Awhile back I posted about the idiot lights coming on and got some replies saying the brushes on the voltage regulator were probably worn. Well that was right I changed the regulator and everything was fine. A few weeks later the lights came back on and the car died. I charged the battery and checked the output of the alternator and it kept going down. I changed the battery with a new one I had just to make sure it wasn't the battery and sure enough the car died again.

The alternator is a re-built BOSH my question is would a car with only 156k blow through two alternators or is it possible to have a bad regulator or is there a wrong way to install it? Seemed pretty straight forward. Any ideas would be helpful before I pull and change the alternator.

Thanks
Jon

These symptoms are condusive of a bad alternator, when was the rebuilt alternator put in the car?

I'm not sure I bought it used so I guess it's time for another. Thanks for the response.

You said that you checked the output of the alternator "and it kept going down".
Usually alternators either work or they don't. If you have fluctuating voltage it sounds like the regulator is bad again, or a bad connection/cable. The regulators are pretty straightforward to install, so I doubt you did anything wrong there. It does sound strange that it would go bad, though, since they're solid state and usually last forever.
Corroded plus cables are notorious culprits for causing bad electrical behavior.

We have a 89 300E and this have replaced three alternators in 160K miles. Our last try was to put in a rebuilt 143 amp one. It fit right in with a modification from the three terminal plug to a two terminal hookup.

Here is hoping that it works.

Jim