How to Replace the Alternator in a 2008 Ford Taurus

Asked by ben_rushing13 Feb 21, 2017 at 11:52 AM about the 2008 Ford Taurus

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 2008 Ford Taurus (3.5L V6). I recently discovered that the
alternator needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, the alternator is not easily
accessible (it is buried deep within the engine). I attempted to find some
"how to" videos online walking through the alternator replacement process
for this particular year, make, and model however, the only videos and
guides I could find were for older and different models. On these videos,
the alternators were conveniently placed atop the engine and require little
to no disassembly of other engine components. Not the case for my car.  

Does anyone know if there are videos out there showing how to replace the
alternator on this 2008 Ford Taurus? Maybe I am just not looking in the
right place. Or does anybody know if the alternator placement in the 2008
Ford Taurus is similar to that of another car? Thank you for your help.  

4 Answers

11,215

Also the Ford 500 and the Ford Freestyle are all derived from the same platform/chassis. Their parts are interchangable. Double check with the Ford dealer by asking for the part number so you can be certain. Best of luck!

2 people found this helpful.
11,215

You can get a 2 ton jack for super cheap in town or online. Simply unbolt the engine mounts and hoist up the engine if you are having trouble reaching it.

3 people found this helpful.
190

I just finished an alternator R&R on a 2008 Taurus 3.5.SEL The entire job can be done from the top, (no jacking required - no fiddling with engine mounts) and takes about 40 minutes total. The tensioner is easy to get to with a 3/8 socket driver, only a bolt in the bottom and a nut/stud combination at the top hold the alternator in place, and both are accessible from above. The upper radiator hose needs to be disconnected from the radiator to make room for the alternator to exit the engine bay, and it takes a few tries and some head scratching to get the alternator past the A/C hard lines and cylinder head all but blocking it in place, but these are not that difficult to move past. With all due respect to sixfootsix_car_guy, the pre and post 2008 Taurus have utterly different drivetrains. The Mondeo/Duratec 3.0 is used in the pre-2008 cars. It was replaced by the 3.5 Cyclone in 2008. There are no "interchangeable" parts between these engine families.

19 people found this helpful.

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