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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
What would cause the car to keep running once ignition turned off if headlights were still on?
Headlights run off the battery not the ignition...
Will a 1995 Jeep Wrangler alternator fit in a 1997 Jeep Wrangler?
I do not think so, my 89 YJ had a normal alternator belt, but my 97 TJ has a serpentine belt, so aside from any mounting differences the drive system would be different.
How do you replace the alternator on a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am 6 cylinder?
Book Says: 1 Detach the cable from the negative terminal of the battery. If vehicle is equipped with Delco audio system make sure you have activation code prior to disconnect. 2 Clearly label then unplug and unbolt the electrical connectors from the alternator. 3 Remove drivebelt. 4. Remove alternator mounting bolts and the alternator. 5 Installation is reverse of removal.
How do you replace the alternator on a 1998 Nissan Sentra?
After changing one today, I think I would rather pay someone to do it next time. First thing, disconnect the battery. Then take off the top radiator hose and the housing that connects it to the engine(you don't need to take off the radiator hose connecting unit, just take the fans off of the radiator, saves the messy silicone work). You will never get the alternator out if you don't. The next step is to remove the belt. If you are planning on changing the belt then you will have to remove the powersteering belt too in order to get it off. There is an 8mm tensioning bolt between the alternator and the air conditioning compresser. First loosen the 14mm bolt in the center of the idler pully and then loosen the tensioner bolt until the belt slips off. There are three mounting bolts, two on the bottom and one on top of the alternator. Remove these, and the bracket that the top bolt mounts to. Now disconnect the wires from the alternator and the plastic bracket which is attached to the alternator. Finally you should be able to pull the alternator out of the engine compartment. Reverse the procedure to replace the alternator. Here is a list of the tools you will need.
8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm wrenches
10mm, 12mm, sockets and a 3" extension (for bottom passanger side bolt on the alternator use a long 7/16 and a ratchet w/no extension)
Phillips screwdriver
silicon gasket material
bandaids
Small hands and patience will also help with this job.
How do you replace the alternator on a 1989 Acura Integra with AC?
Obviously, the first step is to disconnect the battery.
You'll need to lift the car somehow (either a lift or proper jack stands) and remove the front left wheel. You'll also need to remove the left half shaft (drive axle) as well. If the car is a 5 speed, the transmission oil will drain out when you remove the axle - if it's automatic, you may lose some fluid, but not much.
Once the axle is out, the alternator is at the bottom of the engine bay near the firewall, on the drivers side. It should have 2 bolts holding them on (I believe they're 12mm). Remove the 2 bolts and disconnect the wires on the alternator.
An easier method would be to unbolt the master cylinder from the firewall and slightly (SLIGHTLY!) push it to the side, being careful not to damage the lines, and removing the alternator from the top. I don't remember if you'll have enough clearance on an 89 to do this or not; I know on 90+ it has to come out from the bottom.
To reinstall, reverse the steps. Don't forget to top off your transmission fluid after you're done.
