Alternators

Replacing a alternator on a Mazda 3 2004 technical rating 3 out of 10.

Tools needed.

6"Socket wrench , 10mm socket, 12mm socket 3" and short one, 14mm socket short one and a small flat head screw driver. Also a good shop light.

Start off by removing the engine cover on top of the motor. It just pulls off by pulling up firmly. Second remove the battery cover it is located just to the right of the engine cover. Now remove the negative battery terminal this should be a 10mm bolt. Once you remove the neg terminal wire position it so it can not come into contact with any of the battery posts as you work if there is any corrosion you need to clean it before you reconnect it use a wire brush.

Now move to the bottom of the engine compartment and remove the plastic cover under the engine. There will be three bolts (12mm across the front and two in the back on each side where the inner fender plastic meets the engine cover. Note there is a small plastic finger that attaches this to the fender plastic you will have to pull the fender plastic out to the side while lifting slightly upward on the engine cover plastic.) If its cold outside and the fingers break as mine did from being brittle it is OK the bolts will hold it together.

Ok so now we are almost ready to remove the alternator but first we need to remove the serpentine belt. Back to the top of the engine compartment. looking down on the left side of the engine you will see the belt and pulleys. The tensioner pulley is the one just above the alternator. You will need a Socket wrench and a 14mm short socket. Here is the secret...place the wrech on the bolt in the middle of the pulley adjust it so the handle is tilted forward toward the windshield not straight up and down. This will help allow the belt to slip off the pulley without binding on the socket wrech when you release the pressure. Now push the wrench forward toward the windshield until you feel the tensioner can not move any more and slip the belt off the pulley toward the socket. It is a very tight fit especially when putting a new belt on/off. Now gently let the wrench come back toward the front of the car. You can leave the belt on the rest of the pulleys just move it forward away from the alternator so it doesn't hang up when you remove the alternator.

There are four bolts that hold the alternator to the engine block. One at the top and three on the bottom. Now is the time to take the top bolt out. Look down at the alternator and you will see a bolt 12mm with a 3 inch long socket loosen this bolt and remove it. Next move to the bottom of the engine compartment and look up to see the alternator.

Here we see three more bolts two at the bottom and on just above them. These are also 12mm bolts. You will also see a gray plastic cap on the side of the alternator closest to the radiator. It has a plastic clip that you must depress to get it to open. A small flat head screwdriver will make getting this open much easier. Just use the end to help pry the clip down so you can open the cap. once you open it remove the bolt holding the wire on (also 12mm) Now to remove this wire, this piece has three small clips that hold it to the alternator. one that you will see at the bottom and two just to the left and right of center on the top. Use the small flat head screwdriver to pry them loose and it will pop off to toward the radiator. Put this wire to the side out of the way just loop it around the loom next to it. Just above the area where you removed the plug is another push wire connection. Again use a flat head to help push down the lock clip and pull the plug out.

Now remove the three bolts holding in the alternator. Start with the one at the top. WARNING be very careful when removing this bolt with the socket wrench. The black tube that is in the way is the Oil dip stick tube, you DO NOT want to break or damage it just be careful when you break this bolt loose. It doesn't matter what order you remove the bottom two bolts in just be prepared when the last on comes out the alternator will fall on your face if you don't hold on to it. The alternator will come out the bottom of the engine compartment and you will have to maneuver it a little to get it out but it's not hard.

The new alternator will go in from the bottom just like the old one came out. Once you get it into position start one of the bottom bolts. Move to the top of the engine compartment and put the top bolt in but dont tighten it all the way until you have all the bolts on the bottom started. Now back to the bottom and put the other bolts in and tighten them. Now your done with the bottom bolts connect the electrical connections tighten the nut and close the cover. Move back to the top and tighten the top bolt.

Now grab the belt and put the 14mm socket through it onto the tensioner bolt this time you want the wrench tilted toward the front of the car so you get more pressure on the tensioner,Push the wrench forward toward the windshield and slip the belt back over the pulley (remember its a tight fit) and make sure the belt is properly positioned. Gently release the tension. Now attach neg battery terminal, replace battery cover and engine cover and the cover on the bottom of the engine compartment and you are finished. This entire process took me about 30 minutes. Have fun and good luck.

There is an easy test of the alternator that you can do when the car is running. With the car running, and the hood popped open, hold the end of a long (preferrably a long one but any screwdriver will do) flathead screwdriver to the center of the pulley wheel on the alternator. Don't worry at all; it's not dangerous whatsoever. If the alternator is good, the screwdriver will be sucked to the wheel because there is magnetism from the electricity of the alternator. If the alternator is bad, it won't be sucked to the wheel. It will just bounce slightly. Sometimes, it is hard to destinguish between the two if you don't have experience. It doesn't suck real hard nor does it bounce very much; but there certainly is a difference. You should be able to figure it out though because if the alternator is good it will hold/ suck the end of the screwdriver onto the pulley wheel. You can't miss it. Also, how old is your battery? If it is 5 years old, then there is a good chance that it is the battery. Also, a bad neutral safety switch will act like a dead battery.

These directions are for the 2.2l 4-cylinder engine. Disconnect the battery cables from the battery (8mm), and remove the battery from the vehicle. When you go to the parts store to get your new (or remanufactured) alternator, take it with you and have them test / charge the battery. You will kill your new alternator if you use it to charge up a low-charged battery.

