Car alternator (pictures, need advice)
August 5th, 2016
I recently went to the garage and the guy told me I should change the alternator and the belt sooner rather than later (he meant withing a month or so). He concluded this by just a quick look, so how trustworthy is this?
I made (or tried to make) some picture of the alternator and would appreciate your advice.
It is a renault clio 2004 diesel, not sure if this is important…
Here are the pictures:
http://s24.postimg.org/mvpfft0px/20150616_121836.jpg
http://s2.postimg.org/n6wjuvd5l/20150616_121842.jpg
http://s10.postimg.org/glel5ytbt/20150616_121849.jpg
http://s27.postimg.org/d80qrdieb/20150616_121854.jpg
http://s17.postimg.org/96hq5bshb/20150616_121925.jpg
http://s2.postimg.org/c9ztjufrt/20150616_121933.jpg
http://s30.postimg.org/jblcgs7v5/20150616_121951.jpg
Well it looks like something is wearing away at the inside edge of the belt which might cause it to break. It just kind of depends if something is locked up and not spinning freely or if the belt was put on wrong allowing the inside edge to rub against something. I would definitely look into it.
But no, you can’t tell if an alternator is bad just by looking at it unless it’s been on fire and things are melted and/or charred. As long as it turns freely, the only way to know for sure is with test equipment that checks it’s output.
If you can, take the belt loose and spin the alternator pulley, tensioner pulley and any idler pulleys by hand. They should spin freely and noise free. If you hear/feel any kind of bearing drag spinning them by hand then you can bet they make a lot more noise and bearing drag spinning at 1000’s of RPMs.
I’d say, belt for sure – it’s not super urgent but it’ll need changing soon. It’s worn but not going to break right now.
No – you can’t tell, just by looking, if the alternator is good or FUBAR. Only output tests under load can give an idea.
Alternators tend to break down in three stages: working fine, 100% to about 90%… then a sudden drop to crappy output, 20% of ability, then dead.
If it’s charging the battery OK then it’s fine – if the battery is often flat then change the alternator (AFTER testing the battery, they die more than alt’s do)
To be honest – it looks fine. But looks can’t tell.
When you remove the belt, just make sure there is no real noticeable play on the pulley which means worn bearings.
Also if you are getting noise from the alternator, it could be that..
There is no way you can tell is an alternator needs replacing just by looking at it, especially if the engine is not turning over. Whoever told you that is a rip off merchant.
As has already been mentioned, if your battery is charging and all the lights and electrics are working OK there is nothing wrong with it unless it is very noisy, and that can be hard to tell if the engine is running. Just check there is a slight give in the belts tension, and I do mean very slight. If there is more than a few millimeters the belts might need tightening up a bit and this is usually done by slackening off the alternator bolts then using a piece of stick (I used to use a crowbar) to lever the alternator outward until the belt tension is satisfactory. Then you hold it in that position as you tighten at least one bolt to keep it there.
Again, as already mentioned, it’s more likely the battery will go first if you are having electric supply problems. With a sealed battery you have to replace it, but with older batteries a lot of car owners forget to top up the battery cells with distilled water and the cells dry out leaving the battery quite dead if not attended to.
My first question would be what was the reason you had a mechanic looking at your engine? Was there some related issue?
The thing with belts is that generally they operate more than one piece of equipment. On belt can drive the alternator, the AC compressor and power steering.
Worn belts will usually give you some hints that they need to be changed. Fraying or glazing and noise are key.
You can see here the belt is misaligned with the pulley… May have been incorrectly installed or could have an idler or tensioner pulley going bad causing the belt to move off the center of the pulley..
Opps double postedish, disregard this one.
Hard to post on mobiles.
The belt looks smooth, needs to be replaced.
You can tell by the belt if it still has the part number markings.
A slipping belt should be changed as soon as possible as you will overheat the pulley bearings.
They usually don’t recommend changing an alternator unless its making weird noises or the charging voltage is obnormal. Pulleys should be checked during the process as it migrates onto other pulleys as well.
Probe the voltage on the battery terminals while the engine is running, you should get around 13-14 volts depending on the condition of the alternator. A clamp-on current meter is also a plus, you can see the current output of the alternator.
Depending on how big your engine is, your alternator may output from 60 amps plus. That is usually for a modern 3 cylinder engine on a fast idle.
I’ve seen drive belts fail at around 60000km’s.
Good brands are Gates, Dayco etc.
If your on a tight leash, you can get the lower cost ones like Bando, used by Toyota and lasts around 70000km.