Answeron a 91 integra you can remove it from the top by removing the master cylinder.. although i had to remove it completely including removing brake lines from the master cylinder, which required me to bleed the brake lines.. but easier than pulling the halfshaft off AnswerAfter reading all the posts on replacing Integra Alternators yesterday,I went with the last two posts for a 1990 Integra GS.However,on my 1989,I could only remove the lower portion shield on the wheel well which is plastic.The upper portion is metal and not easily removed.This gave me enough access to the lower bolt,to remove nut and also to align holes on installation(very tight fit,both for removal and installation).I had to pry the alt.off the bottom bracket and slowly tap it in for installation,then align the bolt hole with a podger or round screwdriver.I was also able to wiggle the alternator in and out thru the bottom after removing the oil filter(killing two birds with one stone as car was on jacks).So I was ablt to do it without removing anything except the oil filter.Hope this helps. AnswerI was able to remove the alternator on the 89 Acura integra without removing the wheel, halfshaft or mastercylinder. The top adjustable mounting bolt can be reached from above by moving aside the cooling line to the waterpump. The bottom bolt can be reached from the underside. Both Bolts are 12mm and very hard to reach but not impossible. After you have removed these bolts loosen the 14mm bolt holding the sliding mout in place, this will allow you to swing the mount up giving you the cleareance to lever the alternator out of the very tight bottom mount. Afterdisconnecting the alternator you can remove the oil filter and it will just barely fit past and drop out the bottom. It is still a pain but not nearly as much as removing the halfshaft or mastercylinder. AnswerI removed the left tire and bottom molding to have better access. I followed other instructions to take the alternator out, but what wasnt explained was how to squeeze the damn thing out of the bottom. DO NOT TAKE OUT THE AXLE! It can be done! The oil filter has to be removed for my procedure.With the alternator coming towards the center of the car, you want the supporting brace on the alternator pointing down, the pulley wheel to the right of the car, and the adjusting hole up. From under the car, coming in from the left wheel, go to the center of the car. Looking up to the oil filter threads, there is the left axle to the right of the space and some hard tubes attached to the firewall on the left. The alternator will have to pass those hard tubes and the axle. It seems impossible, but it is a tight squeeze. There is a small bend in the axle and there is a joint with several bolts on the firewall; the alternator will have to pass between these critical points.
With the alternator coming towards the center, you want to rotate the alternator so that the pulley ends up pointing down and the adjusting hole out to the right of the car. The alternator has a circular cage that will have to rotate between the critical point. Imagine the alternator as a clock, with the adjusting hole at 12; there is a knob on this cage at about the 10 o'clock position. This knob must pass to the right side (of the car) of the nuts on the firewall.
If this is confusing, just remember to rotate the alternator with the pulley down and adjusting hole eventually pointing to the right of the car. Don't be afraid to pull it past the hard tubes, but dont get impatient. The alternator will feel somewhat tight, but be patient and work it through the critical point. If you get hung up, do the procedure backwards with the new alternator.
We removed an 87 alt without removing the axle of brake MC but it was a REAL STRUGGLE (20 minutes). It scrapes all the way out. We had to loosen the head pipe that bolts to the manifold for a little extra space to remove the alt. The instructions above are confusing but we would have never attempted this if it were not for this persons idea. We will put in the new alt. tomorrow and try to photograph the alt. orientation as we slide it in place. Can we post photos?
Most likely your timing is Bad ! If you have a fuel and you don't have any vacuum leaks in the intake try to fix your timing.
Where is the voltage regulator on a 1996 Chrysler Sebring jxi 2.5?
The engine computer is the voltage regulator.
How do you know if an alternator is bad in 525 BMW?
Its easy to check with a cheap voltmeter-first check batt voltage with car off-should be around 12 volts, take note of reading. Now start car and check voltage-should be higher. If so you are good. If no difference at all or less when you turn on accessories, , it's not charging. If batt voltage is low (10.5 or less) but goes up when running, your batt is on the way out.
Where is the voltage regulator on 1988 Dodge Aries K?
It is part of the engine computer.
It is part of the engine computer.
How do you change an alternator in A Pontiac Aztec?
you have to remove the washer fluid tank, battery ,and full windshield wiper assembly. there are three bolts that must be removed on the alternator, plus two wires. The alternator sits way in the back under the wiper assembly(passenger side). Almost impossible to get to, right against the firewall, must use a small ratchet wrench, NOT SOCKET-TOO BIG. Hope i could help
How do you replace the alternator on a 1981 Chevy Caprice Classic?
Tools Required:
5/16" box wrench 3/8", 7/16" or 10mm wrench 9/16" socket 1/2" socket 3/8" or 1/2" ratchet 3" extension that fits the socket and ratchet Pry bar.
