How to replace alternator on 1998 Mercury Tracer?

Answer 1

I just replaced the alternator on my 99 Mercury Tracer. The guy at the auto parts store quickly showed us how to do it ourselves (saving us the price of a mechanic) Ask them at the store to show you which, but after disconnecting the battery, there is a plate on top of the alternator that you can take off and get out of the way. There are 2 bolts on the side to remove, and you loosen the tensioner that holds the belt tight by pushing it forward. After all that, carefully life the alternator out. It's a tight fit, but fortunately, these are accessible from the top rather than needing to get under the car. It takes some muscle to get the bolts loosened, but it's do-able. Then, obviously, reverse the process as you put the new alternator in. They told us the biggest thing to watch for is your radiator hose right in the front. It's easy to accidentally lean on it as you're working and break it.

I'm a female and was able to do most of the work myself, calling my husband in for some extra strength. Neither of us are very experienced with working on cars, so I'd say this is a fairly easy task.

Good luck!