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Fiat 500 Alternator Replacement
I knew it was coming
I was lucky that my alternator gave me a lot warnings leading up to its imminent death. First, the battery charge indicator would come on intermittently. It never stayed on though, so I ignored it. Then, the intermittent battery light would come and go accompanied by a burning plastic smell. At this point I figured it had to be the alternator. I wanted to see what would happen, so I let it go. Then the alternator started making some fun grinding noises and the smell was pretty much constant. That went on for a couple days until it finally stopped charging.
The battery light came on, various other warning lights started to come on, and then the electronic throttle control light came on and my right foot became a mere suggestion as to what the engine should do. Flat out I could do 35mph. Luckily I was very close to home, because as I pulled into my driveway, the engine began to misfire. I shut it off. Of course, when I tried to start it again, it just clicked.
I brought the battery inside so it wouldn’t freeze (yes, a discharged lead acid battery will freeze in the winter), and the next morning I rode my bicycle through the snow to the auto parts store, who luckily had a replacement alternator in stock.
