Rant: That time my Ford's alternator died in a drive-thru and I watched the battery light flicker for 10 seconds before everything went dark

I was sitting at the McDonald's in Tupelo waiting on a McFlurry when my radio started cutting out. Then the dash lights dimmed and that battery warning came on. I knew it was the alternator because I'd read about this exact issue on a forum before. The check engine light blinked two times then the car just shut off completely. I had to push it out of the line with two strangers helping while the guy behind me honked. Turns out Ford used a cheap regulator on these 2012 models that fries itself around 80,000 miles. Has anyone else had a car die in a stupid spot like a drive-thru or a tunnel?

2 comments

2 Comments

blairm356h ago

Hold on a second, that check engine light wouldn't have blinked for the alternator. That light is for emissions and drivetrain stuff. The battery warning light is a different one that just stays solid. But you're right about the cheap regulator, mine gave out at 78k miles and I was stuck in a Walmart parking lot trying to get jumper cables from a guy who smelled like motor oil and bad decisions.

jordanm193h ago

That Walmart parking lot jumper cable guy is a universal experience, @blairm35, like finding a dead alternator at the worst possible time.