Removal Procedure:
1) use 5/16" box wrench to disconnect the ground (black) cable from the battery. 2) if accessible, use the 3/8", 7/16" or 10mm wrench to disconnect the wires from the back of the alternator 3) use the 1/2" and 9/16" sockets to remove the three bolts that hold the alternator in place. Remove both of the clamping bolts and the fan belt before removing the pivot bolt. 4) remove the alternator from the mounting brackets 5) unplug the connector from the side of the alternator. This connector usually has a latch that is released by pinching a tab on the connector.
Installation Procedure:
1) position the alternator in the mounting brackets and install the pivot bolt (finger tight) 2) reattach the electrical connector and wires. The 3/8", 7/16" or 10mm nut should be tightened at this time. However, be careful to not over tighten this nut. 3) route the fan belt over the alternator pulley. 4) reinstall the bolts that lock the alternator in the mounting brackets 5) use the pry bar to remove all slack from the fan belt 6) tighten all bolts on the alternator 7) reconnect the battery cable.
What if the new alternator is not charging your 1990 e150 ford van what can you check?
Check the fusable link (wire in between the alt. and battery) to see if it's burned out. Check to see if the alternator light in dash works.
How can tell if the battery is bad or the alternator?
Take the battery to a parts store so they can test it....
Actually you need to test both the battery and the alternator because if your alternator is not functioning correctly it can drain the battery of power...
so just testing the battery may only tell you that you have a drained battery and not reveal the cause...
This testing can be done using an Auto meter which tests the battery and also does an alternator load test...If you do not have a tester you can rent one from an auto parts store,or you can remove the alternator and take it to the auto parts store and have it bench tested along with the battery...usually for free...
Where is the alternator located on 2008 Chevy aveo?
it's in the back of the engine below the manifold and under the air box tube.
It's going to be a long process but what you got to do: Pull ALL the fuses. Now check to see if there is still a draw on the battery. There shouldn't be. Replace one fuse at a time. Each time, check for draw on the battery. Save the radio for last. The clock and memory are a constant draw (a very small one). To check for draw, go get a cheap ammeter at some auto store. Wire it in according to directions, near the battery where you can see it.
Where is the voltage regulator on a 1986 Honda Prelude carb engine 1.8?
it is inside the alternator. If the voltage regulator goes bad you have to change the whole alternator
AnswerIn your 1986 Honda prelude the voltage regulator should be separate from the Alternator. It should be a small black square with a five wire connector if i remember right. It should be mounted on the passenger side strut bubble inside the engine bay. Between the battery and the strut bubble and between the under hood fuse box and the engine. It is held on by two 10mm bolts. I know that this is where the voltage regulator is on my 1985 Honda prelude with the 1.8l carbed engine and since the 84-87 were mostly the same it should be the same on yours.Hi, it sounds like you might have been having starting or charging problems since you
have replaced the alt. and the battery. I think you still have either one or both of those
problems again. Or still.
Did the car ever start after you replaced the alt and the battery? If it did, it would sound like the battery was charged, or charged enough at least, to start the car. Since it won't start now, and you're hearing a clicking, I'm guessing that the battery is not charged. It's not unusual to hear a clicking when the battery is about dead and you try to start the car. SO, either the battery was not fully charged when you bought it, or it's faulty, or the alternator is faulty or miswired and is not charging the battery. Another possibility is that you have corroded battery cables and/or connectors. Or, the other end of those cables, at the starter and wherever the black battery cable goes to ground, might have a loose or dirty connection.
