Alternator Failure

John, your car symptoms do point to the charging circuitry at fault. Your car only restarted because the battery was still able to regenerate and supply sufficient charge. You should bring it to the dealer to check out the fault, especially if the car is still under warranty. It may be as simple as a loose fan belt but if you have warranty you should let the dealer handle it if they are not far away. The battery's charge may not last long enough if you have to drive a long distance, if so your dealer can fetch your car for free if it's under warranty.

I plug in my battery tender every day regardless of usage.

If your charging circuitry is faulty and you keep driving the car, it will eventually kill your battery and strand you. Normal starter batteries like yours are not designed to be deep-cycled like this. They won't recharge after enough of this sort of abuse.

 

Something is telling me that my FF shut down once, just a fluke, and gave the alternator failure but I assumed it simply stalled and when the alternator quit turning (duhhh) and therefore quit putting out the light came on. The stall had nothing to do with a alternator failure. The FF once in a while, while backing, shifting to 1st, and stopping all at the same time doesn't quite keep up with a proper idle. Again, simply not a problem for me as it all but one time stumbles momentarily then catches and runs fine.

The point is that I will bet your stalling may be due to something else, not charge and the alternator light is simply a function of the engine stopping.

Rick

 

Yes Rick, you may be right. The possibility that the alternator fault comes on due to the stopped engine hadn't occurred to me. Actually, it reminds me of the old days before cars started using message display panels. The (red) alternator light would come on when the engine stopped.

 

My 2011 California has done this four or five times.
If you turn off the AC when driving the engine cuts out and you get alternator failure and power steering fault. Very frighting the first time it did it as I had to Coast to a stand still and restart the engine.
I don't mess the the AC now unless I am stationary.

I believe the FF has had a similar fault,MY car is booked in with dealer for two days when I am back in the UK at the end of May.

Dealer had the car in 3 weeks ago and 4 out of 10 times when they turned the AC off the engine cut out technician said he had never come across this issue on a California before however he had seen it on FF and it was linked to the AC control unit in the dash however in the Cali it's a different part than in The FF.
They are also going to update the Becker head unit as my iphone 4 still refuses to work correctly.

 

Does you car have the HELE stop start system ?

 

My car has the stop start system.
The on off button is up on the cluster near the rear view mirror.

You also get the message on the dash stop start system active.

I never use it,just doesn't seem normal sat at traffic lights with no engine noise.

I hope you get your car sorted,I will update this thread when mine gets back from the dealers
At the end of May.