a few weeks back i let you all know that i have an issue with my exterior temp sensor being bad and my battery dieing (sp?) after only a half an hour of 'acc' radio listening. Well, i went to Wally'* World and had them check the battery - it was fine and they deep cell checked and charged it. Every was ok until

Yesterday when i was changing my front brakes out, a one hour job - at most. Of course i had the radio playing for some background noise. i have had the trunk box disconnected thinking that there was a drain being caused by the power required, but when i went to start the car to go get my poly endlinks from Auto Zone she just "clicked" at me!

one hour of stock radio and the darn battery is drained again, just Great! So, i bust out the good ol' plug in battery charger and wait an hour. Start her up and drive to Auto Zone to get my charging system checked ... Well the manager tells me that they only have two people on duty so they can't do the intitial parking lot check. :? Now i have to pull the alternator (which was a suggestion on here by Rogue - i believe - because of all my electrical gremlins) in the parking lot. i get to work on that...

*** side note: does anyone else hate the way their knees feel after leaning over a car? the pressure on my knees is annoying when i am leaning in over the fender and then trying to standup and walk is just down right painful. end side note****

... and get the alternator out and take it in the store for the bench test. Did you all know that the 00 alternators are $194 OUCH!
anyway the test showed that the regulator was bad. good thing is i have <4000 miles left on my extended warranty so, they will be seeing me this week for my alternator, exterior temp sensor and that steering position sensor that everyone is saying caused their 'service stability system' warnings.

oh yeah, the ceramics pads are on (duralast golds - lifetime warranty from Auto Zone - i think they were $39.99 ) and i picked up the sway bar end links for both the front and back (also, from Auto Zone - Energy Suspension #9.8120R $15.99). Did you all know that the front and rear endlinks are the same? i thought that was odd - but in a good way.

also, i have been experiencing a surging at 1500 to 2K rpm. not too sure what that is all about... could it be related to the alternator? or maybe i need to change my fuel filter ( i last changed that at the day before IDD last year), i may have the dealer look at that also.

Check for a vacuum leak.

wouldn't i notice the vacuum leak right away? the last time i had a vacuum line pop off the boost gauge went dead and my car wouldn't run worth a darn at all. it seems i would notice that right away.

Have you installed them yet?
Will you have to replace the nuts?

Theres a difference in a line popping off and a leak,it might be a smaller leak .What kind of surging,does it try to stall after.

it doesn't stall but it sure sounds like it is trying to and only at 1500 to 2000.

I would like to know how Auto Zone checked your alternator on an SSEi in the store. They had to check mine on the car because they didn't have a test reference for the SC motor, and neither did Advance Auto. The NA alternator could be checked, but they couldn't check the SC version. Every store I've been to has been like this also.

don't know, but he looked up the alternator on the computer, wrote down the numbers, and put it on the test station.

i find it odd that the n/a would have a different alternator.

There are 2 different part #'* but look like the same mounting points.
With sc #10464440
Without sc #10464439

Think thats another mod for wcbf. Bill has an autozone