Hi Guys.......Seems the F350 has a problem with going through alternator after alternator. I heard this was a problem only with the 350's.
Has anyone come up with a fix? Seems an alternator would be installed new/rebuilt and within a few months it no longer charges and would need to be replaced. Then the same thing happens once again. Would like to know what causes this and how to repair. Is there a write up?

Thanks......Jeff

 

Bump, I am not familiar, but I am curious.

 

250 & 350 are exactly the same drivetrain, so alternators will be exactly the same. My OEM alt lasted 160k+, and I bought a 200A replacement and am at 196k now. I'm thinking you might need to either A) find a new source for alternators, or B) rebuild it yourself with quality components, or C) find a local rebuild shop to do it.

They're heavy, but if you need a good OEM "core" for a rebuild, PM me.

 

Time to quit listening to this source. It's completely wrong.

Sure. Quality rebuilds, not the cheap, auto-parts-house crap. Take your OEM unit to a local, quality rebuilder and discuss with them that RELIABILITY is your top priority, not cost.

These units aren't rocket science, and will last 125,000 miles without a hiccup provided you mate them with well-maintained, balanced-charged batteries.

A simple exchange for a "lifetime warranty" unit at the local parts house ainna'-gonna' cut it in the real world if you don't want to be stuck on the side of the road somewhere.

Tell us what kind of maintenance you do for your electrical system besides replace parts.

Do you equalize-charge the batteries every six months or so?

How long has it been since you cleaned the battery cable connections?

What steps have you taken to prevent acid from imperfect post seals from attacking your connections?

Do you have anything like an aftermarket meter to read the battery post voltages when driving?

What do you do at the first sign that the alternator isn't putting out about 14.4 volts? You CAN read it to the nearest tenth-of-a-volt, can't you?

Pop

 

I ran out of Diesel once.... I blamed it on the truck....

My wife blamed it on me.....



Get a volt meter that plugs into the cig port. It will tell you a lot about what is going on with your GPR, Batts and Alt.

 

How do you do this as a routine maintenance item? I always thought my RV batts were spoiled that way, having a 3 stage charger with an equalize/desulfication function.

x2 on the voltmeter. the Equus Innova 3721 unit on amazon works great and is cheap. I notice mine most closely matches a voltmeter on the batts when loads are minimal. When I turn my headlights on, the cig voltage drops, while the alt keeps the batts up where they belong. A dedicated cig lighter to the batts would be best. I did that on the RV so I could keep track of the golf cart batts while dry camping with this same meter.

 

Pop, Sarcasm is not necessary....nor is it warranted.....I guess I should have said that I own two F250 both 99's and I have not had an issue with alternators or batteries. However, I have a friend who does have the 99 F350 and since he bought the truck last summer he has replaced 4 alternators. He then brought the truck to me. Both batteries pased a load test, battery terminal were cleaned and the cables inspected for corrosion, none needed to be replaced. Charged both batteries. I checked the pigtail that's under the passenger side battery for damage, none found. I replaced the alternator, tensioner, belt and idler from Autozone. Hooked up the AE and the alternator was doing it's job at 14.4 volts. Truck ran great for several months and then the alternator went **** up. I replaced the alternator with a new, not rebuilt unit from Napa 3 weeks ago and that alternator went **** up as well while going to Oregon. I had heard from other F350 owners locally that they too had experienced the same problems and I was wondering if anyone has found the cause or found a fix...that was all. You CAN read it to the nearest tenth-of-a-volt, can't you?......Yes, Pop, I can read to the nearest 10th......

Thanks for the input........Jeff

 

Unsubscribed......

Pop

 

Jeff,

One thing that you haven't told us yet is where are the replacement alternators are coming from. Are they Motorcraft or are they the lifetime warranty el-cheapo stuff from the local auto parts chain?

I've got a 2001 F350... admitadly, it's still just a baby with 103K on the ticker. I've never had any trouble with the alternator. Still running on the factory unit. However, these trucks are big vehicles and demand a great deal from many componants (for Pete's sake they have two batteries for a reason). It may be that althought the replacement alternators are "correct" for the truck they may not be heavy-duty enough for daily use.

Pop's voltage sarcasm was a bit harsh but he is very knowledgable with these trucks and usually has good input at the ready as well as many others on FTE.

Many folks don't do the routine maintainence that used to run with the territory of owning a vehicle... some people never even check to oil... they just wait for the light to tell them when it's low.

No sarcasm intinded... just hoping to help get this mess sorted out.

 

Since the F-350s are hell on Alts. it would be wise to sell them or put them in a junk yard. Some of these F-250 owners never had such problems as yours...... (they are the same drive train ) so..... ie..... check your grounding wires or add more.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-problems.html

 

x2...........

 

I've had the same problem, first time i had the oem rebuild then i went through three of the auto zone cheap crap,all in a two year period.Took it to the dealer and they put a new oem on when i went to pick it up I've got 13.5 volts when i point this out to them they said thats ok your good to go.Even all the cheap crap had 14.1-14.3 before they went bad.

 

I've got a 350 with 440,000 miles on it. My wife has a 250, my daughter has an excursion, and my neice has a 250 (all 7.3's) and the red headed step child has a 350 with a 6.0, so perhaps I might have some insight for you.

Let's start with Autozone "lifetime" rebuilt alternators. One to two years is all I would expect out of them regardless of what you drive. I've seen some go longer, but the one thing I have seen is often times when they fail, the batteries aren't far behind or they've already been ruined.

I've gone through at least a half dozen autozoo alternators on my truck, and a few on the other trucks. There's no difference between the 250 or 350 alternators. I even have additional ground and charge wires hooked up on mine that don't seem to help any.

My latest attempt in avoiding the rebuilt junk that is likely universal regardless of which store you're shopping at is a new alternator with a slightly higher amp output just in case the stock alternator was undercharged for what I do. https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...lternator.html

And FYI, If it were me, I'd listen to Pop on any electrical advice, regardless of what experience I may have had or what I think I might know.

 

Just my two cents. I did not think there was anything wrong with pops post. I believe he was asking if you gad something capable of reading to the nearest 10th. I don't think it was a sarcastic remark or that he was calling you incompetent.

If you are asking for help get the chip.off your shoulder and give him the benefit of the doubt NOBODY on THIS site will intentionally belittle you. You can expect that on other sites but not here. Pop has always been very helpful and respectful when answering question. I always have elementary electrical questions (not saying yours was) and he will walk you through it if need be.

 

I only replaced two of the alternators...One from AutoZone and one from Napa. The autozone was rebuilt...I think Mexico and the other was New.
The one I took off was originally a China reman. My friend has since moved on to another repair facility to solve his problem.
I will say that I am ASE certified in Engines, Transmissions and Suspensions along with being a Parts Specialist and as a Service Writer. I retired in 2007 and spent 30 years in construction, automotive, aircraft and mining equipment. I have a strong maintenance background and believe maintenance is the key to longevity with any engine. Although I don't know it all, my intent was to further my knowledge and to help a friend out to eliminate the alternator R&R merry-go-round.

Thanks again to all that have given positive input. I really appreciate all who contribute to this forum.I continue to learn from it.

Jeff