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Alternators
An alternator is an old term for electric generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy producing alternating current. Alternators are mainly used for recharging batteries and to power electrical loads of vehicles.
4,629 Questions
How do you change an alternator on a 1998 Cadillac north star?
Changing an alternator in a northstar requires removing the intake manifold,as it is under there. I would suggest getting a service manual for all the details. Good luck Almost but not quite true. Under the intake manifold is the starter not the alternator!!!
What is wrong with Nissan primera k reg battery keeps draining alternator fine?
Probably, with that age of car, it's a wrecked battery. The only last 4-5 years, on average.
Never disconnect a battery while an engine is running!
How long will an alternator last when the diodes start going bad?
It's not a good idea to to run your alternator with bad diodes. These diodes rectify the ac power generated by your alternator and turn it into dc power. You will destroy other electrical components in your car and will end up spending more money than the cost of simply replacing your alternator.
How come 1995 Oldsmobile cutlass alternator not charging battery new battery and alternator?
You have an open connection from the large alternator output post to the starter main battery post or fuses blown or circuits open feeding the alternator control wiring.
How do you change the alternator belt on a ford puma?
jack up the front of the car and remove drivers side wheel,then remove the plastic splash pannel under the belt(two 8mm bolts)its located behind wheel arch carpet underneath you cant miss it,then you want the pulley closest to the boot i think its a 13mm spanner you need when you turn it anti clockwise it slackens the belt and slip off the belt,i tried to do mine today but got the wrong size belt,its very easy to do
How long to change the alternator on a saxo vtr?
It depends on your mechanical knowledge/tools available etc. Providing you have everything you could easily change it in under an hour. Jack car up, axle stands for stability. AND SAFETY. 1) Loosen top and bottom mounting bolts of alternator. 2) Rotate alternator tensioner (long bolt/allen key end i think) to loosen belt tension. 3) Take off belt, remember to note direction it all goes on. 4) whip off bolts, remove alternator. ..... Then refit in reverse sequence, tension belt then tighen mounting bolt. Tension should be 0.5cm depression in the middle of the longest part of the belt. (P.s. You may as well replace the belt if you dont know how old it is, they are really cheap from a motor spares place.) Hope this help, James
How do you change alternator in a 2002 lincoln ls?
Loosen the tensioner pulley. Remove the alternator belt. Remove the wiring cables from the alternator. Remove the alternator retaining bolts. Reverse the process to install the new alternator.
When a battery goes bad does it ruin the alternator?
Not likely but as alterantor keeps trying to charge a weak battery it may wear out, however as you are not likely to keep a bad battery in the car for so long there should be no damage to alternator if battery is replaced.
remove fan assembly (allen head bolt is in the back in a hole) - Jay 2004 passat tdi
Alternator fuse 1989 ford crown Victoria?
The wires that go off the alternator are fused, meaning that will break the circuit by melting.
How do you change an alternator belt on a 2002 ford zx2?
You don't have an alternator belt, it is called a serpentine belt. It is very easy to change on the Z-tec engine, you just loosen up the tensioner pully bolt (turn it with a wrench) and the belt will come right off. look on the belt diagram sticker on the engine if you don't know where the tensioner pully is.
They don't have a belt diagram sticker on this vehicle so take care to remember how belt is put on or track down diagram on line, also much easier to install if raised in the air since tensioner is on bottom of vehicle
Steps to Replace 2003 ZX2 Serpetine Belt:
Make sure you need to replace the belt. My factory manual says cracks in the Vs is okay. Only missing chunks indicate the belt should be replaced.
Before removing the old belt, make sure you have a diagram. It would take a long time to figure it out from scratch. (Best I can tell, there's a difference between early and late ZX2s. Maybe Escort too.)
Remove the left wheel and remove the splash shield.
Use a 13mm wrench on the bolt at the center of the tensioner pulley and turn the tensioner clockwise to take tension off the belt and remove the old belt.
String the new belt over all pulleys except for the water pump. (A straightened coat hanger wire with a hook bent on the end is a good tool to get the belt positioned.)
The final belt routing requires that the wrench that is turning the tensioner clockwise be held in the wheel well as the belt is positioned over the water pump from under the hood. An extra person would be best, but I used a vise-grip to block the wrench while I went under the hood.
Not a bad task. Most of my time was spent deciding that I had to remove the wheel.
How do you replace the alternator on a 1990 Chevy Corsica?
Lucky for you I was working on one of these today! (the stalls when hot and then after restarting immediately stalls again deals)
The alternator on this engine is easy to get to and replace. It is in the top left corner of the engine (when facing the car from the front). All you need to do is remove the two wires off the right-side (back end) of the alternator, pull the serpentine belt off the drum, and rmove the mounting bolts. I usually find something to tie the serpentine belt to like the hood or something with a rope so it is easier to put back on when putting the replacement piece in.
How do you replace the alternator on a 2000 Honda Accord V6?
