Some alternator questions...

[pservecc]

I had to park my 98 Ex for a couple of months this summer. I tested the charging system before putting it away, and all was good. Now, I charged the battery (separately) and reconnected, but can't get more than 12V at any rpm. Starts and runs fine, just low volts.

Can something just "go bad" during inactivity like that?

The Haynes book says to check volts at the wiring harness, in case it's bad. My Ex has a 4.0L SOHC engine, and there are 3 wires on the alt. I can try testing the big red one easy enough the next time out, but I'm not sure about the other two. No idea where they go, either.

Assuming I do need a new alternator, what brand should I look for? It seems that several people have had issues with Autozone, and I'm not too fond of Advance myself. How about NAPA? Would I even be able to get a new Motorcraft at reasonable cost?

I'm just looking to fix it once, and have it be good for awhile.

Thanks!

 

[pservecc]

Just had another go at this. Initial batt voltage was 12.6V. Reconnect it and start engine then shows 12.0V. More rpm has no effect and more load (headlights) cause a small dip. Voltage reading at the alt output is the same as at the batt + terminal.

It seems that there's nothing more for me to do except have it replaced, and I'll talk to the guys at the shop about which one to put in.