Is it possible for my car to cause alternators to go bad?
TLDR; replaced my car alternator twice in a month, was it really a faulty replacement alternator or is a faulty component in my car breaking the alternator?
Hi all, a bit of backstory to a car problem I have been having and was hoping to get possible causes for.
I have a 2005 Ford Escape and about a month ago, the charging system light came on. Alternator was not supplying enough volts when the car idled. Got that replaced at an auto body shop. My car battery also tested low prior to getting the alternator replaced.
Hundreds of miles later, my abs light started flickering and shortly after my headlights and dash lights went out while driving. Car stopped shortly after and didn’t start again. Got the battery checked as bad and replaced it.
Same exact thing happened again a few weeks later. Now both times when my car battery died there was basically no warning (like the charging dash light, which occurred the first time my alternator died). Took it back to the shop, they said it was a bad alternator and replaced it. They said it occasionally happens that there are bad parts. It was reading low without enough output.
I tested the output a few days later, (another new) battery and alternator read fine.
Was it really a bad replacement alternator and just a coincidence that both my original (107k miles) and replacement alternator go bad over the course of a month? Or is there possibly some faulty component in my car that is causing the alternator to go bad? Also, is there any recommendation to tell the shop to diagnose this if it could be another issue?
Thank you for the help!
Posted Sep 10, 2021, 12:50 AM UTC · edited
But then you could just as easily gotten a bad alternator. Had a similar situation with a starter. Had a low battery repeatedly, determined I had a bad starter draining it so I installed a new, remanufactured, starter. It worked ok for a week or so then battery started draining. I had just replaced the stater so I knew it was good so I replaced the battery. A week goes by same symptoms again so I start looking at the alternator but it checks ok. I finally get back around to the new starter an sure enough it has an internal short that is pulling a constant current = bad new starter. This is how over a months time I learned to never assume a new part is a working part.
Correct especially if it's from a big box parts store. I had two out of the box alternators that ended up being bad. Took my OEM to get rebuilt at a rebuild place and upgraded it and didn't have problems since. From then on I just take it to the starter and alternator rebuild guys for all my cars. I'd rather wait a few days to get it back from them than to have to roll the dice with a brand new vatozone one.