BicketyBam

I installed Steeda UDP's yesterday and on the way home it looked like my battery light was faintly illuminated. I have a convertable and the top was down, so it was hard to tell, but it looked like it was somewhat lit up. I checked the belt and the alternator and everything looked ok. My car (and consequently my alternator) has 133k miles on it. Could the combination of a highly used alternator and the slower turn of the pulleys be causing this? Should I be looking to get a new alternator before I am sitting on the side of the highway with my thumb up my ***? Or should I just get my friggin' eyes checked?

Chopper

Use a voltmeter to measure the voltage at the battery terminals.A digital one is best.You should have at least 13.5 vdc at idle with everything on,headlights,air conditioning,and stereo.

BicketyBam

Well, I guess I didn't act fast enough [:@] 30 miles into my 60 mile commute to work, the volt guage started to drop. First to about 11:00 and then 10:00. I was doing close to 100 mph trying to make it to work before it died. No such luck. About 20 miles from work the guage just dropped all the way, as did every other guage in the car. The car started bucking and sputtering. I pulled it over onto a wide part of the shoulder and called a tow truck. I'm thinking that the impact gun I used to get the alternator pulley off jarred something. I really had to hit it hard to get it off. Oh well. Live and learn.

nanaki

133k miles on an 00GT? daaaaaaaaaayum!

BicketyBam

It was my daily commute car. 120 miles per day, 5 days a week for 4 1/2 years. Brakes, 2 sets of tires and a clutch was all I did to it. Damn good car.

nanaki

that's hot, man. she's really hangin in there. i'd like to get over 100k out of my GT once i put the blower on.

your pony still running strong or is she starting to show signs of her age?

BicketyBam

The miles on the car are literally 99% highway. It's hard to say if the engine was starting to show signs of age because I was so damn used to the car, having spent roughly 2,500 hours in it. But I can tell you that since I added all the mods I have listed in my sig (except the tune and the CAI which comes in today and next week), the car seems like a beast to me. Everyone I have taken for a ride has commented that the car's got *****. So I am going to have to say that the engine still has plenty of life left in it. I always changed the oil every 3k-5k miles with synthetic oil (I was considered a very good customer ) and never beat on it. I was 32 when I bought the car and decided that since I spend so much time in a car, I might as well enjoy it. I owned an 1984 GLX Convert. that I bought in 1986 when I was 19. I dumped a ton of money into it (paint, new top, rebuilt engine/tranny) only to have the block crack after 12,000 miles. I always said that I'd own another. I am just playing with this one until the 2007 SVT Mustang comes out. I already have my name on an unofficail, officail waiting list. I will then give this one to my son when he turns 16 in 2011.

BicketyBam

Back to topic. From what I now hear, an underdrive pulley system in eventually going to kill your alternator. A mechanic confirmed that as well. Personally, I couldn't care less. Alternators aren't that expensive and they are easy to intall

josh_0351

I dunno - I've never heard that UD Pulleys are harmful to your car...

BicketyBam

I really don't know what to believe. When I picked up my car today, I asked the owner of the shop (whose opinion I value) and he said not to worry about the pulleys harming anything. As long as the alternator and water pump are still turning enough to properly do their job, I don't see how turning them slower is going to harm them. I'm not going to worry about it, that's for sure.