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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
Slipping alternator belt
Loose connection
Bad alternator
Computer problem
Does the battery light being on mean the alternator is bad?
Not all the time. The alternator warning circuit wiring to the instrument panel could be grounded
How do you replace the alternator on a 1990 Honda Civic?
The answer to changing the alternator does not have to include all the time consuming work of detaching the drive train at all! Begin by jacking the car up on the drivers' side and secure it from being able to fall. Remove the drivers' side tire. Next,remove the plastic shroud around the crankcase. This is very easy. Just take a screwdriver and pop out the plastic bolts used to attach it to the frame. Remove hot post on battery and then remove wires from the back of the alternator. Remove the bottom bolt and screw from the mounting bracket by working through the wheelwell. Remove the top two bolts including the adjustment arm. The alternatior is now free to move around.Push it up out of the way. You now need to remove the mounting bracket with a 14mm socket. It has two bolts holding it on. Pull the shroud out of the way and drop the alternator down throught this opening. This is a very time saving method of removing and replacing an alternator on the civic. I replaced mine on a 1989 CRX. Approximately an hour from start to finish by using this medthod.
NOTE: ALWAYS MAKE SURE VEHICLE CANNOT FALL OFF JACK! I secured an 8 inch concrete block vertically under the front bumper to make sure the car couldn't fall on me whiile I was under it.
This isn't that tricky of an install. I've done it 3 times now.
First, take off your drivers side wheel.
Second, find the right size socket for the CV axle nut. I can't remember what size it was, but it was huge. Take your car to Napa and ask them to help you find the right one, that's what I did. Take off that nut with the socket and wrench, set aside.
Third, Take off the bottom nut holding the brake assembly to the arm holding it. I think it is a 17mm socket. There is a codder pin in this nut, so if it does not, its the wrong nut. After you take the nut off, pull the brake assembly up so it swings free.
Fouth, pull our the left CV Axle. This is the only way to fit the Alt. out from under the car.
Fifth, unbolt your alternator and the serpetine belt on it. If your belt is in good condition, don't buy another one. They are hardy things.
After getting your new alt in there, tighten it all up and repeat all these steps backwards to get it all back together. Make sure the serpentine belt is nice and tight on the crankshaft, you don't want much play in there, or you will lose power.
Fairly straight forward. Nothing mind blowing about it. If your having problems with dimming lights when pushing in your clutch, it might not be the alternator. Check all your other wiring (and your battery, the alt. itself, and grounds) before you change out and install the new one. It will save you tons of time, money and hassle.
Maybe a bit late with this but I have to chime in. After hearing a number of folks say you have to remove front axle to get alternator out, I couldn't believe the car could be designed so poorly. Today I swapped one out of a 91 into an 89...the trick is to jack frame remove wheel, remove plasic shroud, take of 14mm nut on alt bolt, drive out pin push alternator up somewhere to rest and the take 2 14mm bolts out to remove bracket. Now the alternator can be wiggled out past the obstructions.
How do you remove an alternator bracket on a 1987 Ford Ranger?
Why dont YOU tell ME? sorry can't help but good luck!!
How do you loosen the serpentine belt on a 1999 Chevy Malibu in order to replace the alternator?
there should be a tensioner pully. Put the 3/8 ratchet in the center of it and turn.
voltage regulator
How many volts should the alternator be sending to the battery on a late model car?
The alternator should be putting out between 13.5 and 16 volts on a good alternator with the engine running as measured with a DC volt meter at the battery posts. Any less or any more and the alternator is defective of the belt is slipping.
How can a short circuit 'blow' a fuse?
Fuses are designed and intended to protect electrical conductors [wires] from damage due to overheating resulting from too much current [measured in Amps] flowing through the wire(s).
A "short" circuit results in tremendously large amounts of current flowing through the conductors, which results almost instantly in generation of heat which can cause major damage to the wiring, AND be the ignition source for fire in the vehicle.
The fuse is nothing more than a tiny single strand wire sealed in a glass, plastic, or metal envelope [for safety], which melts, and thus, acting like an automatic switch, "opens" up the circuit when the current flow exceeds the capacity of the tiny wire. Most fuses do this almost instantly, although there are "slow blow" fuses designed to allow small, short term overloads.
How do you reset battery light on 2004 expedition.I replaced the battery and the alternator.?
Check owners manual there should be a section in there that tells you how to reset the light. If no owners manual call local dealer and ask for parts dept and they will be able to tell you. But im sure the button will be within the fusr box.
What alternator can you fit on a Austin healey 3000?
Hendrix offers an alternator conversion for the big healeys. Here's a link
http://www.hendrixwirewheel.com/alternator.html
What is the easiest way to hook up an amplifier to a side post battery setup in a car?
By using a side post adapter. I'm going to guess it's a GM? If the battery bolt is longer, such as in a truck, use the GM long side terminal adapter, if it's a car you'll most likely want the GM short side terminal adapter. This is a much better method than trying to sandwich a ring terminal between the battery and the battery cable.
How do you remove the alternator mounting bracket on a 1997 Dodge Grand Caravan?
