So I changed out the stock alternator on my 1991 5.0l, but I didn't disconnect the battery because they were only two connectors (lazy I know). When Autozone checked my old alternator it was working but the bearing was probably going because you could hear/feel the difference versus the new one. When I reinstalled the new alternator, the car started fine and I let it sit for 5 days. On Monday morning, I tried to start it and I had no juice. I hooked up the trickle charger and it initially showed as "charging" but then after a while the little bulb that has a red battery symbol turned on (bad battery I think). I then tried to jump start it and I finally got it going, so I left it idling for over 1/2 hour to get charged. Tuesday (yesterday) morning, I tried to start and again no juice. So yesterday afternoon I took the Duralast battery in to autozone figuring that the 8 month old battery had gone bad somehow. They checked it and it wouldn't take a charge so I got a new one under warranty. So I installed it last night and it started right up. BUT, this morning tried to start it up and very little juice. I popped the hood and I touched the connections on the alternator and they were hot. So now this battery is maybe shorted out too...
So either:
I had bad luck with the new alternator and it's shorting out the batteries; OR
Did I f^ck something up when I didn't disconnect the battery and shorted something out that is causing this problem?
In any case I'm taking both the alternator and battery in the the store and try to get a new one of each under warranty, but I'd like to know if I should be looking at something else...
Thanks guys
So either:
I had bad luck with the new alternator and it's shorting out the batteries; OR
Did I f^ck something up when I didn't disconnect the battery and shorted something out that is causing this problem?
In any case I'm taking both the alternator and battery in the the store and try to get a new one of each under warranty, but I'd like to know if I should be looking at something else...
Thanks guys