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Old 11-06-2009, 07:51 PM   #1
KF5BET
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Default OUCH...That hurt

Well it happened...

Crysti and the girls went to Dallas to Visit her sister. She took my truck (05 f250 6.0 dsl).

She got up Thursday Morning to come home (about 7 1/2 hrs door to door). About an hour into the drive she calls me at work and says she has no gauges or radio...and the ABS light is on. I tell her to check and make sure the belt didn't break (told her not to turn the truck off).

She calls back about ten minutes later and says "were losing power". Took an exit and coasted to a stop on the service road. Truck is now done...no fire and no go!

She calls me back and says now what...I am thinking I have no idea what can I do 7 hours away!.. I call my BIL and he is only about 30 minutes from them. He goes and gets them and takes them to a dealership just 9 miles away. The dealer gets the truck back to the shop and run diagnostics on it and find out the alternator died (there was no warning...also no gauge for volts...seriously thinking about installing one now!).

Long story....They finally got aroound to getting it fixed about 4:30 this afternoon. They will go get the truck tomorrow and head this way.

So if you are curious... a nine mile tow, diagnostics and a new alternator will cost roughly $740.00 (yep that's right) from a dealer.

What kills me is I would have done it myself if I had been there with them....
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Old 11-07-2009, 09:30 AM   #2
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It should be a law that every vehicle have both a voltmeter and ammeter. I carried a spare Cam Position Sensor when I had my truck, it is another part that will stop the truck dead in its tracks.
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Old 11-07-2009, 09:36 AM   #3
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$740.. Is an OUCH! But it sounds right close to what I'd expect.

Might be cheaper to pop a Honda EU-1000i in the bed of the pickup and plug in a PD-9260 to charge the battery... Though depending on the time of day (Day/Night) and weather that might be a bit anemic... Still. the fact that the Honda can charge 'er up while the truck is parked makes up for it. (joking of course) Now a EU-2000i with a larger converter... Well that's too much for the truck's battery to accept.

Oh, and as for a volt meter..... Alternator failures are a bit like fuses.. one mile as you go down the road it's working perfectly... The next it's working not at all, totally dead.. At least that's how it usually works.

And the ABS light is often your first warning.. IT's one of the most voltage sensitive devices on the vehicle so when the voltage starts to drop the ABS alarms.. Next is radio in many cases. (not all)
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Old 11-07-2009, 07:32 PM   #4
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Well If it makes you feel better. I lost my Injector Pump on my Dodge while in Redding California

2400.00 later I could come home.
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Old 11-07-2009, 08:43 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by wa8yxm View Post
$740.. Is an OUCH! But it sounds right close to what I'd expect.

Might be cheaper to pop a Honda EU-1000i in the bed of the pickup and plug in a PD-9260 to charge the battery... Though depending on the time of day (Day/Night) and weather that might be a bit anemic... Still. the fact that the Honda can charge 'er up while the truck is parked makes up for it. (joking of course) Now a EU-2000i with a larger converter... Well that's too much for the truck's battery to accept.

Oh, and as for a volt meter..... Alternator failures are a bit like fuses.. one mile as you go down the road it's working perfectly... The next it's working not at all, totally dead.. At least that's how it usually works.

And the ABS light is often your first warning.. IT's one of the most voltage sensitive devices on the vehicle so when the voltage starts to drop the ABS alarms.. Next is radio in many cases. (not all)
That's funny but true: My Uncle went to go on a job one morning and found that the alternator in his silverado had died...He had no time to get another truck or call someone so he grabbed his generator threw it into the bed, ran an extension cord up into the engine compartment, hooked up a battery charger cranked up the generator and off he went. Changed it out later that day after the job!
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Old 11-07-2009, 08:45 PM   #6
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I am just happy to have my girls home...Only took them two extra days!!!
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Old 11-08-2009, 09:27 AM   #7
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Of course it can always be worse.. Alternator went out on my wife's car so I told her when I got home from work I'd hook up the charger and we'd run it up to the service place that installed the nearly new faulty alternator.

Well.. Did she listen (NEVER) so when I got home she jumps in and by now the reserve capacity has kicked in so the car starts. She takes off before I can charge it up

Got part way there and it dies. I hook up the charger put about 10 mintues worth in it (Heavy duty charger) and it's off to the store now only about a mile away.. She comes up to a red light and afraid the car will die before the light turns green runs the light.......RIGHT IN FRONT OF A POLICE CAR

The new alternator was free (Warranty) the ticket was $80 bucks plus a hit on our insurance.

Did she learn to LISTEN... Not as of this morning she had not... Still hears half of what I say and makes up half of what she hears.
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Old 11-10-2009, 06:56 AM   #8
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Both of my F350's (1997 and 2002) lost the altanator at about 84000 miles. Last one was repalced in late 2008 and it was about $640.00 from a local garage and Ford part. I would have done the work, but we were leaving on a trip the NEXT day.

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Old 12-17-2009, 10:21 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AE5BI View Post
It should be a law that every vehicle have both a voltmeter and ammeter. I carried a spare Cam Position Sensor when I had my truck, it is another part that will stop the truck dead in its tracks.
I agree with this instead of idiot lights.
But how many people would pay attention to the gauges anyway?
How many have you seen driving down the road with the left turn blinker on when in the fast lane of a freeway?
Makes me wonder if they would try to turn.
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Old 10-26-2010, 11:24 PM   #10
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New update...11 months later....

Alternator went out again. Went to go to work last Thursday morning and got a block away from the house and noticed that the battery light was on. Went back to the house and threw a meter on it and "NO OUTPUT".


Called the Ford dealership here and was informed it was out of warranty (not by months but by mileage: 3000 miles over). Fords warrantyh was 12 mos/ 12000 miles.

After some dilemma on whether to buy aftermarket or OEM, took it to an independent alternator shop which was recommended to me. The guy told me he knew what was wrong with it before he even opened it up. The regulator is plastic and the heat will make the plastic expand and contract which will loosen the three screws holding it in place.

Sure enough, $36.00 later and ten minutes to put it back in the truck and I am back on the road.

Thought you guys with power strokes might want to know for your own info. Don't want anyone to spend $300 on a alternator that they don't necessarily need.
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