alternator problems??????????

My alternator went out on my 2003 Ford Taurus. Had it rebuilt and on the 3rd time still didn't work. Supposedly bad batch of voltage regulators or something like that. Got money back and yesterday went to autoparts store and got a new one. It worked fine all day yesterday. Drove to work and back and ran errands. Today started fine, I made it up the street when all the dash lights came on and the tach stopped and now the car is completely dead. Barely made it home, less than half mile. So is it bad alternator or something causing this? Please help it's going on 3 weeks since my car has ran and don't think my husband can take much more. It's a 3.0, single overhead cam (?) Is it bad battery or connection? Or just bad luck with alternator?

if i had to guess i would say a bad battery, you should have it tested, some auto part stores do it for free

My alternator went out on my 2003 Ford Taurus. Had it rebuilt and on the 3rd time still didn't work. Supposedly bad batch of voltage regulators or something like that. Got money back and yesterday went to autoparts store and got a new one. It worked fine all day yesterday. Drove to work and back and ran errands. Today started fine, I made it up the street when all the dash lights came on and the tach stopped and now the car is completely dead. Barely made it home, less than half mile. So is it bad alternator or something causing this? Please help it's going on 3 weeks since my car has ran and don't think my husband can take much more. It's a 3.0, single overhead cam (?) Is it bad battery or connection? Or just bad luck with alternator?

Make sure all the connections are tight on the alternator and battery. When changing the alternator, I would hope the battery was disconnected, maybe the battery cables didn't get properly tightened.

-Rod

A bad battery or faulty connections to the battery can cause the alternator to work overtime and burn out.

Do you have an amp guage in your dash? I don't recall if some Taurii can have an amp guage. But a bad guage can cause similiar problems or burn out wiring.

I had the exact same problem with my 2001 LX...first replaced the battery (50 dollars)...then the battery light started coming on...but would go off when I accelerated. Rather than pay through the nose for an alternator...I replaced both front brake rotors and both sets of brake pads on the front...even drained the brake fluid and replaced with the brake fluid that exceeds dot 3...no more battery light when idle! Even at 40 bucks a pop for the rotors and I think 20 for the front set of pads was still cheaper than the alternator! Priceless! Even if you just did the brakes and turned the rotors...not the same as brand new rotors.

Measure the voltage of the battery when the engine is idling. You should have somewhere around 13.5 volts DC. This indicates that the connections are OK and that the alternator is putting out enough current to charge. The turn on the lights, accessories, AC, put the blower on HI, etc. Use as much electricity as you can muster. The voltage on the battery may dip a bit but should still be on the order of 13.5 volts or so. A reading closer to 12 volts indicates a bad alternator/voltage regulator or perhaps a loose/slipping belt. Check the quality of the cable connections to the battery, alternator and grounds.

If it appears that the alternator is working ok, turn off the engine and then restart it. Check the charging again. I had an alternator that worked when you first turned on the car but when the alternator's voltage regulator got hot it did not work any more on the next restart.

If the alternator is still working, then you have either a bad battery or a current drain in the car's circuitry. I replaced my Taurus' battery only 2 1/2 years after I bought the car. I have gotten into the habit of replacing them every 4 years even if there are no problem symptoms.

Remove the batter cable and let the car set overnight to see if it drains internally. If it does not then the problem is in wiring or an electronic component