If the engine is leaking operating fluids, fix those first.
Thanks guys, I’ll try answer the questions, and re-read your advice.
@
I went there to change the filters and oils and he told me next time to change the belt and alternator.
@
If you check the last picture, it shows the belt is not connected to what you assume? Am I right?
@
There was leakage, not sure if it’s fixed by now. I bought a spray called “brake cleaner” with (quoting) high dissolving properties. Thought I could use it on the places where there was leakage (quoting again) “Non-corrosive, leaves no residue, non-conductive”.
Well it looks like something is wearing away at the inside edge of the belt which might cause it to break.
I've seen drive belts fail at around 60000km's. Good brands are Gates, Dayco etc. If your on a tight leash, you can get the lower cost ones like Bando, used by Toyota and lasts around 70000km.
So, I guess I’ll just change the belt for now.
If it's charging the battery OK then it's fine - if the battery is often flat then change the alternator (AFTER testing the battery, they die more than alt's do)
if your battery is charging and all the lights and electrics are working OK there is nothing wrong with it
My brother in law changed the battery a good month ago. The last one failed to start the car, and I’ve also read the battery lifetime is around 5 years… What’s the lifetime of an alternator?
With a sealed battery you have to replace it, but with older batteries a lot of car owners forget to top up the battery cells with distilled water and the cells dry out leaving the battery quite dead if not attended to.
When should I do this and how do I know which type of battery this is?
If your battery has caps on it that you can screw off or pries off by hand or with a screwdriver,
remove them periodically to check the distilled water level is over the plates..Top up if necessary.
Otherwise you don’t have to do anything..
I always choose a battery that you can top up.
I mean how silly it it to have a battery die because all it really needed was a drink of water!
Cleaning oil and grease off the motor can be done by spraying with a cheap can of degreaser
and hosing off with a garden hose…Just don’t spray water directly onto electrical stuff.
If your battery has caps on it that you can screw off or pries off by hand or with a screwdriver,
remove them periodically to check the distilled water level is over the plates..Top up if necessary.
Otherwise you don't have to do anything..
I always choose a battery that you can top up.
I mean how silly it it to have a battery die because all it really needed was a drink of water!
I think I have one like this (I’ll check it out later):
You mean the red and the black cap?
Can you tell me more from your own experience:
So you can choose between this battery and another one? It’s all up to you? What are the main disadvantages… Also what is periodically in your eyes and what is price difference between both batteries? How long is the lifetime of your battery?
Cleaning oil and grease off the motor can be done by spraying with a cheap can of degreaser
and hosing off with a garden hose...Just don't spray water directly onto electrical stuff.
Allright, thanks. The one I bought is the same ting I guess.
Serpentine belt is a piece of cake to do yourself. Look on youtube for any nuances relative to your particular vehicle. You’ll save between $80.00 and $100.00 doing it yourself. Takes about 2 minutes.
It’s called serpentine belt? Have you read ‘ reponse?
You mean him calling it a “drive belt”? I guess you could call it that. It looks like he’s an Aussie, and I don’t know what they call it down under. Where I’m from they call it a serpentine belt. Just the belt that drives the pulleys.
You mean him calling it a "drive belt"? I guess you could call it that. It looks like he's an Aussie, and I don't know what they call it down under. Where I'm from they call it a serpentine belt. Just the belt that drives the pulleys.
I’m from NZ, in oceania, people call it drive belt because “it drives auxilaries”.
It is technically a serpentine belt type or multi-ribbed belt.
Older cars like Datsun 120Y’s use V-belts as auxillary drive.
Depends on the type of tensioner, you might have to manually tension it.
As long as you tug it with your index finger and it moves bugger all, its fine.
Drive belt deflection is usually 5mm or was it with ribbed belts.
You can get a Krikit gauge from Gates if you want to be sure, but there isn’t any point.
I bought one for $50 on Ebay and never used it once as I work on BMW’s all the time.
Or if you have a BMW for instance, the tensioner is spring loaded, so don’t need to do adjustment.
Some alternators last the car, some die early, but untill you know that it doesn’t charge the car or the bearing is noisy, leave it as is. A car can have major repair work done before that or get totalled. Not worth spending pointless money. Care should be drawn to your cooling system.
Depending on how old your car is, the battery might matter to an extent.
But I wouldn’t worry about it unless your gearbox is automatic and it is shifting funny.
BMW’s for instance, the car’s computer needs to know the battery type fitted otherwise it can’t charge it properly.