Now, what to do? I'd check the battery first. It's the easiest to get at and to remove. If you have a voltmeter handy, check it's voltage. I imagine that the voltage will be considerably less than the normal 12 volts. If so, it needs to be charged. Since it's new, the place you bought it may charge it for free for you. Or not. Once it's charged, put it back in the car and try to start it. If it starts, good! With the car running, check the battery voltage again. If the alternator is charging it, you should read slightly above 12 volts. Like 13 or 14 volts. If you don't read above 12 volts, the alternator may be bad. But, before you yank it out and take it back to the store, make one more test. Check the voltage right on the battery terminals. Make a note of what it reads. Now, check the voltage on the connectors. The voltage should be the same in both places. If it's higher on the connectors than on the terminals, that indicates a resistive connection. This means that you have to clean up the connectors with a wire brush. That resistive connection can make the difference between the alternator charging the battery properly or not. If the voltage is indeed the same in both places, but is not 13+ volts, the alternator is not charging. Check all your wires and connections. If all looks good, you'll have to get the alternator checked. You can get a brand new one that doesn't work right, especially if it's a refurb.
let us know if you need more help!
FriPilot
How do you replace the alternator on a 1987 Honda Accord LX-I?
i have a cold air intake on my car (universal for a 92-00 civic cut to size) so the airbox is out, but all you do is is losen the bottom bolt to allow the alternator to pivit, then you losen the tensioner bolt to remove the belt and the alternator. unplug the clip and undo the bolt that holds the power wire and your set. if you cant get the alternator back in the bottom bracket when installing...jack up the on the right side, remove the tire if it makes it easier, align the bolt hole the best you can (use a small screwdriver to half align it it you need to) then put the bolt in and use a hammer to send it through. connect the wires, belt, and tensioner and wha-la. your done. course i did this in my driveway so a shop makes it eaiser. ive already had it out like 5 times already and check the power wire incase it breaks or if your battery light is on. mine broke up by the battery and i think that its 8 guage wire if not 6 but i used house wire cause they didnt have any wire big enough at autozone.
-Its actually not so "ha that's easy" who ever posted the above comment has obviously never changed an alternator on a late eighties Accord, there are issues specific to these cars that make it difficult to remove the unit, you can A. remove the drive shaft as the manual indicates, or B. remove an engine mount and use a floor jack to raise the engine a bit and remove the alternator via drivers side wheel well.
How do you replace the alternator on a 1987 Dodge Dakota?
git part...open hood.....disconect battery.........loosen bolt on back of alt..........loosen bolt holding tenson on alt ...........slide to loosen belts. should have 2 mine dose.......take wires off back of alt noticeing whare they go...........finish un bolting and remove..........reverse order to install new alt........use crow bar to git tension on belts..........is a easy job... have fun .........helli
How do you remove the alternator on a 1999 Mazda Miata?
I just replaced mine. The process is pretty straight forward. Obviously, step one is to disconnect your battery. I wasn't sure if the alternator would come up through the top for removal, so I opted to remove the splash guard from the bottom front of the engine. I then jacked the car up and it gave me great access to some of the work from underneath. The alternator was easily removed through the bottom. There are two electrical connections at the alternator. One bolts on from the battery, and one is a plugin connection that requires you to push the tab in before pulling the connector off. You can decide for yourself whether you want to do this while the alternator is bolted up or whether you want to loosen the alternator to have better access to these connections. I personally took the top bolt out and loosened the bottom bolt before removing the electrical connections. NOTE: my new alternator (rebuilt technically) came with an insulating block that did not work with the battery cable connection, so you will want to check this before returning your core in case you need to take the insulating block off your old alternator. The alternator is held on by two bolts. The top bolt is part of the tensioner, which uses, thankfully, an old style bolt system to tension a separate alternator belt. Once you remove the top bolt the tensioner can be removed by sliding it towards the rear of the car through the slot it sits in. The bottom bolt has fallen prey to what I consider an engineering oversite. The bolt threads out towards the back of the engine, and because of this, you have to remove the stiffening arm that sits right behind this bolt. Fortunately, the stiffening arm is held on by three bolts, all of which are easy to get to. Once this arm is out of the way you can remove the bottom bolt. Reassemble in the reverse order, connect your battery, reprogram your radio, etc. Your fault codes are going to be cleared, so if you needed this information for any reason, get it read before disconnecting your battery.
