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Brought the SVT in to the dealer today - a low groaning, moaning noise from the belt area. It would rise and lower with the speed of the engine. Well, they just called and it was the alternator. He said it was still under warranty by about 300 miles. That's about 2 days driving for me. So if I waited until Weds to call, it would have cost me another $500 and change. Ouch. That would have sucked big donkey balls. Why would an alternator go bad so fast, and why make that weird sound? Maybe they screwed up the first time (the math geek thinks to himself...) 
Doug
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well if you got a rebuilt unit they often don't replace the bearing any more, go figure. I have seen many people go through a number of alternators because the replacements are just no good or the rebuild was poor
- 95 Mystique LS - Zetec/5spd
- 99 Contour SeVT Sport - Duratec/5spd
Official NE-CEG Contour/Mustang Family
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For the cash I paid the first time, it should have NOT been a rebuild.
Doug
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My SVT went thru several alternators. The first time I replaced it was with a remanufactured unit. IIRC I got close to one year out of it when it died on me at Ford Fun weekend (Thanks again Nick for the flat bed and Mike and Kim for the bed and breakfast stay). That alternator was a new unit installed at the SVT dealer in Manchester. It lasted about a year and a half and then cooked itself and some of the wiring forcing me into Sunnyside Ford in Holden for another replacement.
Part of the problem is that it sits very low in the engine bay, near the exhaust and I'd imagine it sits in the splash zone to the inside of the passenger side front tire. With the hot exhaust and cold slushy weather.....
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Originally posted by SVT:
My SVT went thru several alternators. The first time I replaced it was with a remanufactured unit. IIRC I got close to one year out of it when it died on me at Ford Fun weekend (Thanks again Nick for the flat bed and Mike and Kim for the bed and breakfast stay). That alternator was a new unit installed at the SVT dealer in Manchester. It lasted about a year and a half and then cooked itself and some of the wiring forcing me into Sunnyside Ford in Holden for another replacement.
Part of the problem is that it sits very low in the engine bay, near the exhaust and I'd imagine it sits in the splash zone to the inside of the passenger side front tire. With the hot exhaust and cold slushy weather.....
dont tell me that ryan!!!! i havent had a problem yet[crosses fingers]
"Youth ages, immaturity is outgrown, ignorance can be educated, and drunkenness sobered, but STUPID lasts forever."-Aristophanes.
--93 pgt,headers,intake,borla=14.9 1/4mile
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Apparently, all they get are rebuilds now. First alternator - 132,xxx miles, rebuild 11,6xx miles.  It worked fine, was just noisy, so probably was the bearings. At least it was done no charge this time. Luckily.
Doug
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its a shame they're such a pain to replace on a Contour. A rebuilt altenator not having new bearings thats absurd. But you're right tho. Ford's replacement altenators are gabush. My Friend Shawn who plows snow for a living in the winter had the same problem except that he was frying one alternator every storm last year. He would get between 8 and 10 hours before his battery light came on. Last season he smoked 4 altenators. All on Ford's buck though. Finally, he got so fed up with the inconvenience he told the service manager at Enfiend Ford to take the alternator out, give it to him and roll the truck out the door. He went next door to NAPA with his junk altenator they just took out of his truck, bought one from them with his money and I helped him install it in Enfield Fords parking lot becasue they refused to install non-motorcraft parts. He has since not had any trouble with his alternator and this one from napa has a lifetime free replacement warranty, or as long as he owns his truck.
I feel sorry for the people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, thats the best they're going to feel all day - former President Lyndon B. Johnson
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Originally posted by CueballSVT:
Brought the SVT in to the dealer today - a low groaning, moaning noise from the belt area. It would rise and lower with the speed of the engine. Well, they just called and it was the alternator. He said it was still under warranty by about 300 miles. That's about 2 days driving for me. So if I waited until Weds to call, it would have cost me another $500 and change. Ouch. That would have sucked big donkey balls.
Why would an alternator go bad so fast, and why make that weird sound? Maybe they screwed up the first time (the math geek thinks to himself...)
If something is wrong with your tensioner, it could cause your belt to eat alternators (too tight).
1998.5 E1 SVT Contour #5482/6535
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Originally posted by Ed98.5SVT:
If something is wrong with your tensioner, it could cause your belt to eat alternators (too tight).
eat the bearings
I feel sorry for the people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, thats the best they're going to feel all day - former President Lyndon B. Johnson
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