Alternator Troubleshooting and Replacement
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Written by: 97mits3kgtsohc
How can I tell if my alternator is bad?
Personally when my alternator failed, my car's audio system turned off and all my lights faded but the car still drove. After pulling over and restarting the car, the car ran horrible (very boggy and will almost putt). To test if the alternator is bad, while the car is running, remove the positive cable from the battery. If the car instantly turns off then most likely your alternator is bad. If it stays on for a while, then your alternator might not be the problem.
Mel16m when my alternator began to go bad, dash lights started randomly coming on in my car, but when rpms increased, the lights dimmed, and almost went away, most auto parts stores now will test alternator for free
Removing the alternator
When you decide you need an alternator, removal and installing a new alternator should not take more than 2 hours. First step would to remove the positive cable to the battery. Next you want to disconnect the a/c line and bend it up without breaking it. This will give you more room to work with when you pull the alternator out. Some people decide to pull the radiator fans in order to wiggle the alternator out but it is not necessary. To disconnect the alternator, remove the cables on the left side of the alternator (should be a 10mm). Then remove all the bolts holding the alternator to the motor. The tensioner will need to be lowered in order to get the belt off of the alternator pulley, but be careful not to drop the tensioner off the car because it will make it harder when you go to install the new alternator. Once the alternator is unbolted and the belt is off, the easy part is over. Now comes the tricky part, pulling it out. Basically you need to figure this out but it WILL come out but takes patience.
mel16m I took my drivers side wheel off and the inner fender well, that allowed me to remove the belt from the alternator a bit easier, not sure if you actually have to do this though. Also, i'd like to add, on tt's it may be easier to remove the driver's side fan to get the alternator out, but on n/a, I would just take off the 4 bolts holding the radiator brackets on, and disconnect the two electric fans from their plugs, and just sit the radiator on top of the motor, yes, the radiator hoses have that much play in them, but make sure you dont bend any fins on the radiator, the tensioner bolt for the belt can be gotten to from the top with a few extentions much easier than on the bottom with a wrench, the tensioner bolt is 12mm
Installing the New Alternator
Reverse the previous steps
- I am hoping someone can edit what I left out or make this finer detailed.
