Only two reasons alternators go broke,one is **** quality and the second is belt too tight.......
I am having the same issue....however I have replaced the battery four times,rebuilt the alternator and put two new alternators in the car and it still will not hold a charge. At this point I am putting the car on a charger every night just to drive it aroud 1 to two hours the next day, and during this time I cannot turn on the radio,lights or air conditioner because it drains the battery and that is all I am driving on. The alternator is not charging AT ALL...so don't waste your money on another one. The alternator will ALWAYS test bad on the car...then test perfectly fine off of it. I have done some research and many people are having this issue. Ford has a recall on the battery cable being misrouted but most people have a car conveniently NOT included in it,although it was manufactered during the SAME time. Mine being one of those not included. I did come across someone who replaced the MEGA175BP Main Power Fuse on the cable from the starter to the battery. She said it was broken and would come out causing random electrical issues. I have not tried this yet...as I am still trying to find an exact remedy to the problem....but I am starting to doubt that there even is a fix. I'm just at the point where I do not want to waste anymore money. Only a handful of people have actually kept the car long enough to get this resolved (the girl who replaced the main fuse and others who had loose fuses but not the root of the issue), while others just get rid of it. At this point...all I can say is try the main power fuse and cross your fingers...I'm going to try it as soon as possible.
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When replacing an alternator, always make sure the wiring going to it is in good condition. Sometimes when moving the wires you will temporarily re-establish contact but it will eventually have a problem down the road. Always make sure the battery is in good condition and fully charged before re-starting the car after replacement and that you check the charge condition every few months. Using the radio etc with the vehicle off can pull amperage capacity of the battery down over time and cause the alternator to continually work overtime to attempt to re-charge. If you have additional sound equipment in the vehicle, you may need to up-grade the alternator to one of a higher amperage (like a police option unit).
If your problem is electrical that will help. If the bearings in the alternator are failing, you need to make sure your belt is at the proper tension and not set too tight.
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