[Prankster]

My Yellow-03-V6-Coupe's-OEM-Alt-&-Batt Died Today!

Please tell me the max cca battery to my car, and the best alternator that fits.

I just bought it, and I am making it road worthy.

Replaced in two weeks of ownership.
Windshield
All Brakes, and rotors
All Fluids
Plugs
wheels, and tires
Fan ass.

[itschristorres8]

you can run 10000 CCA battery with no issues
you dont need it, maybe just an optima battery will do enough for you

they sell performance alternators...idk why you would need one
i wouldnt replace the parts if they're not broken
thats my opinion

[GreenFaleen]

750 CCA would be plenty and a stock alt is good to go

[04mustang232]

go to a parts store and they will tell you. I have 425 and mine is fine. I would NEVER get an optima. Unless you really put alot of strain on those, they go dead within two months. They are designed to be reaaaaaly used and when you only use them to start a 3.8, they destroy themselves. As far as an alternator goes, stockers should be fine. A bad battery will destroy a good alternator. A bad alternator will destroy a good battery.

[Prankster]

I went to NAPA for the alt, and Auto Zone for the battery.
My lady friend asked me: "Well, did you get a yellow, and black battery to match your car?"

"Yup!"

The only ones that would fit was an M58, or an M59.
So, I got a Duralast Gold M58 with 610 CCA.
It was the best I could find that still fit my battery pan.

Thanks!

Loki

[ESG-642T]

Originally Posted by 04mustang232 go to a parts store and they will tell you. I have 425 and mine is fine. I would NEVER get an optima. Unless you really put alot of strain on those, they go dead within two months. They are designed to be reaaaaaly used and when you only use them to start a 3.8, they destroy themselves. As far as an alternator goes, stockers should be fine. A bad battery will destroy a good alternator. A bad alternator will destroy a good battery.

Are you kidding me? My red top.. yes i said RED TOP (its not a deep cycle) has lasted since 2006. Its outlasted a few different subwoofers that couldn't handle a true 2000 watts.

[04mustang232]

Originally Posted by SSStang Are you kidding me? My red top.. yes i said RED TOP (its not a deep cycle) has lasted since 2006. Its outlasted a few different subwoofers that couldn't handle a true 2000 watts.

why would you put a deep cycle in a car? im not saying you did but you made a point to say "its not a deep cycle". Well congrats, you got a good one. I am just saying that out of the probly 15 i sold in 8 months, 15 were brought back because of defect/dead/didnt work. Optima's are 149 - 199, and even if they do perform how they say they do, the added cost does not outweight the added advantage. Especially in a basic mustang. Of my friends that have subs, 0 have anything but stock batteries, and none have had problems. Unless your car has a shit ton of subs and watts and amps and lights and smoke machines and coffee machines, you dont need a crazy battery.

[04mustang232]

Originally Posted by Prankster My Yellow-03-V6-Coupe's-OEM-Alt-&-Batt Died Today! Please tell me the max cca battery to my car, and the best alternator that fits. I just bought it, and I am making it road worthy. Replaced in two weeks of ownership. Windshield All Brakes, and rotors All Fluids Plugs wheels, and tires Fan ass.

o, and you might wanna make sure its both your alternator and battery. You need a good battery to check your alternator. It might just be one or the other.

[ESG-642T]

Originally Posted by 04mustang232 why would you put a deep cycle in a car? im not saying you did but you made a point to say "its not a deep cycle". Well congrats, you got a good one. I am just saying that out of the probly 15 i sold in 8 months, 15 were brought back because of defect/dead/didnt work. Optima's are 149 - 199, and even if they do perform how they say they do, the added cost does not outweight the added advantage. Especially in a basic mustang. Of my friends that have subs, 0 have anything but stock batteries, and none have had problems. Unless your car has a shit ton of subs and watts and amps and lights and smoke machines and coffee machines, you dont need a crazy battery.

Most of the cars with high end audio systems use yellow tops...

[ESG-642T]

^ well i should say IF they use optimas its yellow tops.

[GreenFaleen]

personally optima are shit. Id never use one in anything more come back defective then go out and stay good they are just not a well made battery

[itschristorres8]

i can my advanced auto parts battery for 4+ years today i finally swapped her even though the car still fired up with the old one. just extremely slow

[94v6blkndred]

Originally Posted by Prankster My Yellow-03-V6-Coupe's-OEM-Alt-&-Batt Died Today! Please tell me the max cca battery to my car, and the best alternator that fits. I just bought it, and I am making it road worthy. Replaced in two weeks of ownership. Windshield All Brakes, and rotors All Fluids Plugs wheels, and tires Fan ass.

did you test the charging system before you decide the spend money replacing shit? could be having some undercharging issues in the wire connecting the battery and the alternator in the system which will just do the same to the new ones you put in...could do a few easy voltage drops and a diode test if you have a DMM...could save you a headache..

[Prankster]

When it came to testing the altranator, I placed my screwdriver tip on the backside where the bearing cap located.

A good Alternators has a strong magnetic field, and attracts the screwdriver's tip.

If it is shot, nothing will happen.
As for the motorcraft battery; it had a red eye where it should be green.

So,.. I replaced them both.

Have you ever heard about the "Mean Grean" alternator?
They pack a lot of punch!!!

I am in a town where you can't always get what you want.
I am thankful for the help you Guys delve out along with whatever I can find on the Web/Net.

Loki

[dgt_mustang]

Dont go by the red eye or green eye, i have personally seen alot of batteries over the past 2 years with a green eye but the battery was completely bad, and vice versa, that goes for it either having a bad cell, or just gone bad,

local autozone or advanced have a tester for you to actually test the alternator and its internals, i wouldnt rely to much on a the "magnetic test..."

[94v6blkndred]

yea....just because the alternator magnet is attracting the screwdriver doesnt mean you cant have diode problems or problems in the wiring...could have high resistance in the system causing major voltage drops hence the undercharge...just a thoght...did you test the battery with a dmm? aslong as its 12.45V or higher at static its good.but not less than 9.6v under a load..1.264 should be the specific gravity..could just be low on water...voltage drop from the positive terminal to the positve cable on the alternator should be .5v or less...if more than you have a problem..also if you got negative terminal to alternator case should be less than .2v on the ground side..and since its grounded thru the motor through the alternator brackets you should check negative terminal to the motor and should still be .2v or less...and AC V across the battery terminal should have 5v or less to test the diode in the battery....just some info.

[Prankster]

My Napa Alternator only lasted 3 hours before it went Kaput.

How do I make sure the next one last a few years longer?

I will buy some real testing tools, and do things right this time.
I need my car to work better than just an OEM model.

[94v6blkndred]

do some of the voltage drops i posted and go from there..those will tell you alot...

[04mustang232]

Originally Posted by Prankster My Napa Alternator only lasted 3 hours before it went Kaput. How do I make sure the next one last a few years longer? I will buy some real testing tools, and do things right this time. I need my car to work better than just an OEM model.

do you have anything that puts a ton of draw on it? cause you might have just gotten a defect.

[Prankster]

Nope!

Just an oem radio without an amp.
No add-on of any kind yet.
I heard from the NAPA man; it is either Hit, or Miss when it comes to a replacement ford alternator.