Alternator and battery problem:electrical problems

towtrucksluvme

I have 2003 Ford Escape. I drive it every day make and forth to work and interstate on weekends. The alternator went out on interstate at night. Coasted home on the battery.  Replaced battery and alternator 2X in month. First replacement alternator caught fire with my little girl in car. Now with second replacement alternator  dash gages spin. Tested battery it is fine. I think it's a grounding issue? Help.

PF_Flyer

Shorts can cause some odd effects, so you might be on the right track. If you want to take a crack at finding it yourself, you can find a lot of how-to video online like this one...

Finding an electrical short on a car or truck

thecardoc3

I just watched that video PF. My first thought is that he is also a French model. That is a very poor demonstration and completely inadequate for performing diagnostics. Then there are the comments. The information is so far off base that the ones who use the correct terminology and recommend the right approach (especially the guy who made the video) have people arguing against them.

The OP's description makes me wonder if there is a poor connection causing a voltage drop and overheating of a wire and/or a connector. He is not describing a short, and neither was the video. 'Short" is a term that is commonly misused when talking about electronics and testing.