2005 Ford Focus Battery & Air bag light

2005 FORD FOCUS
65,000 MILES • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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SHELLILEE1
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My battery and air bag lights are on. I was told by a mechanic that it is probably my alternator. However, every time we check the battery charge, it is fully charged. This has been going on for about a month now. I figured if the alternator was going bad it would have by now. Any suggestions? Thanks so much in advance.
Jun 3, 2010 at 8:51 AM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Start by taking the vehicle to a nationally recognized parts store and having them check the alt output. They will most likely do it for free.

Let me know what you find.
Jun 3, 2010 at 10:47 AM
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SHELLILEE1
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i already did that . they said that everything is ok until the load is put on the battery. however there is also an extreme ripple. ? Dont know what that means....last night i noticed the loghts inside dimming. i am assuming it is the alternator but can they be rebuilt or bad parts replaced? i am looking for a reliable but the least expensive ,ethod of repair. i am on a tight budget.
Jun 7, 2010 at 9:48 AM
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JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Ihave no idea what they mean by a ripple. If it fails when they put a load on it, then it must be bad. If you notice the lights getting dim, then either there is a bad ground, the alt is failing or the voltage regulator is bad. Did they tell you it was bad after the test? Have them quote you a price for a new one. They aren't that hard to replace. Maybe you could do it yourself to save.
Jun 7, 2010 at 10:28 AM