My alternator died on the interstate during a heatwave, wild morning

Last Tuesday I was heading to Mason City for a family thing and the battery light flickered on around exit 47. The radio started cutting out, then the dash lights went dim, and I knew it was the alternator because I had just replaced the battery 8 months ago. I pulled off at a rest stop and the engine died as soon as I stopped, no warning, just dead. A tow truck got me to a shop where they swapped it for $280 including parts, but the guy told me the old one had been making noise for weeks if I had listened. Has anyone else had an alternator fail without any squeal or warning lights before the battery light?

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tara34512d ago

That $280 sounds about right, I got hit with nearly the same bill last year. The silent failure is real, mine went out with zero noise too, just the battery light and then nothing. What the shop didn't tell me until later was that the voltage regulator on those can die first and that's what kills the alternator, so it's worth asking them to check that next time. Also, a tip for down the road, keep an eye on your headlights at night, if they flicker even slightly when you're idling, that's your alternator saying goodbye before the battery light ever comes on.