Alternator OEM FORD or Bosch
Did they put in an OEM ford alternator? Fords switched to their “smart charging” system and its a little more complicated than your average alternator diagnosis.
The Taurus alternator and 2 speed e-fan come to mind as the two most common parts that people pickup from junkyards and slap them on to their cars.
Step up and buy a Bosch. Yes, they do fail, but the odds are much less.
Bosch is still the gold standard but not what it used to be. Don't buy cheap junk.
Had the same issue with my -07 Volvo v50 (it has a ford engine). Swapped the alternator and the problem was gone.
Stick with a high quality oem replacement alternator; VW installed a number alternator oem brands (bosch, Valeo, Hitachi, etc). My 2002 New Beetle Turbo S; had a Valeo 120 Amp unit installed, I had a hard time finding a Valeo unit, so I went with Bosch and so far, I have not any issues with it but the body of the alternator, was slightly bigger, so the wiring harness, was a bit of a tight fit.
Alternator. And unlike prior generations of Bosch alternators you can't replace just the regulator, which is usually what fails. Gotta buy the whole piece.
I bought a Bosch rebuilt alternator from ECStuning and installed it last night. The light however has stayed on.
I once went through 3 alternators in 2 days from the Ford dealer on one job.
I when my original alternator failed in my 540i/6, the replacement rebuilt Bosch unit would produce 13.5-13.7v for a while after the car had warmed up, then would gradually fall to less than battery voltage. Running the A/C and revving the engine at stoplights would keep the battery light from flickering, but eventually, it would show full symptoms of a dead charging system.
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