[fiberglasscivic]

Sounds like a short in the cable. If you have a multimeter that can check conductivity that will help you check for the problem. You need to remove the battery, then remove the positive cable from the alternator and remove the cable from the fuse box so that it doesn't touch anything but plastic. You can ensure this by rapping the end in a plastic bag. To check for the short, set the multimeter to conductivity, touch the two test leads together and the multimeter should beep continuously until the leads quit touching. This ensures that your test leads are good and that the unit is functioning properly. Touch the red lead to the positive cable of the alternator and the black to the negative. If the unit beeps then you have a short in the positive wire and need to replace it, if not then you have other problems and we'll troubleshoot from there. If you need a multimeter, you can get one from Wal-Mart for somewhere around $10. It's yellow and you can find it in the automotive department. They have a really nice one that's $25 but I only recommend getting it if you plan on using it a lot.

If you can't get a multimeter then you need to physically go over every inch of the alternator cables looking for a cut in the insulator, its best to first look around areas where you were working when you replaced the alternator the first time. If you ran the cable too close to the block you could have melted part of the cable, or you could have moved the cable along a rough edge and cut it open. If the wire hasn't melted then you can fix it by using liquid plastic. You can find this in the auto department at Wal-Mart as well.

Last thing, do you notice that your electronics aren't working as well, like you radio isn't as loud or you headlights are really dim or the car has lots of trouble idling when you have lots of electronics running? Please post anything that's out of the norm after you started having problems with your alternator.