Tons of car problems
02-09-2012, 08:41 AM
#21
Originally Posted by SoREALemjay' timestamp='1328770325' post='21398141
Bump, finally getting the car back tomorrow morning but my alternator is TOAST! Can anyone show me a DIY? Shop is trying to charge me $500 installed with brand new alternator.
No DIY?
02-09-2012, 10:57 AM
#22
Moderator
you dont need any special tool to do the belt. Just use a 14mm wrench on the tensioner bolt and push down. It's spring loaded/automatic/no need to adjust anything.
Disconnect the batter before you start. You are guaranteed to to arc out the battery wire on the alternator with the wrench if you dont.
Disconnect the batter before you start. You are guaranteed to to arc out the battery wire on the alternator with the wrench if you dont.
02-09-2012, 12:47 PM
#23
you dont need any special tool to do the belt. Just use a 14mm wrench on the tensioner bolt and push down. It's spring loaded/automatic/no need to adjust anything.
Disconnect the batter before you start. You are guaranteed to to arc out the battery wire on the alternator with the wrench if you dont.
Disconnect the batter before you start. You are guaranteed to to arc out the battery wire on the alternator with the wrench if you dont.
On a scale of 1-10, how hard is it? I do all my fluid changes and swapped intakes plenty of times, I'm just worried about not torqing the tensioner bolt.. I have 2 options, do it myself or pay $50?
02-09-2012, 12:53 PM
#24
Moderator
There's nothing to torque. you dont take out any bolt to do the belt.
Alternator is held in with two bolts, a plug, and a 12mm nut on the battery lead.
Alternator is held in with two bolts, a plug, and a 12mm nut on the battery lead.
02-09-2012, 01:19 PM
#25
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If you can change your battery, or spark plugs, or oil, or even your own tire... You can do the alternator. Familiarize yourself with the tension of the belt before loosening anything. Other than that, the only "hard" part is making sure you disconnect the battery before removing the alternator.
Easy stuff. Don't get shafted out of $500.
Easy stuff. Don't get shafted out of $500.
02-09-2012, 01:56 PM
#26
WOW 
I told the auto shop a million times if they checked the ACG fuses and they said they were both fine (under hood and dash). I checked again because I really didn't want to shell out that much money. The ACG 15A was blown! I knew there was something wrong, alternators don't go bad on a S2k, mine only has 70k.
Do you think my car is safe to drive now? I took it around the block, no vtec. It ran/idle fine.
I told the auto shop a million times if they checked the ACG fuses and they said they were both fine (under hood and dash). I checked again because I really didn't want to shell out that much money. The ACG 15A was blown! I knew there was something wrong, alternators don't go bad on a S2k, mine only has 70k.
Do you think my car is safe to drive now? I took it around the block, no vtec. It ran/idle fine.
02-09-2012, 03:12 PM
#27
Moderator
02-09-2012, 03:23 PM
#28
Moderator
So is your car charging now?
There are other emmision controlled devices on that same alternator fuse. Anyone one of them could have blown the fuse.
You are right about the factory alternator. To this day, I have never seen a bad one. EVEN HAD ONE that had a wire tuck, the wire chafed through on the body and caused a small fire. IT STILL did not kill the alternator.
The RECTIFIERS go bad. They are very sensitive to voltage spikes. When they go bad, the car will still charge but the dash will flicker at idle and you will not be happy.
The following can spike the rectifier:
-DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY WHILE RUNNING
-jump starting, and allowing the alternator to charge a dead battery (if your battery is dead, disconnect the battery and charge it with a charger and save your recifier)
-driving around with a bad battery
There are other emmision controlled devices on that same alternator fuse. Anyone one of them could have blown the fuse.
You are right about the factory alternator. To this day, I have never seen a bad one. EVEN HAD ONE that had a wire tuck, the wire chafed through on the body and caused a small fire. IT STILL did not kill the alternator.
The RECTIFIERS go bad. They are very sensitive to voltage spikes. When they go bad, the car will still charge but the dash will flicker at idle and you will not be happy.
The following can spike the rectifier:
-DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY WHILE RUNNING
-jump starting, and allowing the alternator to charge a dead battery (if your battery is dead, disconnect the battery and charge it with a charger and save your recifier)
-driving around with a bad battery
02-10-2012, 06:59 AM
#29
So is your car charging now?
There are other emmision controlled devices on that same alternator fuse. Anyone one of them could have blown the fuse.
You are right about the factory alternator. To this day, I have never seen a bad one. EVEN HAD ONE that had a wire tuck, the wire chafed through on the body and caused a small fire. IT STILL did not kill the alternator.
The RECTIFIERS go bad. They are very sensitive to voltage spikes. When they go bad, the car will still charge but the dash will flicker at idle and you will not be happy.
The following can spike the rectifier:
-DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY WHILE RUNNING
-jump starting, and allowing the alternator to charge a dead battery (if your battery is dead, disconnect the battery and charge it with a charger and save your recifier)
-driving around with a bad battery
There are other emmision controlled devices on that same alternator fuse. Anyone one of them could have blown the fuse.
You are right about the factory alternator. To this day, I have never seen a bad one. EVEN HAD ONE that had a wire tuck, the wire chafed through on the body and caused a small fire. IT STILL did not kill the alternator.
The RECTIFIERS go bad. They are very sensitive to voltage spikes. When they go bad, the car will still charge but the dash will flicker at idle and you will not be happy.
The following can spike the rectifier:
-DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY WHILE RUNNING
-jump starting, and allowing the alternator to charge a dead battery (if your battery is dead, disconnect the battery and charge it with a charger and save your recifier)
-driving around with a bad battery
I am aware the rectifiers go bad, but don't they cost more than the alternator?
What other emmission controlled devices should I look at? I checked all my fuses, they are fine.
Scratch all that above. My fuse blew again, any idea why? I have a new battery, 3rd one. Shop kept insisting I get a new battery but when I took it to Autozone they said it held a charge perfectly.
