I STARTED THE JEEP UP IN MY DRIVEWAY AND NOTICED A WHINING SOUND THAT CHANGED WITH ENGINE RPMS. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS OR WARNINGS ON THE DASH TO INDICATE A FAILURE OF ANY COMPONENTS. I ONLY HAD TO RUN TO THE STORE 4 MILES AWAY AND THOUGHT I WOULD LOOK AT IT WHEN I RETURNED HOME. ONCE I GOT TO THE STORE, I SMELT AN ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL AND SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I RAISED THE HOOD, THE ALTERNATOR WAS PRODUCING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SMOKE. I WAS CONCERNED MY VEHICLE WAS ABOUT TO CATCH FIRE. I HAD SOME ONE BRING ME SOME TOOLS SO I COULD DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. ONCE THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED, I LOCATED A REPLACEMENT ALTERNATOR ($400) LOCALLY AT A PARTS STORE AS IT WAS A SUNDAY EVENING AND NO DEALERS WERE OPEN. I WAS ABLE TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR IN THE STORE PARKING LOT. I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME WITH NO PROBLEMS, BUT WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD TO ENSURE ALL WAS GOOD WITH THE NEW ALTERNATOR, IT WAS ONCE AGAIN SO HOT I COULD NOT TOUCH IT. THERE WAS NO SMOKE AS OF YET, BUT IT DOES SEEM THAT THERE IS STILL AN ISSUE THAT CAUSED THE ORIGINAL ALTERNATOR TO CATCH FIRE. I AM SURE THE NEW ALTERNATOR WILL ALSO BE DAMAGED IF THE JEEP IS DRIVEN ANY MORE. CURRENTLY I AM FORCED TO LEAVE MY JEEP PARKED UNTIL I CAN ENSURE I HAVE AN EMERGENCY BACK UP AVAILABLE. THE JEEP DOES ACT NORMAL NOW THE ALTERNATOR IS CHANGED OUT, AND EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE WORKING AS NORMAL. I AM JUST CONCERNED THE NEW ALTERNATOR MAY FAIL AGAIN AND CAUSE A FIRE IN MY JEEP. NOW I AM SCARED TO DRIVE TH