the other diesel is 6l.
Your TRUCK might have bad voltage regulator. Nobody says "bad truck" where there is no charging, but they say "bad alternator" when the brushes are out.
How many miles?
Your TRUCK might have bad voltage regulator. Nobody says "bad truck" where there is no charging, but they say "bad alternator" when the brushes are out.
How many miles?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,193
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From: D.C. but heart's in TEXAS
Whatever you do with the alternator, voltage regulator, etc...make sure you've trickle-charged both batteries back up to full before you start your truck. Don't "charge" your low-to-dead batteries with the alternator...it puts a lot of strain on the alternator, and will reduce the life of a new alternator if it's first use is a heavy load like that.
Ditto on getting your batteries load-tested somewhere too.
Ditto on getting your batteries load-tested somewhere too.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,524
Likes: 2
From: CA Bay Area
160 amp alternator should handle charging the batteries just fine, but batteries don't like to be charged at such a high current and overheating them will shorten the life. The best is 10 amp per battery for charging.
Brushes or voltage regulators are hard to buy separately, so if you can wait, order them from a dealer, if you need the truck tomorrow, you might be forced to pay for whole new alternator.
Brushes or voltage regulators are hard to buy separately, so if you can wait, order them from a dealer, if you need the truck tomorrow, you might be forced to pay for whole new alternator.
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