Hello Guys, I have a 2005 x type 3.0 with M/T with 107k miles, I recently put a new engine in it with 82k miles, since the crankshaft went bad on the previous engine.

The car stood still for 4 months and last month before they started working on the car. about a month ago, I turned it on with the damaged engine and I had no warning lights regarding the alternator, the car was also starting quick. They started working on the car last week and monday when it was ready, they called me saying that the alternator was going to go bad pretty soon and that it was going to need replacement. ( this is the last job they are doing since now they wont be working with cars anymore, so i know they didn't do something to try and get more money from me.) so they told me to take it to another shop to get it fixed.

Well,when i went to pick it up the car was taking longer time than usual to start, but it wasnt the sluggish start like when a battery is out of juice. I managed to drive the car for 16 miles and the light on the dashboard was on all the time, it never turned off. When i got home i decided to test the alternator so i disconnected the negative cable off the battery and the car turned off. So i was wondering, can an alternator go bad by the car not moving at all? or do you guys think its a connection or cable that went bad?

Thanks for the help in advanced.

 

Ooops, missed a key part of your post. On slowing down and actually absorbing the entire post, Thermo, as usual, is right on the mark. >Thermo <

 

Jarkov, first start by checking to make sure that fuse F6 in the engine bay fuse box is good. It is possible that the fuse failed due to various reasons. Next, make sure that you have the wire on the back of the alternator hooked up (sounds silly, but.....).

Only then would I start looking at the alternator. As for them failing because of sitting too long. I don't think so. Maybe if you are living in an area where it is extremely humid for very long periods of time. But, even then, you get a little bit of rust between the brushes and the rotor and a few revs of the alternator and all is good. Normally what will trash an alternator is trying to use it to recharge a dead battery while leaving the engine at idle. This causes very large currents to go through the field winding and it essentially cooks itself to death.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Thermo, i recently checked the alternator and I see 2 cables, One is connected directly to the alternator and there is another one that is between a nut. They are next to each other.

Those were the only ones I saw, I am aware there is a little cable on the back from what I saw on a diagram, but not sure if that's a different alternator or not. All i know is I couldn't find that little cable. I will check the Fuse box right now.