My daugher calls me yesterday and says her car (2007 Ford Focus) has died in the parking lot of GA Northwestern. She put a battery in it last Friday and all was good until she went to leave school. Battery was dead. I jumped her off and it made it about halfway out of the parking lot and died again. So the second time I left the cables hooked up for a couple of extra minute and told her to head to autozone. About a mile from the school it died again. Charged it for about 15 minutes this time and it made it to Autozone. The alternator is dead. So we get a new alternator ($150 something + tax + $35 core - $20 discount on my Autozone card) and walk out $185 poorer and headed home to put it on.
By the time the engine cooled off it was dark. First thing I did was dropped my light and blow it. No bulbs. Head to Wally World. Then, I thought . . . Franny probably isn't going anywhere tomorrow, so I called her and she gave up the Passat until we can get the alternator installed.
This evening after work, I went out throw the new alternator on it. Have you ever looked at where they put the alternator on a 2007 Ford Focus?
WHAT THE H$!! WAS FORD THINKING WHEN THEY DID THAT?!?
4 hours later I have the alternator free from it's 3 mounting bolts . . . but there is no way to get it out from between the engine, firewall, fender well and exhaust manifold. Gott'a be a "trick" to it, right? Get on the internet and find out the that "TRICK" is to unbolt the motor mounts, raise the engine up about 2 inches AND tilt it forward. That gives enough room to wrestle it out. Whoever designed this POS needs to have their engineering degree rolled up tighted and shoved into a very dark place!
I think I'd rather put a heater core in a Passat!
