Do you service your alternator?

[Conor]

Hey team..

Ever since I saw LegitStreetCars on YouTube explain how an alternator works and that they can "easily" be serviced (new bushes / slip ring), i've wondered why people don't do this. Especially on a 4 cylinder engine, you can take the alternator out in about 20 minutes.

The vast majority of time people tell me they had a breakdown, I can guess that it was the alternator. I have also personally been caught out with a worn out alternator.

If you had a car with say, 150/160k+ miles on it, would you have the alternator done? I'm also wondering do mechanics ever recommend it?

Being left on the side of the road is a major PITA and in this instance, totally avoidable. My Range Rover just hit 163k miles and I plan on doing it's alty very soon... not that I would dare take it on a long journey :LMAO

For clarity:
* I wouldn't refurb this myself, but I found a local guy who will do the bush and slip ring for about 50 euro, which is insane value IMHO.

 

[LostKiwi]

Never bothered and I've had cars with 200+k
Only had one car let me down in the past 30 years with an alternator and it was a Toyota Land cruiser with 140k.

 

[Blobcat]

I found an old gent to refurb my 911 alternator when the regulator pack failed - cost me ~£80 and was mechanically and electrically like new - £1,200 from Porsche for a new one...
On the Landy I've just replaced 2... so much mud in them it wasn't worth doing anything with them...

 

[EmilysDad]

Never bothered and I've had cars with 200+k
Only had one car let me down in the past 30 years with an alternator and it was a Toyota Land cruiser with 140k.

the alternator failed on the Roadster .... and apparently they're quite choosy when you replace/repair them

 

[EmilysDad]

..... £1,200 from Porsche for a new one...
.....

That's just taking the proverbial

 

[LostKiwi]

the alternator failed on the Roadster .... and apparently they're quite choosy when you replace/repair them

Mine now has 145k on it and still working fine. The Roadster ones are prone to water spray damage.

 

[Snake Charmer]

Noisy bearings, clutch or low output I take them apart if possible.

 

[AndySlade]

I remember buying a genuine B90 Lucas exchange alternator for my Triumph Spitfire cost about £90. Put it on car and it was clear the bearing was very noisy. Lucas refused to swap it because in their words it was still giving output bearing noise was not a failure! I replaced bearing myself as could not put up with noise. I later worked with a fella who used to work for Lucas, He said Lucas use to buy all the out of spec bearing from Ransom Hoffman Pollard? So why was i so suprised. Never bought another Lucas product since.

 

[rf065]

Only ever had an alternator fail once, about 1985 I think.

 

[Rockron]

Bearing in mind I'm not an autoelectrician, or pro mechanic here's my pearls of wisdom;
For many years it's been considered in (most cases) more economic to go for an exchange unit.
As said generally speaking they're a long lived item often lasting around the average lifespan of the
vehicle.
If a say a bearing goes prematurely, then usually by the time a mechanic has dismantled the unit
it often makes sense to replace other parts, eg regulator with brushes, undercut/skim the sliprings,
remove a recalcitrant pulley, even clean the body and reassemble, then needs to charge £150 for labour.
A non OEM may cost less than this. An exchange basis remanufacturer set up to carry this out through
economy of scale can undercut (not always the case I've found) the retail new OEM price, but may find it
hard to match the price of the non OEM unit, but is more likely to match the OEM in originality of parts.
I reckon it's anyone's guess where those el cheapo non OEM alternators listed on ebay are assembled,
let alone where the components are made.

Buying off the shelf saves having to source what can be difficult to obtain parts, another consideration.

I've repaired/serviced a few over the years, but only when my time wasn't of the essence and just to
see if I could. Having the correct tools helps a lot (of course), but particularly so regarding alternators
due to the various fasteners being invariably bleeding tight! at least that's been my experience.

 

[ajlsl600]

Unless giving problems I only change alts n starters at eng overhaul. Esp if hard to get at.. Ie modern.

 

[Fessel]

One of my late friends had all the gear etc and repaired all sorts of car electrics. I remember a conversation I had with him about alternariors when I had a problem and he said unless the output was less than 13 and a half volts at 2k revs or bearings screaming then leave it alone, he was right, it lasted the car out!

 

[rorywquin]

I found an old gent to refurb my 911 alternator when the regulator pack failed - cost me ~£80 and was mechanically and electrically like new - £1,200 from Porsche for a new one...
On the Landy I've just replaced 2... so much mud in them it wasn't worth doing anything with them...

Ditto got my LandCruiser 200 alternator clogged with mud in the Simpson Desert in Australia (rained for the first time in 15 years & I was there). Limped to Birdsville where they sorted it.

That was the only time in +50 years of driving that I've had an alternator serviced.

I did have to replace a generator on my 1965 ish Mini because I (ignorantly) made the V belt too tight and wore out the bushing at the brushes end.

 

[Conor]

Some interesting data points here, that seem rather contradictory to some experiences I have heard.

Very interesting overall.

I suppose part of the battle is having somebody on hand to refurb at a reasonable price. Considering i'll be taking the Range back off the road for an underside resto, I may as well take out the alty and inspect it for wear and take it from there.

 

[rorywquin]

Some interesting data points here, that seem rather contradictory to some experiences I have heard.

Very interesting overall.

I suppose part of the battle is having somebody on hand to refurb at a reasonable price. Considering i'll be taking the Range back off the road for an underside resto, I may as well take out the alty and inspect it for wear and take it from there.

Could always try to get one from a wrecker.

 

[mioba]

never, I had the alty replaced on my W220 a few years back, guess it was just the bushes that were worn but didnt have the time or inclination of a DIY so had it replaced with a genuine MB one of course.

 

[ajlsl600]

X

One of my late friends had all the gear etc and repaired all sorts of car electrics. I remember a conversation I had with him about alternariors when I had a problem and he said unless the output was less than 13 and a half volts at 2k revs or bearings screaming then leave it alone, he was right, it lasted the car out!

Xactly modern cars will burn ur wallet enough as is, no need to look hardship. If my car was 50k miles and I was plannin a world tour I prob think different, when robbabenz n halfrauds 5 min away I'd rather have a few beers.

 

[EmilysDad]

..... so had it replaced with a genuine MB one of course.

obviously ....