I've got the V6, just remove the radiator fan directly in front of the alternator. The fan has 2 screw bolts(10mm) on top, 1 on bottom(which I could just manage to access from the top with a deep socket), unplug the wires and you can lift it out of the way. This gives you enough clearance to remove the alternator (be careful not to ding your radiator though). Also, I didn't relized that the tensioner pulley was a spring-loaded type...I've never seen one till now. Just put a wrench on the middle of the pulley and you can adjust it to move the alternater back in place. Another tip, since you're replacing the alternator, might as well replace the belt too. Good luck. 2hours - not hard, just hard to get to till you figure out what items you need to move out of the way.
If you are talking about the secondary belt you will notice a pulley on the right side (driver's side) of the engine slightly below the level of the radiator shroud. That pulley has a nut on the face of it (14 mmi f I recall) and another behind it (same size it's a tensioner) loosen the front one and then use the back one (with a socket) to move the pulley down (loosening the belt). Then you can replace the belt. Use the tensioner to tighten the belt to the correct tension and then tighten the front nut thus locking the pulley in place. It should take you longer to snake the old belt out and the new belt in than adjust it.
How do you put on the alternator belt for a 1995 Toyota Tacoma?
Just loosen the two bolts holding the alternator in place, take out the old belt, put the new belt in and tight so that there is a half-inch or a little slack when you push on the belt with a screwdriver handle etc. You may need a crowbar for getting the right tension on the belt before you re- tighten the bolts.
2000 Kia Sephia replaced battery alternator still not charging any suggestions?
have the alternator checked. Answer
You can check the alternator yourself with a multi-meter/ voltmeter. Start your car and rev to about 1500 rpm, touch the meter positive lead to the b-lead on the alternator, and the meter negative lead to the alternator case, or any good ground. You should read 13 to 14 volts, anything less than about 12.5v, and you've probably got a bad set of diodes and need a new alternator.
Would it be possible for the voltage regulator to be no good on two brand new alternators?
Probably not. You might do well to take the vehicle to an automotive electrical shop. They can track down problems quickly, no guessing. It IS possible, but VERY UNLIKELY. As answer 1 recommends, you need a qualified auto electrical technician/shop.
Where is the alternator on a 1999 Mercury Mystique V6 and how do you replace it?
The alternator is located on the passenger side of the car on the firewall side of the engine, down low. To access it you must remove the passenger side wheel and inner fender and steering tie rod. Some suggest you remove the passenger side drive axle (not neccessary). It is very possible that all that has to be done is to replace the brushes for about $14.00. It is alot of work that requires the use of several extentions on a socket wrench to get at the fasteners. Do a google search and you can find detailed instructions. It took me about 4 hours.
EDIT
V-6
Here's how:
1. Put the front of the car on jackstands and dis-connect the negative battery cable.
2. Remove passenger side wheel and lower splash guards. Using low profile 3/8" socket wrench or breaker bar, remove the serpentine belt from the alternator pulley.
3. Dis-connect the passenger side tie rod from the knuckle.
4. remove the driver side wheel.
5. Get 3 or 4 feet of extensions for your 3/8 socket wrench and feed them through the driver side wheel well to the upper bolt of the alternator. Yo may need to secure the socket & extensions on the bolt from up top then get back down to the driver wheel well, but it's worth the few seconds. Remove the upper bolt.
6. From below the car, loosen the lower bolt, but do not remove.
7. There is a small bracket on the alternator between mounting bolts. Remove the 10mm bolt that secures the bracket to the block.
8. From above, pry the upper tab from the mounting bracket.
9. Below the car, hold the alternator while removing the lower bolt.
10. Dis-connect the electrical to the Alternator.
11. Maneuver the alternator out through the passenger side wheel well. Takes a little thinking, but it'll come out.
12. Transfer the small bracket to the new alternator.
13. Feed the alternator in through the passenger side and make electrical connections.
14. Secure the lower alternator tab and hand tighten the lower bolt.
15. Pivot the alternator up. The upper tab may not easily fit into place. Tighten the 10mm bolt in the center bracket to the block. This will press the upper tab into place.
16. Install the upper bolt and hand tighten. Fully tighten the lower bolt now.
17. Use extensions from the driver wheel well to tighten the upper bolt.
Remainder of this project is simple re-assembly. An experienced shade tree mechanic can do this alternator R&R in under an hour after his tools are set out.
How do you change the alternator on a 1994 Saturn SL2?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iogtiYraHCg
richpin
No, the check engine light does not mean that your alternator is bad. My alternator went out in my cavalier and there were no warning signs until the car started to die on me. the gages, wiper blades(I was using them at the time) and radio were all acting funny-fading and turning on and off. Finally it quit and wouldn't turn over. Had to be towed to mechanic and they replaced alternator with a new one for about $280.00. You can get a rebuilt one, they cost less and it's even better if you know someone who can replace it for you.
Where do the two small wires on the plug go and what do they do on a Delco Remy alternator?
More than likely they connect to the positive and negative polarities of the power source.
A battery that is only at 50% is not a good battery unless it just needs charging.