If you got a battery, just stick with it.
Once you breakdown, just carry a set of jump leads.
But be sure to connect red to red first and black to the engine lifting hook. That way if it arcs, there is less chance of the battery exploding.
Keep the other car running, do fast idle on it (2000rpm ish).
And then just crank the car with the dead battery.
Rush to the autoparts store and get a battery.
Of course remove black first if your done.
And yes, brake cleaner is the universal oil desolver, but simply brake cleaning the oil stains is not technically a fix.
It just delays the oil going onto the floor. Oil leak develops from a sweat, usually gaskets or hoses, clamps be replaced to fix it.
If your battery has caps on it that you can screw off or pries off by hand or with a screwdriver,
remove them periodically to check the distilled water level is over the plates..Top up if necessary.
Otherwise you don't have to do anything..
I always choose a battery that you can top up.
I mean how silly it it to have a battery die because all it really needed was a drink of water!
I think I have one like this (I'll check it out later):
You mean the red and the black cap?
Can you tell me more from your own experience:
So you can choose between this battery and another one? It's all up to you? What are the main disadvantages... Also what is periodically in your eyes and what is price difference between both batteries? How long is the lifetime of your battery?
Cleaning oil and grease off the motor can be done by spraying with a cheap can of degreaser
and hosing off with a garden hose...Just don't spray water directly onto electrical stuff.
Allright, thanks. The one I bought is the same ting I guess.
The red and black caps in the picture are just plastic protectors for the connectors underneath. If you buy a new one like that you just remove the plastic caps and attach the power leads to the battery. It’s always best to connect the positive one (red) first then the negative (black). The battery you show is also ‘maintenance free’ which means it never needs topping up (same as a sealed battery). But if the plastic cover with ‘maintenance free’ written on it is removable you can check every so often to see the acid levels are OK.
If you ever have to top up a battery with removable plugs for filling with distilled water make sure you fill up to just cover the plates you can see inside.
A can of WD40 is the best ‘degreaser’ and general use liquid tool you will ever find.
A few things to remember.
1.NEVER use brake cleaner on anything except brakes, it’s VERY bad on rubber and plastic, and paint..
2. your battery is maintenance free, you can’t add water.
3. the alignment of the pulleys is not correct, either the alternator, or the idler pulley is not aligned properly, either bent or worn, or just not installed properly. that will cause the serpentine belt to wear excessively and squeal
A few things to remember.
1.NEVER use brake cleaner on anything except brakes, it's VERY bad on rubber and plastic, and paint..
2. your battery is maintenance free, you can't add water.
3. the alignment of the pulleys is not correct, either the alternator, or the idler pulley is not aligned properly, either bent or worn, or just not installed properly. that will cause the serpentine belt to wear excessively and squeal
When it comes to squealing you may find the water pump (driven by one of the belts) is worth checking out … they can make quite a squealing noise when the bearings get worn or if it packs up altogether.
lotsa good points here, so I will add my own, to OP.
So the guy says something, ok, take it in stride and get a second opinion.
SO
-The cable/pully may be failing, but wait until some thing happens is more imortant, anything can break, anytime and one fault can cause the other to fail
-On average, a car baterry will last 5 years…every car I’ve had, Iv’e had to change the battery this way…it just dies, get over it. caps or no caps, hence maintenace free, seem to work the same , 5 years, and been driving 40 years, same isssue.
– if you have a slow/strobe flashing instrument pa, inside lights/windows/door locks/radio etc and even the running lights at night ( normally somebody else will tell you) then this is a sign the Alt is going bad. Volatge may be “high ish” at 12-13 amp, but means one of the three brushes has died/burnt out and you need to replace the brush. Repalce the Alt is better, unless you understand how easy it is and not in a hurry and get ready to replace the other two.
Much to explain, but not the scope for this here.
good luck
You mean him calling it a "drive belt"? I guess you could call it that. It looks like he's an Aussie, and I don't know what they call it down under. Where I'm from they call it a serpentine belt. Just the belt that drives the pulleys.
Yeah, but also the brands and the advice.
I've seen drive belts fail at around 60000km's. Good brands are Gates, Dayco etc. If your on a tight leash, you can get the lower cost ones like Bando, used by Toyota and lasts around 70000km.
And yes, brake cleaner is the universal oil desolver, but simply brake cleaning the oil stains is not technically a fix.
It just delays the oil going onto the floor. Oil leak develops from a sweat, usually gaskets or hoses, clamps be replaced to fix it.
