I drove mine for 3 days (in the late fall/early winter, short trips) with all the idiot lights on, then it died right around the corner from my house...all down hill fortunately. I did not notice any lose of power and it always had started very easily. I should mention that changing the VR fixed the problem for a few months before the alternator shaft ate the brushes again. I swapped out the alternator in about 2 hrs myself. I now keep a spare VR in the glove box with a stubby Phillips screwdriver...just in case.

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1993 190E 2.6 135k
1989 Ford Thunderbird SC 5 Spd 79K