ALTERNATOR NUMBER 4!!

[B3NN3TT]

Hooray - I am the winner!

Here I sit, covered in dirt, my third dead alternator in less than 3 years sitting at my feet.

Earlier this week, I got a flashing battery light. Intermittent, but persistent. It got worse. Later, it would come on as soon as I start my car; go off for a while. Come on a while. Flicker. Then it would go away, but as soon as I hit 3000 RPM's, all the interior lights went dim, and it cut the heater fan. Then I shift, RPM's go back down to 2500 or so, and everything comes back on. Then yesterday, the batt light comes on in the morning, and it's on steady ALL THE WAY TO WORK. Then as soon as I turn into my office complex, it goes out, and everything's back to normal! Same story on the way home.

Today, I went to help my friend Tom put an alternator on his Buick Century (a 15-minute job, I might add), and the Cougar gave me a solid battery light all afternoon. No flickers, just RED all day. So I just spent the last hour or so removing the old one, and I'm waiting for Lisa to get home so I can take the Saturn to Autozone to get my... FREE REPLACEMENT! Love that lifetime guarantee. Hopefully they won't jerk me around...

As a special bonus, I did this one without dropping my exhaust, so it CAN BE DONE!

Don't ya love these friggin' cars? :banghead:

[Propain]

I just wanted to give my condolences. My last car had the same problem cuz I had a system in it. I guess the alt. just couldn't handle it, then it fried the new one I put it in. So I know what you're going through and it's not fun. That's when i bought my cougar. No problems yet! It wasn't fun taking apart my custom box to trade it in, and now i'm waiting on building a new custom box to put it in my cougar, this time with a cap worked into the mix so i don't get the same problem hopefully. I'm hoping i can get a chance to check out some fiberglass work so i could get some new ideas!

[B3NN3TT]

It's finally over; alternator #4 is installed and functional. Autozone gave me a free replacement, no problems at all. I also added a Gatorback while I was in there, so I got that covered.

And for the record - you don't HAVE to remove the Y-pipe, but it sure helps. I think it took me longer to do because I didn't drop it this time.

I even washed the car after I was done :)

[Bexcat]

The 6 times I had mine in and out I didn't mess w/ the exhaust and I had it down to about 1hr.

[OSUStallion]

what are your tricks for getting it out? do you need to remove the ball joint/tie rod connection?


Tony

[Rikenbomb]

Sorry to hear about your luck. Just to let you know MSD produces alternators for our cars now. Yes that's right, the same company that makes those sweet ignition systems.

[B3NN3TT]

Originally posted by: OSUStallion
what are your tricks for getting it out? do you need to remove the ball joint/tie rod connection?


Tony


Yes. The alternator has to come out through the fenderwell, and if the tie rod is connected, it won't come out.

Otherwise, just lots and lots of extensions on your socket, and a good u-joint. And patience. And small hands...

[silverkat]

Ugh, sorry to hear about your troubles. I wonder why some people's alternators are fine while others replace one a year. I remember the hell I (as in Tony and Slade) went through once, I'd hate to do it 4 times. At least it was free, but hope this is the last time.

[OSUStallion]

yeah i figured thats how that piece came out. I thought maybe there was a trick! I have replaced mine..twice I think... Everytime I get to the part where I have to take it out... and I think.. man there has to be an easier way to get this baby loose!