Thanks. The mechanic should have fixed the leak, but I seen the cables and tubes are greased up.
A few things to remember.
1.NEVER use brake cleaner on anything except brakes, it's VERY bad on rubber and plastic, and paint..
Yeah, I noticed “Cover lacquered and plastic parts.” – Thanks for the reminder.
A can of WD40 is the best 'degreaser' and general use liquid tool you will ever find.
I don’t understand? WD40 is made to grease things up?
3. the alignment of the pulleys is not correct, either the alternator, or the idler pulley is not aligned properly, either bent or worn, or just not installed properly. that will cause the serpentine belt to wear excessively and squeal
-The cable/pully may be failing, but wait until some thing happens is more imortant, anything can break, anytime and one fault can cause the other to fail
Thanks, guys. How do you notice this? Can you check picture 6 and 7 please? Can you check @ post?
This one:
https://www..org/viewtopic.php?p=87397030#87397030
If you check this picture and the last picture, it shows the belt is not connected to what he assumes? Am I right?
I don't understand? WD40 is made to grease things up?
It works fine, at least it always did for me. Every 4/6 months I’d go into one of those car washes that uses a pressure wash gun hose thingy and give the engine and under the wheel arches a good clean with that and I never had any problems. But the best thing for cleaning engines and everything else beneath a car/vehicle is a steam clean. You get places that specialize in this (needs a pit) but they do cost a bit. The only problem with a steam clean is the jet is very pressurized and it can remove bad rust underneath and if the rust has eaten through the metal it can leave a hole that will need filing in.
I should mention that when I did the above I had a diesel engine and diesel engines unlike petrol engines don’t need a spark to ignite the fuel, it’s done by pressure using injectors to squirt the fuel into the piston chamber.
As for what said ….. If the engine and everything else is working OK then all that should be connected is connected.
I don't understand? WD40 is made to grease things up?
As said it can do many things, except its only a aerosol with lubricating properties that doesn’t last long.
For things like locks, I’d use graphite powder, doesn’t jam in the dirt as with WD.
Dissolving oils, I prefer Brake Cleaner, if it is critical that plastic cannot be ruined, you can just clean it off later with compressed air or water, Brake cleaner evaporates fairly quickly and doesn’t leave any residue. You can use pressure blaster to clean an engine, just steer away from the air filter box, airflow sensor and any wiring harness. Of course, the best time to pressure blast an engine is with the engine running, douse the engine with a heavy duty degreaser, let it work a bit and blast it off with the pressure, try to keep a distance and not exceed 2000 psi, otherwise you can ruin gaskets and start oil leaks by mistake.
It works fine, at least it always did for me. Every 4/6 months I'd go into one of those car washes that uses a pressure wash gun hose thingy and give the engine and under the wheel arches a good clean with that and I never had any problems.
Allright, so spray the tubes and parts in with WD40 and wash it off? That should do the trick?
Of course, the best time to pressure blast an engine is with the engine running, douse the engine with a heavy duty degreaser, let it work a bit and blast it off with the pressure, try to keep a distance and not exceed 2000 psi, otherwise you can ruin gaskets and start oil leaks by mistake.
Thanks. Why keep the engine running?
As for what said ..... If the engine and everything else is working OK then all that should be connected is connected.
No, wait. What I understand from his post is the following:
http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad315/011/pulley_zpsi1kszozs.jpg
You can see here the belt is misaligned with the pulley... May have been incorrectly installed or could have an idler or tensioner pulley going bad causing the belt to move off the center of the pulley..
The pulley is the ribbed wheel I guess? If so, than you can see over here that the belt is going to another wheel, and not even touching the ‘pulley’.
http://s30.postimg.org/jblcgs7v5/20150616_121951.jpg
I’m not sure what part is what in the picture, but I don’t understand the misalligned thing when it’s not even connected?
Thanks. Why keep the engine running?
With heat chemicals work faster and water evaporates quicker.
You can also effectively clean the belt and pulleys.
Thanks guys.
Anyone verify the belt issue? Would appreciate…
Thanks guys. look here. you can check the alignment with a straightedge.
Anyone verify the belt issue? Would appreciate...https://www.google.com/search?q=belt+alignment ALSO, WD40 is flammable, if you spray that on a hot or running engine, you could have a fire, don’t do that..
The pulley is the ribbed wheel I guess? If so, than you can see over here that the belt is going to another wheel, and not even touching the 'pulley'.
http://s30.postimg.org/jblcgs7v5/20150616_121951.jpg
I'm not sure what part is what in the picture, but I don't understand the misalligned thing when it's not even connected?
