So - I'm driving to a late lunch today and listening to WCPE. Suddenly my radio goes to static. I look at it and it has switched to the AM band and the clock says it's 12:00 (It was actually around 1:30). Then, as I'm glancing at the radio - the display changes and says "Low Battery".
What?
I just happened to be passing an Advance Auto store (the one on Wake Forest Road inside the beltline) so I pull in to let them check out the battery. The technician hooks up his device and says - "The battery is OK but needs charging - it's your alternator - showing a bad regulator or diode with no output. Your car's electrical system is running off the battery only."
Hmmmm.
So - I head straight over to the Ford Dealership and sure enough - they confirm the alternator needs to be replaced ($509).
I've never had a radio tell me automobile diagnostics before. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Apparently, so does my radio.
didn't you have some sort of other electrical problem?
ReplyDeleteIndeed. The original battery wore out last year. The car is 5 years old so that's about the expected life of a battery. On a similar note - I had the extended 100K mile warranty. The mileage on the car now, when the alternator died? Just over 112K. Figures.
ReplyDelete