hey guys i recently had troubles with my car and i got it to start today. i let it run for a bit with this new battery i got in it. We just got like almost 3 feet of snow today so i shoveling a path to get to the house as it was running. so i needed to make a bit of path in the driveway for my mom to park her car when she gets home so i put it in reverse after about 10 mins of running then stepped on the pedal to get it to go threw just over a foot of snow. she went back a ways then got a bit stuck so i threw her in drive then stepped on it again to go forward then she just died and won't start now. question is could that be the altenator? and how hard is it to replace and altenator? i have one on my 3.8L i'd put in there i just need to know what i need to do to take and put it on in my 5.0 without recking anything. i noticed the belt is around it so would it be hard to put the belt back on? what is the alt connected to that i have to unplugg when taking it off and putting back on? any help or guides to this would be nice. thanks

 

There are a million things that could have caused that problem.

I can tell you though, that an alternator is very easy to install. Takes a few minutes to do. The belt can be pulled out with a wrench and a cheater pipe and it just comes right out... just make sure you put the belt in how you found it.

 

I also doubt that your new battery died in just a few minutesdo too a lack of charging, but yes an alternator is a fairly simple part to replace.

 

well what do you guys think it could possible be? yesterday when i tried to start it before it snowed it just made like a sound like it was trying to start but now after this thing it just doesn't do nothing again.. no sounds at all while trying to start.

 

Whats the voltage at the battery? Should be around 12v or a tad higher. Mine reads 12.57v at the moment with no starting issues. I checked the battery and the ground strap at the block. If you get no sound at all now while starting maybe the solenoid went out or the ignition switch. I wouldnt think its the starter itself since the car died while it was running.

 

To change the alternator. Take the belt off (draw a diagram of how the belt routes if you need to... there should be a diagram on your radiator support though but Im not sure if its still there) I usually justa take the belt off with a ratchet. There are two bolts that need to come out and one connector (or maybe two). It might feel like its still stuck but just wiggle it a little bit and it will slide right out. Throw the new one in and reconnect it. It honestly shouldnt take you any more than 10 mintues to do. Its very simple.

 

Check your fuses to.

 

Do foxes not have tensioners?

 

Take a voltmeter and measure the voltage of the battery. It should read 12 volts if not alittle more. If it is not at 12 volts or around 12 volts, then charge the battery till it can hold a charge of around 12 volts. Start your car (if it starts) leave it runnign for a while and check the voltage of your battery, if the voltage is going down then it is probily your alternator. If the car is runnign you can also distonnect the negative terminal of the battery if the car stalles out then your alternator is bad.

 

yea, we have tensioners.