Not sure about the belt issue but the belt could be connected to the ribbed pully underneath. There is also likely to be a tensioner pully (which could be the pully above the ribbed one in your image)
Without being there it’s not easy to sus it out. Try doing a google search for ‘Clio 2004 fan belt setup’ or ‘Clio 2004 cam belt setup’ then have a look at the images google throws up to help you out.
If you can afford a Haynes manual buy one of those because I always swore by those with every car I had in the past.
Thanks. I’ll take a look into it.
If you can afford a Haynes manual buy one of those because I always swore by those with every car I had in the past.
I heard of those before http://www.haynes.com/
Here’s a link to the Haynes manual for Clio petrol and diesel for years 2001/2005.
Haynes manuals are very comprehensive and unlike the owners handbook they contain all the details and images to help do all repair work to your car apart from bodywork and painting. http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&productId=28301
Thanks guys, I'll try answer the questions, and re-read your advice.
@
If you check the last picture, it shows the belt is not connected to what you assume? Am I right?
OK that’s much clearer in the last pic, I skipped over that one… The pic I looked at was giving an optical illusion due to the angle of the view…
Thanks for your reply, man.
Also, thanks for the shortcut,
So, a few months later, my new battery could not start my car. I did some research and what I found was it could be
* the battery
* the alternator
* the starter
What I did notice in the meantime;
* some little drops from the headlights when driving the car
* last time drove to work and my power steering got disabled, steering went hard
* my speed got disabled for a little moment while driving, I couldn’t read how much I was driving (engine was still running)
* my wipers did work, however the highest speed got disabled. So instead of wiper-speed 0, 1, 2, 3 I got 0, 0, 1, 2
* when starting the car I only got to hear a “click!” sound
What I’m up to now:
* I charged the battery full with a portable battery charger (in my house), so I’m going to test it as following;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COJr7OB23Hw
1/ put the lights on for about 2 min.
2/ measure: should be around 12
3/ start the engine: should drop to above 10 and go back up to 14
I also read that if the charge does not go up to 14 when running the engine then something should be wrong with the alternator; which I will test like this;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGB6ZEjGm7Q
I think the dude from the garage was right last time! Funny!
Depends on what car you have and what year model. A modern car will not allow the alternator output to go up unless there is allot of electrical loads.
What you mentioned is a load of everything.
A clicking noise on ignition position on crank means the starter only is moving the gear into the toothed assembly on your flywheel (or flexplate if you have an automatic). It is not turning the engine over.
Could be a flat or worn battery or faulty starter in this case.
Power steering can vary, depends on what drives the power assist.
An electric power steering rack or hydraulic.
Electric will need power of course. Hydraulic, you will need fluid (mainly atf) in the bottle with the drive belt acting on the pump.
The lights are a dead giveaway, your alternator is no good.
Wheres a battery could be faulty due to a faulty alternator, in that case you need to change the battery as well.
Lets just say that a undercharged battery is dangerious.
But a good diagnosis is a must. Charge your battery up and load test it.
If you are unsure, take the car to a workshop and pay them to diagnose the fault.
An auto-electrician should be better at diagnosing your problems than a general mechanic..
But a good diagnosis is a must. Charge your battery up and load test it.
Fully charged at home.
I have installed the battery and measured the voltage. And then started the engine. This went flawlessly and the voltage did not really go up. It went down to 10.x and back up to 12.8 or 12.9 so…
Put on the lights, fog, ventilator, it went down to 12.7 or so.
I’ ll probably go out on wednessday to buy an alternator and belt and then re measure everything!
