Originally posted by armyflier24:
Put it this way, is is cheaper to replace the battery and see if it's fixed or pay a monkey to tell you your car is f*&T! Replace the battery first. Mine went, it was the original motorcraft on a 98 to be expected. Sometimes the batteries get tired and need to be replaced. I would start there if your voltage is low after start. It doesn't necessarily mean that your alternator isn't trying to charge the battery, it may be that your battery isn't just taking the charge. Cheap fix and diagnosis. Hope this helps.



If and when you do replace the battery, take the car up to Autozone (you will have about 90 min. running just off the battery) try to limit time ...and see if the system is being charged. (Battery light still on) If it is not being charged, check all connections at the alternator especially the green one that plugs into to bottom (that can pull apart from the clip). The larger plug is hard to reach but sometimes the red wire breaks off. Check them from under the car. Taking the alternator off on a V6 is not easy. You can't just take it off and go have that tested. You have to remove the halfshaft,sway bar, exhaust Y-pipe, brackets etc just to get to the bolts of the alternator. You'll have to know that it's the alternator before you do something like that. The alternator runs from $134 to $180 plus core give or take. Not a cheap part by any means. Buy a chilton's manual too... that will be a great help. Hope this helps.