Amp light

[qnvic]

i was drivin today and my amp light came on. doesnt seem like its affecting anything yet. its got new dist cap n rotor, wires, alternator. is my battery just starting to go? oh its a 5.0 efi. i checked out under the hood and everything seems fine now, i jus dont want it do die on me while iim driving later. im not the most knowledgable person when it comes to this. so thanks in advance!

[87_crown_vic]

i would get the battery and alternator tested out to see why your light came on. i would also check condition of the wiring. did you get a wire harness setup to replace old setup for alternator when you replaced? the 3 wire plug usually goes bad causing problems(plug with 2 black wires and another wire)

[qnvic]

I didnt get a new harness. wiring is in good condition. when i replaced the alt i just un plugged it and took it out and plugged the new one in using that lube/jelly stuff. that was about 6 months ago. ill go get it tested. thanks.

[qnvic]

well my alt is only making 12 amps. i didnt bring a ratchet with me cus im an idiot so i couldnt take it out and test it. if the alt is fine you think i just need a new wire harness setup? oh, and is 12 amps enough to keep my battery goin for another couple 10 mile trips? my battery was still fully charged when they tested it so....

[gadget73]

no, replace the alternator before it shits on you and leaves you stuck in the middle of noplace. 12 amps is probably just barely enough to keep the motor running, if you turn anything on, you'll be draining the battery. It probably also won't be recharging the battery from the initial drain the starter put on it.

[qnvic]

yeh its doin the same thing as it did the first time the alt went bad. it was running fine until i started using my lights tonight. i pulled into my apartment complex and my turn signals wouldnt even blink anymore. guess i jus barely made it. so the factory alt lasted 19 years and the new one i got lasted 4 months. i think it has a year warranty... gotta go find that recipt! fuckn schucks auto parts sucks.

[gabegt90]

yeh its doin the same thing as it did the first time the alt went bad. it was running fine until i started using my lights tonight. i pulled into my apartment complex and my turn signals wouldnt even blink anymore. guess i jus barely made it. so the factory alt lasted 19 years and the new one i got lasted 4 months. i think it has a year warranty... gotta go find that recipt! fuckn schucks auto parts sucks.

where did you get the replacment napa advance autozone O'Reilly car quest? funny my stock one lasted 18 years also

[87_crown_vic]

most places have the warranty stuff in the computer system. i would also check the wire looms and such for popped or burned looking fusible links. one of the cars here has a Vato Zone alternator, and another has an Oreilly alternator. couple of the cars still have factory originals, yet i think one of them is going bad.

[91waggin]

yeh its doin the same thing as it did the first time the alt went bad. it was running fine until i started using my lights tonight. i pulled into my apartment complex and my turn signals wouldnt even blink anymore. guess i jus barely made it. so the factory alt lasted 19 years and the new one i got lasted 4 months. i think it has a year warranty... gotta go find that recipt! fuckn schucks auto parts sucks.

I don't think you should have to find the receipt. Just bring in the alternator and they'll probably look up your name in the computer. I bought a starter from Schucks recently and when I asked if I needed the receipt to make a warranty claim, they said no, just the part.

[qnvic]

thats a relief, i figured if i brought it in they could match the numbers on it to their system. luckily my car started up this morn but i was weary of driving it anywhere. i guess its making enough amps to keep the engine goin but i cant use any accesories or my lights... i check the wires again but they look ok. thanks for the info guys.

[gadget73]

rebuilt parts suck, I'm on alternator #3 in the past 2 years. These are 130 amp models too. The original 65 lasted from 1986-2004. The replacement 65 lasted from 2004-2005 and the car was parked about 6 months in that time span. Next time I fry an alternator I'm buying a brand new Ford one if I can't rebuild it myself, getting tired of replacing parts all the time.

[87_crown_vic]

i say go to junkyard and do a 3g upgrade. something i need to do soon.

[qnvic]

i retract my comment about Schucks. they went to exchange it on warranty, and grabbed a new alt. it happened to be boxed wrong and was a much better one wit ha lifetime warranty. the only diff i could see was it had an autolite sticker on it, and the blade and spindle were gold instead of black. the spindle was a little bigger so they switched the old one onto it. it works great! thanks for the help guys.

[86VickyLX]

yeh its doin the same thing as it did the first time the alt went bad. it was running fine until i started using my lights tonight. i pulled into my apartment complex and my turn signals wouldnt even blink anymore. guess i jus barely made it. so the factory alt lasted 19 years and the new one i got lasted 4 months. i think it has a year warranty... gotta go find that recipt! fuckn schucks auto parts sucks.

Take the shit back, and replace it. Where'd you get the alternator from?

[86VickyLX]

i retract my comment about Schucks. they went to exchange it on warranty, and grabbed a new alt. it happened to be boxed wrong and was a much better one wit ha lifetime warranty. the only diff i could see was it had an autolite sticker on it, and the blade and spindle were gold instead of black. the spindle was a little bigger so they switched the old one onto it. it works great! thanks for the help guys.

The one I have on Vicky now sounds like the one you just got. I didn't change anything, and it charges great.