There it is, "remove alternator mount bracket" with no advice on how to do it. Turns out there is a nut on the bottom inside that attaches to a bolt that is part of the Belt tensioner that goes through the bottom hole. I had to push the alternator all the way to the right to get to it. That is in addition to the other three bolts. I got the bracket off and the alternator out. Have to wait till tomorrow for someone to order the 120A alternator.
The tensioner came off (only held by that one bolt). I hope it goes back O.K. Will try to post an edit tomorrow (7/3/06).
Put it all back together. Worked well. Don't hook the alternater up until ready to bolt back (after mounting bracket). Tensioner went back with no problems. Had to move alternator to far right to get nut started and finger tight on tensioner bolt. Then moved to far left to tighten with 15mm wrench a tiny bit at a time. Good luck and have fun. I did :)
UPDATE (8/16/07):
The impossible belt tensioner nut/bolt on the bottom of the alternator bracket does not need to be removed to extract the alternator. Repeat...step away from the nut.
As long as the rest of the alternator bracket is unbolted, you can rock the main bracket back and forth to free the alternator.
You will need to pop loose the windshield washer drain hose to make some more room for removal. Turn the alternator so that the pulley is facing toward you and its two bolt holes are in a vertical position. The alternator should pull right out with little effort.
How do you change a 2002 Mazda protege alternator belt?
First you need to remove the AC belt to be able to install the alternator belt.
This can be accomplished by loosening the hinge bolt and set bolt on the side. Then adjust the tensioner bolt till you can slip the AC belt off.
Then you need to loosen the alternator hinge bolt and the set bolt on the side. Then adjust the tensioner bolt to the point where you can put the new alternator belt on to the main drive pulley, water pump and alternator pulleys. Then tighten the tensioner bolt till the belt has about 1/2 of give in the middle of the belt. Once in place tighten the set belt and hinge bolt.
Repeat the same process for putting the AC belt back on.
***I have replaced my alternator belt 4 times in the last two years and need to install it for the 5th time. I just found out that there is a consistent issue with Protoges and aftermarket alternator belts and proper fit. Save your self the time of doing this job over and over again and buy the OEM belt from your Mazda dealer.***
your auxilary drive belt might have snapped or be extreamly worn.. That's someone elses answer. mine answer would be to check the little black ground plug on the bottom side of the alternator looking at it from the ground up past the cv axle its a gray wire with a big black plastic clip i had to cut mine and put a new female spade on. i had the same problem with my 99 2.5 v6.
That's not 12 amps,that's 12 volts,which means the system isn't charging
Measure the voltage across the battery terminals,if its charging properly,it will be between 13.8 and 14.7 volts,anything less and its not charging.
Suspect then a faulty alternator or wiring problem.
and have the battery properly recharged and tested too,a low battery will not give you a correct charging reading and a faulty alternator can take its toll on a battery.
An alternator is a device that produces electric current from some of the power generated by the engine. The electric current is used to power the electric devices that are part of the vehicle, and the current is also used to recharge the chemical storage device that stores current for NEXT time you want to start the engine (battery). Contrary to what many people believe, batteries do not create electricity, they only store it and let you use it when you want to do something later, like start an engine or listen to a radio. The automobile alternator is actually just a small verison of the big generators used by power companies to give you the electricity in your home to turn on lights, run the vacuum cleaner or sit at your computer and surf the net.
Why does your 1991 park ave still have a drain even after you replaced your battery and alternator?
You may need to find a short circuit or a bad relay. Possibly there is moisture somewhere that is jumping a connection. Automotive electrical problems are difficult to track down yourself and expensive to have someone else do it.
What name Delco or Nipindenzo do I go with for in a 94 Geo Prism alternator?
Either one are both good parts so it really does not matter. Go with the lowest priced.
How many motor vehicles in the UK?
There were 31,035,791 motor vehicles on British roads in 2010.
Source: SMMT
How do you change an alternator in a 1989 Toyota Hiace van?
Remove the wiring harness from the back of your 1989 Toyota alternator. Remove the alternator retaining bolts. Remove the alternator belt. Reverse the process to install the new alternator.
Check all the connections. Sometimes the ends of the battery cable are corroded where they connect to the starter and engine. Switch itself could be bad. Try the starter either by shorting across the terminal on the solenoid or run a jumper wire to the solenoid and try starting it several times in a row. If it works that means the starter is probably alright and it is in the wiring somewhere. Try the same thing with the switch. Short across the wires at the switch and if the starter seems to work each time, it may well be the switch. The contacts in the switch may be getting burned and not making good contact.
Is there a fuse in one of the wires coming out of the alternator in a 93 topaz?
A fuse in the wire harness? I don't believe I have ever run across a fuse link coming out of the alternator, in either '87 to 91 model. Please correct me if I am wrong someone. If you have a charging problem, check the out put at idle and and say 2000 rpm. I have never run across a fuse link in my Chevy either.
What are the symptoms of a defective alternator for a 1993 alternator?
If the battery is less than 2 years but doesn't seem to hold a charge