That belt is worn on the side. Take a piece of hose put it up to your ear, put other end near each pulley while running. You will hear the noisy one. If no,take belt off. First feel around the pulleys to see if there is a nick that’s cutting it. If so sand or file. Grab each pulley and listen for noise when spun or if it wiggles slightly. Shade tree mechanic time for those W/O diagnostic tools. Starter clicks, of course check battery connections first and clean them anyway. Just dip the ends in a baking soda solution. When you put them back on be sure to cover well with vasoline or grease (after they are tightened). Won’t corrode anymore. While you have cables off put them back on leaving the positive loose. Squeeze positive with some pliers, locking wrench, etc.. start it, turn everything on and remove positive from battery. If alternator can keep things running it’s OK. If starter still clicks smack it with a broom, shovel, handle whatever from above and if it starts after a few tries it’s bad. You won’t hurt it, it’s tough. FYI, be very careful when putting distilled water in a battery. Make sure it’s distilled not “drinking” water. Be very sure to clean the top of the battery well before pulling caps, be careful adding water (it’s acid man), do not fill to the top there should be a plastic wall between the cells. Fill to the top of that. If you get dirt in a cell you’re done. Cleaning an engine? As above WD Forty is flammable but being nothing more than diesel fuel it’s not easy to light (don’t try this at home). As above go to a car wash and soap clean then rinse. Modern vehicles are made to start wet but don’t get outta hand and let it cool first. No car wash? Get one of those lawn bug killer things you hook to a hose, fill with Dawn dish soap (I said Dawn) and have fun. Do it somewhere you’re not worried about the grease landing. (Neighbor’s driveway?) BTW serpentine belts s@ck. My finger hurts
While you have cables off put them back on leaving the positive loose. Squeeze positive with some pliers, locking wrench, etc.. start it, turn everything on and remove positive from battery. If alternator can keep things running it's OK.
Thanks for your feedback.
Isn’t it a rule to never leave the negative connected without positive?
Also the battery flattens the charge of the alternator? If I remove the battery while running the alternator could damage itself?
Isn’t measuring enough information?
While you have cables off put them back on leaving the positive loose. Squeeze positive with some pliers, locking wrench, etc.. start it, turn everything on and remove positive from battery. If alternator can keep things running it's OK.
Thanks for your feedback.
Isn’t it a rule to never leave the negative connected without positive?
Also the battery flattens the charge of the alternator? If I remove the battery while running the alternator could damage itself?
Isn’t measuring enough information?
It’s a bit risky these days to disconnect the battery with the engine running.
The voltage could shoot up and damage the engine management computer.
(It’s a bit different than when you only had a coil and a set of points to worry about!)
OK, so you put in your good charged up battery and you will see about 12.5 Volts across it with the engine not running.
While you are cranking the starter, the volts drops to 9-10 Volts..
Once it has started and is idling away nicely, the voltage should rise to about 14 to 14.4 Volts and stay
pretty much that way whenever the car is running.
This puts the charge back in the battery and keeps it charged.
The voltage you measured (12.8V) is not enough and I would suspect a faulty alternator (maybe it’s alternator diodes or regulator)
Often an alternator with a blown diode will charge just enough to put out the alternator light, but not enough to do anything useful.
Of course it can be a loose belt but you can usually hear a lot of squealing as you rev the engine, when that happens!
Of course it can be a loose belt but you can usually hear a lot of squealing as you rev the engine, when that happens!
Another failure mode is a slight squeal on initial acceleration for a short time, it can be a seized alternator pulley.
Hey guys,
If I start the car, I do have a little squeal and then it fades.
I havent teied
Hey guys,
If I start the car, I do have a little squeal and then it fades.
I havent teied
Could be a few reasons:
A loose pulley bolt.
A worn pulley or seized.
Belt tension not correct – could be due to tensioner not set right, a worn belt.
You can diagnose a belt by using a little bit of silicone spray.
Once you fitted the new parts, check the belt alignment, see if there is any odd pulley movements.
Hey guys,
If I start the car, I do have a little squeal and then it fades.
I havent teied
Could be a few reasons:
A loose pulley bolt.
A worn pulley or seized.
Belt tension not correct - could be due to tensioner not set right, a worn belt.
You can diagnose a belt by using a little bit of silicone spray.
Once you fitted the new parts, check the belt alignment, see if there is any odd pulley movements.
I got disconnected while editing my post.
I havent tried the trick with the hose (so I can detect where the sound exactly comes from). I ll try more if.I can assembly the alternator.
One question;
I found an alternative alternator, this is my part number
8200120286
Renault Clio 1.5 diesel 48 kw 65 hp year 2004
This is the alternative that I found
8200772726
When googling this number it mentions 90 Amps.
Also I went to check it out and the guy told me his alternator was for cars on petrol and mines was for diesel.
The alternator looks almost identical but the connection is a little bit smaller and the head for the belt is bigger. He suggested I could modify the connection and head easely so it fits the connector and belt.
Is this done or not done?
I would stick to genuine or refurbished parts with the right part number. Bolts straight in and no issues. Being a diesel, I would also check the harmonic balancer for cracks or signs of wear, will save you from getting stranded.
Doing modification on pulley is a pain in the ass, you need a special puller.
The connection must be good as well.