alternator help
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 167
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From: Missouri
alternator help
2 days ago i saw my battery charge light was coming on, so i took my car up to autozone to get the battery and alternator checked. the battery was fine but he said the alternator was really weak. so now im stuck with the problem of haveing to go get it fixed somewhere or doing it myself. id reather do it myself for my moneys sake. but i just have know idea on how to do it. everything looks like its a tight fit and i cant see any way i could do it. any one ever try this before, how hard is this to do for someone who has never done it. or should i just opt out and have a shop do it for me? Plus i have a stero system so should i be getting a stroger one?
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 875
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From: Buffalo, NY
Depending on where you live, the bolts may be the hardest thing here. Or trying to get it out from below. PB Blast the bolts first. And take your time wiggling it out. Other than that it's pretty straight foward-unless the bottom is frozen in there. A manual is useful and a lot cheaper than a mechanic. Gte all the belts and do those at the same time.
Not sure about the upgrade though- list what you're trying to power up and someone will know.
Not sure about the upgrade though- list what you're trying to power up and someone will know.
VX Hatch with 431,500!
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 560
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
I changed mine the other day in 15-20 minutes. It's really easy...
1)Disconect battery (very important).
2)10mm nut on top of alt. under rubber boot.
3)remove 12mm bolt between alt. and innner fender where you adjust the belt tension.
4)get under car and pull out the wire plug (should be green). There is a little tab to depress on it on the firewall side of it, and then wiggle it out.
5)one last bolt. Mine was replaced so it may not be the same, but mines a 17mm head bolt with a 15mm nut. Pull the bolt out and the alternator will come out under the car really easy.
Put the new one in in reverse order. Use a prybar or breaker bar to adjust the belt by prying the alternator away from the engine block.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
No kidding, I was suposed to be at work the other day at 11. Instead, at 11 I asked the parts guy to check the alt. like you did. And by 11:35, I was washed up and clocked on at work down the street and I had put the new alternator in.
You can do it.
1)Disconect battery (very important).
2)10mm nut on top of alt. under rubber boot.
3)remove 12mm bolt between alt. and innner fender where you adjust the belt tension.
4)get under car and pull out the wire plug (should be green). There is a little tab to depress on it on the firewall side of it, and then wiggle it out.
5)one last bolt. Mine was replaced so it may not be the same, but mines a 17mm head bolt with a 15mm nut. Pull the bolt out and the alternator will come out under the car really easy.
Put the new one in in reverse order. Use a prybar or breaker bar to adjust the belt by prying the alternator away from the engine block.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
No kidding, I was suposed to be at work the other day at 11. Instead, at 11 I asked the parts guy to check the alt. like you did. And by 11:35, I was washed up and clocked on at work down the street and I had put the new alternator in.
You can do it.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 167
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
well it got cold as Hell and started snowing alittle after i when out and bout the alt. $49.98 from autozone. so i just ended up taken it to a little shop i found for $97 thanx anyway now that i read little more maybe i could hae done it but i needed it fix right away. the hardest part looks like the tighting of the belt. 
Member
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 45
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
on the stereo thing get a capacity. This will also help the life of your alternator. My roommate went through 3 alternators in 1 year in his camaro and finally put a capacity in and never had a problem after that.
Junior Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
that easy?! whoa.... can y ou come visit me please? heh.
Originally Posted by Highmile
I changed mine the other day in 15-20 minutes. It's really easy...
1)Disconect battery (very important).
2)10mm nut on top of alt. under rubber boot.
3)remove 12mm bolt between alt. and innner fender where you adjust the belt tension.
4)get under car and pull out the wire plug (should be green). There is a little tab to depress on it on the firewall side of it, and then wiggle it out.
5)one last bolt. Mine was replaced so it may not be the same, but mines a 17mm head bolt with a 15mm nut. Pull the bolt out and the alternator will come out under the car really easy.
Put the new one in in reverse order. Use a prybar or breaker bar to adjust the belt by prying the alternator away from the engine block.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
No kidding, I was suposed to be at work the other day at 11. Instead, at 11 I asked the parts guy to check the alt. like you did. And by 11:35, I was washed up and clocked on at work down the street and I had put the new alternator in.
You can do it.
1)Disconect battery (very important).
2)10mm nut on top of alt. under rubber boot.
3)remove 12mm bolt between alt. and innner fender where you adjust the belt tension.
4)get under car and pull out the wire plug (should be green). There is a little tab to depress on it on the firewall side of it, and then wiggle it out.
5)one last bolt. Mine was replaced so it may not be the same, but mines a 17mm head bolt with a 15mm nut. Pull the bolt out and the alternator will come out under the car really easy.
Put the new one in in reverse order. Use a prybar or breaker bar to adjust the belt by prying the alternator away from the engine block.
Sounds easy doesn't it?
No kidding, I was suposed to be at work the other day at 11. Instead, at 11 I asked the parts guy to check the alt. like you did. And by 11:35, I was washed up and clocked on at work down the street and I had put the new alternator in.
You can do it.