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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 replace the alternator on a 1991 Chevy Astro?
On all the Astro/Safari vans I've seen, the alternator is located on the passenger side of the engine.
Recommended tools:
- 8mm box-end wrench or socket (not all will need)
- 10mm DEEP box-end wrench or socket
- 13mm box-end wrench or socket
- 14mm DEEP box-end wrench or socket
- 15mm box-end wrench or socket
- 3-inch socket extension
- 3/8-inch-drive ratchet
- steel "butter knife" or suitable substitute
- teflon tape or other "thread sealer"
If you elect to use a 1/4-inch-drive ratchet in lieu of the 3/8-inch-drive ratchet, limit its use to 10mm-or-smaller sockets: the threaded fasteners in this application having larger heads require greater torque than can be safely and reliably applied using 1/4-inch-drive hardware.
Read this entire procedure first, then decide whether this is a project for you to attempt.
There are significant minor differences to the specific procedures involved, to wit:
(1) Always observe all applicable safety procedures.
(2) Disconnect the cable from the positive (+) battery terminal. For some vans, you will need an 8mm socket or wrench; for others, you will need a 10mm socket or wrench.
(3) The power steering reservoir is in the way on vans having the Z-code engine: leaving the hoses attached and avoiding tipping of the reservoir, remove and save the screws that hold the reservoir to the cowl; then bend the hoses and rest the reservoir on the driver's side of the radiator shroud.
The air filter box is in the way on vans having the W-code engine. Open the clamps that seal the box, remove the filter: the nuts and bolts holding the airbox in place are visible. Remove the airbox, saving the hardware.
(4) The ductwork supplying the engine with fresh air is in the way. Usually, these plastic pieces just click together, but there may be one or more clamps, nuts and/or bolts, or screws holding some of it in place. The offending portion consists of the following pieces:
(a) the lower part that turns the air about 90-degrees, so that the air flows upwards,
(b) the upright section that channels the air upwards (it looks like an accordion's bellows on the Z-code engine),
(c) the upper ductwork connecting the upright section with the air filter housing.
I have heard that some ductwork installations are secured using #2 Phillips threaded fasteners (screws); if yours is such an application, you will also need a #2 Phillips screwdriver.
(5) Remove serpentine belt. The ratcheting tool that looks like a long, flat handle -- it came with the vehicle as part of the lug wrench kit -- has an opening that fits the pulley on the tensioner. Using the tool, loosen the tensioner with one hand and slip the belt off using the other hand.
At this point, whether you need to remove the fan from the front of the engine should be obvious. If you must, be aware that so doing without removing the shroud really isn't going to give you much room (about 1/2 an inch, maybe an inch).
If you need more than that, the shroud has to come off so that you can remove the fan. Although at 13.5 inches (34.3mm) circumference and 14.5 inches (37.9mm) circumference respectively, my forearms and upper arms are rather small, I think that needing to remove the fan to have enough room is a highly unlikely condition.
(6) Remove the engine oil dipstick bracket from the stud holding the alternator to the bracket. The nut securing the dipstick bracket is probably a 10mm. Remove the dipstick bracket from the stud. Be aware the dipstick tube could slide from the engine.
(7) The alternator bracket should be loosened from the front of the engine. Remove the bolts (it should be a trio of 14mm bolts) and save them. This allows the bracket, tensioner and alternator to be tilted away from the engine. At least one bolt may be wet with engine coolant; seal the threads of any such bolt before reinstalling it.
(8) Use an appropriate tool to unclip the plug from the alternator (I used a "butter knife), and remove the red wire from the lug at the back of the alternator. The nut securing the red wire to the alternator is probably a 10mm; the stud in the alternator is probably a 15mm (menitoned just in case the new one needs snugging).
(9) Remove the bolt from the rear of the old alternator holding it to the bracket (either a 13mm or a 14mm); then remove the stud holding the old alternator to the bracket (either a 13mm or a 14mm); then remove the "hinge" bolt holding the old alternator to the bracket (either a 13mm or a 14mm bolt screwed into a 15mm nut).
Installation of the new unit is done by reversing the steps of disassembly.
SAFETY NOTES: Be aware that there can exist pinch hazards during this procedure. Also be aware of the possible hazard of falling tools and/or debris.
Helpful hint: if possible, have someone else hold the bracket/alternator/tensioner assembly in-place while you start the lower 14mm bolt by hand from underneath the passenger side. This makes installing the upper bolts much easier.
Start ALL the bolts before tightening any of them. Generally, it goes pretty quickly if you begin with the "all bolts finger-tight, then all bolts hand (wrench/socket) tight, then all bolts torqued" method.
