97 4.6 alternator meltdown

I have a 97 tbird and the alternator went out, but the thing is the power lead that attaches to the back of the alternator was melted?!?!?!?!

Was it just the alternator that blew or does this sound like a more serious problem. None of the breakers blew in the under hood fuse panel.

Any help is appreciated..

What aftermarket accesories do you have that draw current?

The only thing aftermarket is an alpine deck. No upgraded speakers or amps. The car belonged to my mother prevously and my brother got her the deck as a gift. The deck has been in the car for over 3 years at least. Thanks again for the assistance.

Could a weak battery cause a large enough draw on the alternator to cause it to malfunction?

If the alternator shorted internally it could have caused the melted lead due to the direct connection from the battery providing the current path.

if the main meltdown was the connector, then you prolly had a bad connection. resistance causes heat. make sure to remove & scrape down all connections till they`re shiny & clean in the future.