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Alternator and electrical issues after backended?


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kah5683
New User

Nov 17, 2015, 10:54 AM

Post #1 of 7 (1440 views)
Alternator and electrical issues after backended? Sign In

We have a 2007 Ford Focus. Bought new, runs great. No issues known to now.

On the way home from work yesterday, my wife was rear ended with a big jolt, but only some minor damage to bumper, from what see saw as it was getting dark outside. The driver of the other car was amazed so little damage was apparent since she had hit my wife's car so hard, it seemed. They exchanged insurance info and both drove on.

3 blocks later, my wife's electrical system goes haywire. The display on the radio said low power, lights went dim, and car stalled. My wife tried restarting and it didn't start. Right in the middle of rush hour in the middle lane at a light, of course. I drove over to where she was and we pushed it into a parking lot. While I was on the phone with our insurance company, arranging a tow and reporting the accident, I tried to start the car, and it did start up. I figured then to drive it myself the 2 miles to the dealership to see what was the problem, but only got about 50 feet before it conked out again and wouldn't start. Went ahead and had it towed to dealer.

The dealer called in the morning and I told them the situation, and to have them look at electrical and to see what other damage due to accident, including having their body shop look at.

The dealership called a little while ago (didn't have the body shop look at yet like they said) and said I needed an alternator. I told them that didn't sound right. Why was there no problems at all leading up to this electrically, and now all of a sudden, after getting back-ended HARD, the alternator needs replacing? And the dealer said they cannot say it was due to the accident.

Just wondering if they are right, or can a hard hit on the bumper jostle things around and affect the alternator and electrical system this way?

Anything else I should be watching for or to have them look for? Hopefully, they will see what damage on the bumper and anything else, like underneath, due to the accident.

Thanks for the help!


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Nov 17, 2015, 5:03 PM

Post #2 of 7 (1424 views)
Re: Alternator and electrical issues after backended? Sign In

Did they tell you what part of the alternator failed? They probably won't, so don't be surprised. It would be hard to say what went wrong with the alternator and if it is a coincidence or not. The shock, or energy created from the cars hitting, may have traveled through the alternator housing on its way somewhere else. There is no telling where the energy created from the accident traveled. Kind of like you really can't predict what a lightening strike may do when it enters your home. It may take out some electronic devices and leave others alone.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.


kah5683
New User

Nov 17, 2015, 6:33 PM

Post #3 of 7 (1419 views)
Re: Alternator and electrical issues after backended? Sign In

So, are you saying, that the accident probably caused the alternator issue (assuming no prior issue)?

The people at the dealership said that if the mechanic went to court, he would say that the failing alternator made the brake lights to probably not work, which caused the accident. That is a load of bunk. My wife was sitting at a stoplight when she was hit from behind, and all the lights were working.


(This post was edited by kah5683 on Nov 17, 2015, 6:34 PM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 18, 2015, 1:11 AM

Post #4 of 7 (1405 views)
Re: Alternator and electrical issues after backended? Sign In

#1 - I am not and suggest WE are not here to place fault - let insurance companies and you work that out with the reports and so on for who fixes what.
#2 - brake lights working or not I can't think of a scene where you can get hit while stopped and have ANY fault. It doesn't mean every problem with the car was caused by it but opens the book on this IMO.


Ever see a slow motion or frame by frame video of an accident? Look at one - just YouTube that. Amazing what a car goes thru in even a minor or slower speed impact. Everything took a jolt, seat back, weight of drivetrain mounted on rubber mounts I could believe anything.
It's at the wrong place right now IMO. Send this off to a body shop first. It may not look so bad but you'd be shocked at how much unseen damage happened to rear bumper if you can call them that at all.
Hope nobody was hurt - really. Accidents always stink at best and the bull begins with what was already broken or what stuff like this. Mechanic part of the fix isn't interested in insurance bullshat - trust me they just want to do a job and get paid and it's not their call to place blame or chances of what might have happened.


I say and it means nothing for any proof of anything that since this was in an accident it really is possible that wires all over this car could have been harmed or right at alternator shorting it out or who knows?


Auto body shops are more than (around me and bet most places) used to the bullcrap of insurance companies and time it takes to settle up on putting your car back to where it was prior to the accident.


Used to be where I am that you had 6 months for unseen damage. Funny how dumb things happen later - I personally know it does and so does insurance and especially auto body shops.


Sorry this happened at all. Be firm to make the car as it was amazingly you might find it's totaled! Insurance is factoring in loss of use, odd problems later, unseen safety items that might not work plus now know the car no longer has a clean record and is marked so worth less even fixed than it was and you are owed that money now!


Let a good body shop guide you thru the deep bullcrap to fix this. Depending on at faults person's insurance and rules for your area they owe you to the limit of that insurance to put you back in biz with a car now to use AND fix or pay the total loss to you.


By rights and what you said being the stopped car it will be looked at faster as storage fees and loss of use while fixed are or should be totally on the at faults other person's vehicle's insurance up to the owner of the vehicle personally which is why we carry insurance,


T



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 18, 2015, 5:36 AM

Post #5 of 7 (1396 views)
Re: Alternator and electrical issues after backended? Sign In


Quote
So, are you saying, that the accident probably caused the alternator issue (assuming no prior issue)?


It's a possibility.

I agree that the mechanic in court scenario is a load of bull. The alternator supplies power to the electrical system and charges the battery when the vehicle is running. If the alternator failed before the accident, the engine computer would have shut down before the brake lights didn't have enough power to operate once the battery discharged. Your wife being able to start the engine(if it was turned off) and drive away after the accident proves there was enough power left in the battery to operate the electrical system including the brake lamps.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Nov 18, 2015, 5:41 AM)


kah5683
New User

Nov 18, 2015, 11:59 AM

Post #6 of 7 (1383 views)
Re: Alternator and electrical issues after backended? Sign In

It has been suggested to him that perhaps with the rear impact the fuel cut-off switch was activated, cutting off fuel supply. This didn't make sense because she was able to drive away for 3 blocks, then it stopped. Then about 1/2 hour later, the car started again, and I was able to drive for 50 feet. Would this explain what happened?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Nov 19, 2015, 2:58 AM

Post #7 of 7 (1361 views)
Re: Alternator and electrical issues after backended? Sign In

This car was hit sitting still. It barely matters now about it except it isn't right and should already be at a body shop with info and owner of the damaged car off in a rental letting shop and insurance work it out.


It didn't go to the right place by mistake IMO as it seemed like almost nothing happened in this ACCIDENT.


Been there with this crap. The stopped thing doesn't even have to be a car at all. The moving vehicle's operator is responsible for the damage. It ends there or should but seemed like nothing happened but the words 'HIT HARD" were used.


You'd need some pretty good argument that the stopped, damaged property had any fault at all,


T







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