NOTE: Conspicuously dexterous people may not have to remove the alternator bracket, but in my opinion, the procedure is much easier if this is done. You should never have to remove the doghouse (engine cover inside the van) to replace the alternator. If a mechanic told you he/she did it that way, you should be going to a different mechanic.
There are two bolts visible on the front side of the alternator, and one on the BACK side which you can only feel, not see. The trick to remove this back side bolt is to remove the engine shroud in the passenger compartment, and remove the bolt securing the dip sticks to the firewall. With the dipsticks loose, you can push them aside enough to get a long socket extension on this back-side bolt (might be 10mm, I forget) from the passenger footwell area. An alternate method used by Pros, is to raise the vehicle on a hoist and use a 3-foot socket extension from the ground to reach up to this rear bolt. IMPORTANT NOTE: If this job is done by someone other than yourself, check to make sure this rear bolt was re-installed. Some unscrupulous individuals will omit replacing this bolt because it is such a PITA. You wil have problems a hundred miles down the road, failed alternator, thrown belt, cracked accessory mounting bracket, etc.
How do you replace the alternator on a 1973 VW Beetle?
1 Disconnect the battery. 2 Unplugg the three electrical wires.(one may have a bolt) 3 Loosen the three support bolt. 4 Lift the alternater slightly with a crowbar to release the tension on the belt. 5 Remove the belt. 6 Remove the three support bolt and the alternater should come right off. If the engine is in the car..... after step 2 insert the following 2a. Remove Carburator and Intake manifolds where connected to the heads. This also means you remove the heater pipe and the rubber fittings. Make sure nothing falls into the resulting intakes in the heads after removing the intake pipes. Now loosen the alternator from the alternator stand and remove the belt. Also. remove 4 nuts that hold the cooling fan assembly(still connected to the alternator) to the doghouse. OK everything is loose now. 2b. Loosen the screws at the base of the doghouse- one on each side Maybe a short screwdriver will do it, maybe a wrench. 2c. Get a piece of wood and get ready.. now lift the doghouse and shove the wood in to raise the doghouse a couple inches. 2d. Loosen the nuts at the base of the generator stand and remove stand. Now everything falls out. 3. The alternator comes out with the cooling fan attached in the rear; this needs to be removed and reused, as does the inner pully. You will need a 36mm socket for the fan end and a flat screwdriver jammed between the alternator housing and inner pully on the other end to successfully break it free. You may also need a gear puller if the fan and inner pully do not agree with coming off the alternator shaft once the nuts are removed. Also be aware that there is a Woodruff key on both ends which will likely fall off; they must be reused (it prevents the fan/pully from spinning on the shaft.) (Note: If you end up buying a large 36mm socket, it can also used to remove the rear wheel drums when doing brake/bearing replacement. You'll probably find it needs a large 3/4" drive, but a 3/4" to 1/2" adapter will do, assuming you have a 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar.) Its a frustrating job that will take you several hours, but very satisfying when you realize how much money you saved doing it yourself, and hey, You Did IT!
HOW to check for A faulty alternator?
start the car, let it run for about 10 to 20 minutes then disconect the batery, the car should stay on (for a few minutes ofcourse) if it dies right away then the alternator is bad Other posts on other sites say this is NOT to be done or serious damage can occur. Do it at your peril.
Why is battery being drain after new alternator put on?
What else is in the system? Was the battery charged and tested when the new alternator was put in? A new alternator can blow out if it is trying to charge a "Bad" battery. Was it a new alternator that was tested by a shop? It is possible it is a factory defect. If it was done by a shop I would take it back to the shop.
It is also possible that there is a wire off or grounding that is draining the system. Have you installed a stereo amplifier? Some amplifiers draw more current than the car can provide.
Would a bad alternator on a 1999 Grand Cherokee Jeep Limited keep discharging a brand new battery?
=== === Some types of electrical shorts do cause the battery to discharge. But usually a bad alternator just does not charge the battery. Or does not put a large enough charge back into the battery. This causes the battery to discharge when you start and run the motor. The spark plugs and other things need electricity that would usually come from the alternator is now coming from your battery. If your bad alternator is not recharging the new battery, the battery will soon fail to start or run your vehicle. You need to have your alternator tested. It should be putting out at least 12 volts, usually around 13 to 15 volts.
go have your alternator tested. when they start to go out the alternator will create alot of drag on the engine but then work fine and the engine wont have the drag but the alternator wont put out the correct amount of amperage and the votage will drop increasingly
How much does an alternator cost for 2002 Chevy Suburban?
