Battery comes on

There was a problem with a wiring harness on the Contour where wires would rub or chafe on the subframe, in the vicinity of the alternator. That could be your problem. I think they extended the warranty to 100,000 miles on that problem, but that wouldn't help you unfortunately. I would start inspecting all the wiring in that area, looking for signs of wear or chafing. If you find wires that are worn and shorting out, you'll have to repair them yourself. They sell a variety of electrical tape at the hardware store. Tape any damaged wires individually and tape the whole bundle to protect it. That's all I can come up with.