My First Car!

[Jon Miller]

Do you have a voltmeter?

JM

[Lorizael]

And the mechanic says... dead battery, dead alternator. How much would you all pay for that?

[Tiamat]

New battery will run you about 30 to 50 bucks at Walmart, new alt. anywhere from 300 to 700 depending on where you take it. Looks like GF's parents took you for a ride.


Oh and it depends on the Ford. Husband's mustang is a 94 and runs just fine.

[Tiamat]

See if you can find a rebuilt alternator. Might be cheeper.

[Thorgal]

Oh and it depends on the Ford. Husband's mustang is a 94 and runs just fine.

That is only 12 years. You say it as if that were something remarkable for Fords or American cars in general.

My brother drives a Renault 18 used almost daily since 1983 and it works perfectly in all aspects.

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Tiamat
Looks like GF's parents took you for a ride.

That's certainly what it looks like. Because I trusted them, I didn't get it taken to a mechanic before I bought it. Because it's my girlfriend's parents, it doesn't do me any good to be angry with them.

But my girlfriend had driven the car recently, while her own car was in the shop. In fact, they let her drive it all the way down to my house and then back home. If they didn't think the vehicle was in good condition, they wouldn't have let her drive it. They are extremely protective parents.

So I don't think they purposefully sold me a lemon.

[Tiamat]

Nope, but as you said you can't get upset, just fix it.

No NO.....wasn't saying that about Fords. Personally I drive a Oldsmobile, just saying he's had his since 94 and seems to be fine.

[Richelieu]

Don't buy a new alternator: get a reconditioned. And you can change it yourself: it's easy to do. Just locate it, check where the belt passes and make sure you reproduce it when installing the new one. And don't install it too tight!

[Fake Boris]

French cars

[Lorizael]

Originally posted by Richelieu
Don't buy a new alternator: get a reconditioned. And you can change it yourself: it's easy to do. Just locate it, check where the belt passes and make sure you reproduce it when installing the new one. And don't install it too tight!

See the thing is, I have no idea what you just said. So I'm not really sure that would work.

[Richelieu]

I know what you mean, but it's not rocket science: i do it myself. When you have the new one in hand, pop up the hood and you'll be able to find the old alternator. It's very likely that it's going to be held in place by two bolts only. Look at it, make sure you remember where the belts pass through it.
Then it's only a matter of replacing the old with the new and again, it's not rocket science. I didn't know what i was doing the first time i did it and didn't have anyone to help me but i figured it out pretty easily.

[Japher]

I know what you mean, but it's not rocket science: i do it myself. When you have the new one in hand, pop up the hood and you'll be able to find the old alternator. It's very likely that it's going to be held in place by two bolts only. Look at it, make sure you remember where the belts pass through it.
Then it's only a matter of replacing the old with the new and again, it's not rocket science. I didn't know what i was doing the first time i did it and didn't have anyone to help me but i figured it out pretty easily.

Are you talking about cars?

[BlackCat]

It's the thingie mounted on the side of the engine drawn by the belt that also moves the propellar.

Don't install it too loose either - if you do that it will probably start howling.

[SlowwHand]

Coming Soon, To A Thread Near You!

My First Breakdown
In Technicolor.

[Ming]

Before you buy a new battery, fix the alternator and see if your current battery will hold a charge. I'm sure the bad alternator drained the battery, but that doesn't mean it won't hold a charge and could be fine with a new (or rebuilt) alternator.