Less than $200 for the alternator itself.
You might also want to consider getting your serpentine belt changed at the same time though. A loose belt could also cause problems and odds are that it is about time to do it on a 2002 Suburban if you have not done so already.
Total bill for both of the above is probably $700-$800 including labor (conservatively - 2008).
What does an alternator diode rectifier do?
The alternator diode rectifier converts the AC current being produced by the alternator to DC from which most of the electronics installed and battery use.
How do you remove and replace the alternator on a 2000 Mazda MPV?
The alternator on my 1990 MPV failed and I tried to renew it myself, it seemed like a pretty simple task as the alternator is easily accessed. When I loosened the belt and removed the mounting bolts I found that the alternator will not slide off the mounting bar as it is blocked (just barely enough) by the power steering unit. I did not want to remove that unit so I simply put it all back and paid a local Chevrolet dealership the $65 dollars and I am good to go. It is simply to much to do without a lift.
Easiest way to replace alternator belt on a 1994 Toyota 4x4?
Loosen the tensioner bolt on your alternator. Slide the alternator to the left. Remove the alternator belt. Put the new alternator belt on and tighten the tensioner bolt.
Not likely, but running the engine with a dead battery can damage some alternators. Always fully charge the battery when installing an alternator.
How much electricity it created by an alternator - relatively speaking?
13.8 Volt DC is the output of the Alternator. If your car is equipped with an Ammeter the ammeter reads more than zero, the alternator is cahrging the battery and provides power to other circuit. If the ammeter reads below zero its the battery that is supplying the power to the system and something is wrong either in the AVR or Alternator. Jun
There are many possibilities including but not limited to: Battery, starter, alternator, corroded or damaged battery terminals, loose connection at the battery or elsewhere, neutral lockout switch, ignition switch, thrown rod... and that's just the more common possibilities. Someone will have to look at it to see what's going on.
How do you replace a 1998 Chevy Metro alternator belt?
On most cars, the upper alternator-mount usually has an elongated hole or slot with a bolt that goes thru it and the alternator-housing. To loosen/tighten the alternator-belt, just loosen this bolt a little and the top of the alternator can then be swiveled to alter tension on the belt ...when the belt is tight enough (you can only move it 1/4" when pushing at a point that's equal distance between 2 of the pulleys, hold it in that position and tighten the bolt. Sometimes if alternator is difficult to move, it can be pried (and held in position) with wood-handle of a hammer (or other non-metallic item) placed between alternator and the mount.
Porsche engine location of alternator?
behind the cooling fan on air cooled engines or on the top left on water cooled
Where is timing belt located on an opel astra?
what year is the astra, timing belts in my experience are usually found on the left hand side of the engine block. it conects the cylinder head to the bottom endof the engine via a system of pulleys.
Where is the voltage regulator in a 1999 Mitsubishi Montero?
Voltage regulator is built into the Alternator/brush carrier. Requires removal and at least partial dis-assembly of the Alternator to change out.
Good luck.
If you are noticing the volt gauge fluctuating on a cold start, that is normal. The intake heater grid is doing its normal cycle. It pulls enough voltage to cause the gauge and the headlights to dim. If you are having a dead battery you need to check to see if both batteries are getting the charging voltage from the alternator. You could have a connection problem where only the passenger side battery is actually being charged.
Where the alternator in a 93 Dodge Intrepid?
the alternator is right in the front behind the right side of the rad
How have to replace the alternator for a Audi 6 quatro from 1999?
nIGHTMARE JOB AM AFRAID MATE. All front end off and timing belt, garage quoted 4 hrs labour and alternator was £270
What would it cost to replace the alternator on a dodge caravan?
The alternator itself will cost somewhere between $40 - $140 depending on where you get it and whether you get a new or rebuilt one. Labor should be under an hour.
How do you test lawnmower alternator output?
Just hold the plug wire and pull the starter, you'll know if it's good.
it may be the starter going out doing it . it will kill the alternator if it keeps going . I know i had it happen to my 96 olds replaced the alt still didnt start and the starter fixed it
The voltage regulator (which is inside the alternator) on 97 rodeo's are controlled via the PCM/ECM (Power Control Module/Engine Control Module). A remanufactured alternator for the 97 Rodeo as well as the 97 Passport (Honda), usually will fhow failure while tested in car. On the bench test, however, the alternator tests normal. Aside of the normal problems to be ruled out, ie; alternator belt tension, check for loose connections within and around the alternator, try an original factory alternator. Is this problem affecting your blower motor?
