power loss after alternator install
 

the night after i replaced a fuel injector on my 02 escape v6 XLT the alternator took a dump. so, the next weekend i did a remove and replace on the ALT. but as soon as i did that, the power went down. i would really like some resolution to my problem, so any help will be appreciated. thanks!

A little more info would be helpful.

What were the symptoms/ conditions that led you to believe the alt was defective?
Did you do any voltage or current checks, if so what were the results?
Where did you obtain the alt?
Was the battery dead as a result of the alt not charging or was it dead at all?
Did any wires make accidental contact producing any sparks?
Did anyone attempt to jump start the vehicle and connect the cables backwards?
Do you have any type of battery charger?

I realize you are seeking an answer/solution to the problem of low/no power and I hope I am reading your post correctly meaning power to move the vehicle and not power to the vehicle.

1) when my wife got home from work, the headlights had dimmed a lot, the radio had cut out and the car died as she was rolling into the parking space.
2) no
3) got the alt new from advanced auto parts(i checked the alt i got, it is rated for 5 amps more than stock)
4) batt was dead from it not charging(had to jump start to get the car to move after the R&R)
5) no
6)yes, no cables were put on backwards, no fuses blown. really nothing out of the ordinary, it was a fairly textbook R&R.
7) no

and yes, i do mean down on power as in it seems i've lost some 20-30 HP. and it really sucks cause when i replaced the injector in the morning of the day it crapped out, power was 100% back then the alt crapped out and HP went down again . it starts and runs and drives fine, no codes(except an emissions code, small leak somewhere)

sorry for the lack of info at the start.

I did not ask nor did you say if the red battery /charging lamp was lit at any time?

Now that we have some info ,these are some of the possible causes and by no means all .If the charging lite did not come on there might not have been an alt problem, but there could be a poor connection where the system voltage is too low and the vehicle will not perform with insufficient voltage available to the systems. Suggest that you check all the connections for good clean contact starting with the battery cables and the wire coming from the alt to the battery. You might try removing the negative cable from the battery post and holding it against the positive battery post for 10-15 minutes. This allows the internal capacitors to totally discharge and when reconnected resets some of the computer memory. Then restarting the vehicle and let it idle for 10-15 minutes to allow it to stabilize.
There is no way to be sure the replacement alt is functioning as it is supposed to without testing it for output. The alt is controlled by the Powertrain computer and we do not know if that has a problem. If the battery was fully charged is the problem still present? If you know the battery to be fully charged you can try unplugging the plug at the alt and see if there is any difference. You can test drive it with the plug off for a short test. I can't think of any other steps you might try with out some test equipment.

i don't recall with 100% accuracy, but from the best that i can recall, i think it was on.

does anyone else have another idea?