Alternator died in the Cobra

[BenS]

So I head out at lunch today and go to Taco Bell. I start to leave and the car wont start. I get absolutely nothing out of the battery. Won't even power up the dash lights.

I call a buddy and he shows up with jumper cables. I let the car sit for about 10 minutes while hooked up, and it just barely turns over one time.

Fast forward a few hours and I test it with a multi-meter. It reads 10v with the dome light on :rolleyes: and about 5v while Crystal hits the starter. :rolleyes: Head over to Advance and buy a new battery, and it fires right up.

One of the engine accessories has been making a "rrrrrrr" sound since I've had the car, and I've assumed it was the alternator or a pulley with a bad bearing. I figured the alternator might have given up the ghost finally, so I take it by Advance again and they tested it with their machine. The kid says its bad. So I guess I'll be ordering an alternator soon. It does run about 14.5v while running, so I guess its not totally DOA yet, but I won't be driving it much until I get a new one on there.

Is there anything else I should be checking or replacing while I'm in there?

[Tungsten]

Go ahead and replace the belt while you've got it apart?

[MeanMike]

I don't remember the exact years, but check your belt tensioner. Ford sells an upgraded tensioner for some of the older cars because the stock one deflects under high rpm.

[ReefBlueCoupe]

Bolt on the new alternator and close the hood unless some other parts are giving you trouble.

[Tungsten]

Bolt on the new alternator and close the hood unless some other parts are giving you trouble.
First the "old man car" and now this. You're becoming quite the puss. :)

[The Rascal King]

The alternator having tested bad pretty much means replace it, but I'll just throw this out there because you mention the noise. Ford power steering pumps are pretty notorious for making noise, and it doesn't necessarily mean they're defective.

[ReefBlueCoupe]

First the "old man car" and now this. You're becoming quite the puss. :)

:lol: He said what else should I check, not which blower should I install.

[JohnC]

I don't remember the exact years, but check your belt tensioner. Ford sells an upgraded tensioner for some of the older cars because the stock one deflects under high rpm.


I bent a tensioner on my new motor in like 7,000 miles. It did make a bit of noise, too.

[BenS]

What sort of noise?