Thursday I was driving to work and my alternator caught fire... looks like the only thing that got damage aside from a small bubble of paint on the hood... what would cause this to happen.. just a bad alternator or what?

 

yeah it was probably just a bad alternator. smoetimes with age they tend to lock up. this would cause the belt to be rubbing on a pulley that is locked causing EXTREME heat with the engine running. new alternator should do the trick ....also make sure the belt is replaced.

 

thats nuts ive never heard of that happening before maybe the bearing locked up im sure it was the belt that caught fire and not the alternator itself