Help with '08 Ford Edge (Lincoln Mkx)?

[JJMaine]

I know I'm in the wrong forum but I have tried paying in the Ford Edge forum awhile back and there isn't any activity over there.

Last year about this time, the battery light came on in my mothers car and I checked the voltage while running and the alternator wasn't charging so I ordered a new Motorcraft alternator to put in it. In the mean time, there was some corrosion on the terminals so I cleaned them up and tested it again and the alternator was charging. So I assumed it was just a bad connection and the alternator was fine.

Fast forward to last weekend, the same thing happened. This time the battery was stone dead and the terminals were heavily corroded so I jumped her car and tested voltage and the alternator wasn't charging. So, I put a new battery in it (hers was 6 years old so it was time anyway), cleaned the terminals up and it was charging just fine. Car was fine all week and I just found out that the battery light is on again lol. I checked all the connections and everything looks fine

I still have that new OEM alternator in the box but it is a pain to change on these cars if any of you guys know die to it's location on the side of the engine and limited space to work in. If it were easy to change (like a lot of cars), I'd have already changed it.

I've had alternators fail obviously but never one that randomly decides to charge. Do you guys think it's the alternator? I just want to make sure it isn't something simple before I spend an entire day changing it lol. Any ideas are welcome!

 

[2011Supercab]

If it's not charging at the moment, give it a good tap with a hammer, test again.

Brushes may be shot and not making good contact all the time.

 

[JJMaine]

Ok thanks I'll try that.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

The other thing about the charging system I learned recently is a bad alternator can screw up the battery and a bad battery can screw up the alternator. Test both at the same time. In this case id be inclined to replace alternator as the battery is new.

 

[JJMaine]

It's looking like I might have to. I'm dreading it but it probably won't be that bad. It isn't hard to do, just a pain because of how much stuff you have to remove and move out of the way to get to it

 

[slater50]

Neen a ford mechanic for 32 years, it needs an alternotor

 

[JJMaine]

Ok thanks! Any chance you have done an alternator on one of these 3.5's? Just wondering how many hours labor a shop would charge to change it. Yes, I'm thinking about pawning this job off on somebody else. I can't fish if I'm stuck home changing an alternator

 

[JJMaine]

$385 to get the alternator changed and that's including new P/S and serpentine belts (I supplied the alternator).