Its always an adventure, LONG

So we took the kids to Sesame Place in Phila. this past Saturday for National Autism Day. One fo the Charities in Phila offers a free admission to the park on Natl Autism Day to kids w autism and their families. Drive down Friday, of course takes us 2 hrs (5hrs instead of 3hrs) longer than it should trying to get through NYC.

Go to the park on Sat, beautiful weather, great day, etc.

Coming back yesterday, raining, cool day. Get about 15-20 mins from hotel and notice the voltage gauge in my Explorer has started dropping. Great, Im 3 hrs from home and Im starting to have car issues.

I think lets keep going, hoping its the battery. Get through PA, NJ, NY and back into CT and gauge has steadily dropped. Get about an hour from the house and decide Ive got to stop at an Auto Zone to see if they can check to determine if its the altenator or the battery. Pull into Auto Zone, guy comes right over, does a couple quick things, yep its the altenator. They asked when my Exploder was built, 12/2003 I told them. Ok since Im here, Ill go ahead and buy it now and put it on when I get home.

Im about 30 mins from the house, need gas, as Im stopping at the gas station, all my gauges are dead and I can feel the vehicle lurching. Get gas, push it out of the way and have someone come jump it for me.

Ok, its running lets try and get home, pull back out of the parking lot, nope I can feel it lurching again, turn back into the parking lot of a Lowes. Tell the wife, let me run in and get a couple tools and get the new altenator on.

Not sure what I need so I grab an adjustable wrench and channel locks. 45 mins later I get the three bolts off holding the altenator on. Go to put the altenator on, its the wrong one but it will work for the time being.

I finally get it on, belt back on, after another trip into Lowes to get a ratchet to move the belt tensioner.

Decide when I get home, pull the altenator off and take it over to the local Autozone and exchange it.

Take the old and new alternator to Autozone. Told the guy at the counter, this is what I bought, this is what I need, laying the two on the counter. Guy asks when my Exploder was built, again 12/2003, ok. He goes back and comes back with a different altenator, the right one this time.

Apparently Ford switched altenators between 11/2003 and 12/2003. The altenator that was on the Explorer was the old style, shouldnt have been on there. The manuf. date stamp was 12/3/2003. The 1st one I bought, by manf. code was the right one, but because Ford F'ed and put the older style on it.

Back to the house, had the newer alternator back on and in the shower in 10 mins.

Kids behaved great, wife offered to come out in the rain and help while in the parking lot at Lowes.

 

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