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Alternator Issue - faulty voltage regulator

94ExplorerMJB

New Member
Joined
September 19, 2007
Messages
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City, State
Detroit, Michigan
Year, Model & Trim Level
2005 XLT FlexFuel 4.0 4x4
Hi All - Looking for a reality check - here's the story - 2005 explorer, xlt, 4.0, 4x4, flex-fuel - 184,000 miles. last year the stock alternator went bad & fried the battery, changed alternator and battery. PepBoys Pro-Start parts (might be my 1st mistake). Started getting odd intermittent warning chime which would sometimes show charging problem, sometimes nothing at all on the message screen. Happens often in cold weather, sometimes not at all in warm weather. Took it to dealership - 2x - diagnosis ($100 opinion) is that the new alternator is putting out 15+v and has a faulty voltage regulator. The dealership tells me that this causes the charging system to send the warning. Has this happened to anyone else? Before I head to PepBoys to get a new alternator (life time warranty on part) I thought I would see if this sounds plausible or not. -
 






I have a very similar problem with a fully working alt and battery I still get a check charging system message and light. I was just told the alt was bad, even though it was a remanufactured one.
 






Thanks! - glad to know I'm not alone - I'll see if the next alternator I get from PepBoys is any better. The dealership service manager told there's nothing wrong with putting on a rebuilt alternator, but that mine is sometimes putting out more than 15 volts. My explorer has been really dependable but is really starting to show some age.
 






Just a tip - The alternator is a very easy job to replace, however when you look at the alt there is an upside down U shaped bracket on top of the alternator - When refitting don't over tighten these four bolts, they are weak!

When fitting the new alternator there are two longer bolts on the bottom side, screw these in to the engine block a little before mounting the alternator - It just rests on these bolts. This saves you sticking your hand down the front of the engine trying to catch the threads!
 






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