hi, my 98 base prelude is having some electrical issues. I replaced the battery 1 week ago because the car would not hold a charge. Now i think my alternator is going out becasue the rubber cap covering the ground wire is starting to melt. It also makes a very horrible smell becasue of burning plastic. The tip of the wire that has the grounding loop on it has also turned pinkish white. Do i need to replace my alternator because it is only 9 months old?

 

bad alt. shorted itself out. check that power wire, see if it's melted, if is, then replace it.

 

if you can still drive the car, take it to autozone, shucks, etc, to have the alternator tested. it can be tested on the car.

 

i am going to be taking the car to the shop that changed my alternator 6 months ago to have them replace it and splice the wire with a good one.