Remove the 2 plastic push-tabs (flathead screwdriver or some needle-nose pliers) on the intake tube that attach it to the fan shroud. Disconnect the intake tube from the airbox and throttle body (flathead screwdriver). Remove air tube, taking care to ensure the A/C lines aren't damaged in the process. Remove the top half of the fan shroud by removing the 7 screws (3 on the upper-radiator support, 2 down on each side of the fan, all 10mm). Place a 3/8" ratchet on the tensioner and turn it counter-clockwise (like you were loosening a bolt). Pull belt off the alternator pulley, and watch your hands next to the sharp fan blades as you let the tensioner return to it's resting position.

There are three bolts that hold the alternator in place. First remove the 15mm bolt that is on the top of the alternator on the back side (a stubby rachet wrench is perfect for this as it's a tight spot). Then remove the power wire that goes to the battery (covered by rubber insulation; 13mm; if it's too tight or you can't reach it, wait until later). Then loosen the 13mm bolts found at the bottom on the back side and the bottom-right on the front side. Remove the rear 13mm bolt, then support the alternator with your left hand as you remove the front 13mm bolt with your right hand. It should fall right into your hand, but if it does not gently rotate it back and forth while trying to pull it towards the ground.

Remove the electrical connector on the back of the alternator (there's a little clip that holds it in place; just lift it up and pull the connector out). The alternator will now rest on the battery so you can remove the power wire if you were unsuccessful earlier (again, 13mm).

Installation is the reverse of removal.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/archive/index.php/t-57498.html

http://baxters.com.au/HTML/Images/Products_Alternator2.jpg

if i remember correctly you have a heavy duty cable that goes to the battery and a light cable typically red that goes to ignition posative via the charge indicator light and some alternator have a earth wire as they are insulated this varies from make to make of alternator and vehicle maufacturer but the principle is the same

If you do not have a volt meter you can not really determine the health of your battery. You can ask your auto parts store to "load test" it. Most provide this service for free. It does seem today's batteries do not give a warning... when they quit, there are junk. I've had several that will not even take a jump.

There are only two bolts that hold the alternator to the motor. Find the two bolts in the front of the alternator and take those two off. You also have to disconnect the wiring from the top of the alternator (1 just unplug and the other unscrew off some metal piece attached to alternator). The way I pulled it out was by sliding up the steering fluid and stuffing the alternator between that and the motor. I also had to remove the black plastic cover on top of the engine, the one over the block and the one over the coolant cap/hood release so I could have some space. I have not put the alternator back in yet so I cannot help you there as of now.

seventy dollars

It means the tester isn't giving you useful information. bridge rectifier could be failing.

replace or repair depending on what vehicle. some are economical to repair, some are cheaper to replace.

check link below:

Huge PITA but it is possible. My alternator for the 4th time quit working last weekend. My dad changed it for me and it took him about 4 hours. If possible, pick up a shop manual available at any auto part store for the car and read. It's in an impossible space to get to, but it goes on a lot faster than it comes off. Good luck!

to replace parts on a 999 ford made in 1902 would cost you about £152.000 when i got a new whell for it it cost £359 for 1

It's not too bad: since Honda finally got tired of all the complaints from their mechanics about having to spend three hours doing a 20-minute job and put the alternator in front of the engine (it used to be behind it, and you could barely get it out), the job is:

1. Unhook the battery.

2. Disconnect all the wires going to the alternator. There should be two. You can't mix them up because one is a huge plug and the other is a ring lug.

3. Remove the top bolt and loosen the bottom one. Push the alternator toward the engine and remove the belt.

4. Remove the bottom bolt and lift out the alternator.

5. Take the old one and the belt to the auto parts store. Exchange the alternator and get a new belt. (I do it this way so I don't have to pay a core deposit. Alternately, buy the new parts before you start, and use "return the old alternator to the store" as a reason to go driving.)

6. Set the new alternator in place. Hook up the bolts and wires, but leave the bolts loose enough that you can adjust the alternator.

7. Put the belt on and set its tension by gently pulling back on the alternator. You want about 1/2" deflection in the middle of the longest run. Tighten both bolts good and tight.

8. Hook up the battery and you're done. Go for a ride!

labor time is 2.5 hours

bad voltage regulator, should not go passed 14, should not go below 12

remove pass side strut, steering knuckle, drive shaft and exhaust to get it out through front wheel well Or take to a qualified mechanic and pay $500 labor Take my advice ONLY REPLACE WITH AN AC-DELCO ALTERNATOR you dont want to pay that kind of labor again

You need to make space for the alternator to be detached and removed by rotating the engine forward, dropping the subframe and removing the power steering lines, the fuel pressure connection. This is also after disconnecting the Neg batt cable, the belt, the manifold cover, and removing part of the windshield wiper assembly.

Rotate the engine by attaching and using a ratchet type tiedown strap to pull the engine forward after partially removing the brackets that secure the engine were it is. These brackets are right there attached to the radiator support frame.

You also drop the sub frame for the same reason (ie. to make more room).

You use a floor jack under the sub frame, and drop the frame after you have removed the front bolts.

I'm working with the assumption that you know you have to do all the other things that you need to do if it was easy to get at.

The FADEC already has power prior to engine start. In fact it controls the entire start sequence. It receives power under normal starting conditions via an ECBU ; the acft will have power from either an external source, the APU, or an operating engine. The alternator stator provides power to the FADEC once the engine reaches 10% NG. This way the engine is entirely self sustaining once started and during the majority of start sequence. Should the alternator stators fail, power is then given from the ECBU again (28v DC power source).

Just purchase a rebuilt one and trade the old one in.

If you just asking how much a new one is I just replaced one on my 1995 Corsica and it cost a little over $70. That was just the price of a new one I did the work myself.

Alternator output fuse or fusible link under the hood, I can't believe the people that don't state make, model, year and engine size before posting a question.

put in the code Set TNT around the perimeter then KA BOOM