did I push the car to hard? Fryed alternater?

[makedollarz]

So a week or so ago I decided to try and top out the galant and see how fast she would go. I got to 150mph on a long open stretch of country road and didnt want to push it any harder. Cruise a few miles home let her cool off for 10 min and dont drive it for a week. So yesterday I try start up the car for the first time and it runs like normal at first. Then the Battery dies. Car started fine but then after running for 15 min or so in the driveway, the car died and needed to be jumped to start again. Then it will run for another 10 min or so and die again, and need to be jumped again. I Checked the alt. fuse and the clip on the alt. and they both seem fine. Can 5,500 rpm in 5th gear fry the alt. somehow? Im stuck on this one. Its a new auto zone alt, maybe 2,000 miles on it and a brand new yellow top optium battery. Just wanted to see if anyone had any opinions before I go pull the alt. to have tested in this freezing colorado cold.

Thanks

 

[turbowop]

Autozone alternator = roll of the dice. You're probably lucky you got 2k miles out of it. Most likely has nothing to do with your top speed run, unless you have an exhaust leak blowing hot air onto the alternator.

 

[Gimpin]

I have been though probably 4 auto zone alternators on my expo in a year

 

[jepherz]

You should just check your battery voltage while running before you go through the trouble of pulling the alternator. But yeah, I agree with Turbowop, probably has nothing to do with your top speed run.

 

Yes, that highspeed run probably contributed. The exhaust manifold and O2 housing were probably extremely hot when you did that, and it ends up melting some of the plastic components inside the alternator. That's why I put some of my heatshields back on, after seeing how melted my stator and regulator were.

 

[makedollarz]

Thanks for the replys,... It prob was a combination of the heat and it being auto zone brand. The open dump tube prob helped get some really hot exhaust on the alt. too. I took it off and had auto zone test it and it failed. To my amazement auto zone tried to tell me I had to pay for the replacement because it was special order only, and that they would refund me the money when it came in, even though it has a life time warrenty. A quick call to the coperate office changed that and hopefully got that jerk employee a pay cut too. The employee told me their alternators are "good stuff" and that if I go through 1 or 2 every year that it's a problem with my car and that I should sell it buy a real car. Lol made me laugh.

 

[jepherz]

fuggetaboutit

 

[uncleben4rice]

I bit the bullet and went to the local dealer and got another alt. it was $130 bucks, But no more problems. I have the alt relocated and thought it was heat as well.