I started to pull out of my driveway and heard an odd noise coming from the engine area of my 2010 Ford F-350. Then I saw my battery light come on. I exited the truck, grabbed a meter, and checked the voltage at both batteries. Both were 12-volts or less, and slowly dropping. If the alternator was putting out a charger, the battery terminals would show 13+ volts.
When I shut off the truck I could see smoke coming from the front passenger side of the engine, and touching the alternator with my finger tip quickly confirmed that it was extremely hot.
If you search YouTube videos on how to change your alternator, you’ll see people taking things apart under the hood, and disconnecting the tubing for the turbo intercooler. DON’T DO THAT.
The best way to replace your alternator is to remove the inner fender liner on the passenger side.
There are (2) 8mm bolts up inside the wheel well, (2) 8mm bolts under the the front lip (under the headlight), and (4) bolts under the outer lip of the fender (I used a 7/32″ socket on these).
You’ll have to remove the serpentine belt before you can remove the alternator. This is where a friend is needed. You’ll have to crawl under the truck and use a 3/8″ ratchet to rotate the tensioner and remove tension from the belt to remove it. Have a friend pull the belt off of the alternator when you take the tension off. You’ll also need someone to help you get the belt back on when you’re done. Make sure the belt goes back on the right way when you’re done, and that there is tension on the belt. There is such a limited amount of space, that the belt could be off a pulley somewhere, but not readily visible.
Once the liner is removed, you’ll have straight access to the alternator. it’s held in place with (3) 13mm bolts. (1) on the top and (2) on the bottom.
Unplug the
The alternator isn’t difficult to remove at all.
Here’s the new alternator going on. You can see the harness plug waiting to be snapped in place.
The other wire was bolted on before it was set in place and bolted on.
Here’s a better view of how much space is available once the inner fender liner is removed.
Once the wiring is connected, the bolts are tight, and the serpentine belt is back on, start the truck and check for voltage. Once you’re sure everything is working properly, reinstall your inner fender liner.
That’s it.