Yeah i think I'll leave it till it needs doin

If one of the diodes hasn't gone, you can rebuild them yourself (fair bit of mucking around though, only if cash is really tight and you've got some free time).

Larger auto elec shops sell the bearings and the brushes. You'll need a large vice to hold the pulley whilst you undo the large nut. Use metho (not degreaser or kero) & paint brush to clean up the inside. Soldering iron & some 'freeze spray' to solder on the brush contacts without cooking the diodes.

Watch the rear bearing, don't use ones with a 'clip' around the outside (from a bearing shop), only use the ones with the felt on the outside (from an auto elec) to grip the back of the housing. The ones with the clip are almost impossible to get into the housing without distorting it.

I'm assuming it's a Mitsubishi alternator and not a Bosch for the rebuild. The Bosch ones are usually easier to work on.

If you run a business, would you just remove and fit a new alternator then send the car on its way?

Would you consider testing it before sending the car out? Would that take more time?
Would the customer get on the net and have a sook that the auto elec didn't test the new alternator because another fault existed and he must therefore be crap?
What is the auto elec's trade price for the replacement alternator? Is it the same alternator you got for $30 or $185 or $whatever?

s**t there's lots of things to answer before you can make an informed decision and before you go saying something is or isn't a ripoff.

Hell yeah you can do it cheaper. But you can also do it a lot more expensive.

150 for a reco one
199 new bosche supercheap....

you got ripped....$300 is the standard ripoff public price

9/10 a seconhand one from the wreckers will last at least 2 years...youll probably have a new car by then

im sure ive got a good secondhand one here u can have for $50, then fit it yourself

what been said in this thread is the reason alot of places will not deal with the public anymore.

you all want it for nothing but will jump on the net and bad mouth the second with cheap s**t part fails. bunch of f**k wankers


ok so maybe i should clarafy a bit here.


$300 according to every one is to much and you think all think it a 20min job to fit a second hand altinator you just bought for $50 at the wreckers.
None of you can justify why a mechanic or auto lec would charge $300 plus to do it.

imagine if you can, you take your car to a mechanic or auto lec, he fits a second harn altinator, that at the time of fittment was working. but because he only spent 20mins doing it. all he did was unbolt the old and bolt in the new.

He ignored the the damged drive belt, didn't load test the battery, didn't check the charge systme wiring for obvious damage and didn't do a resistance check of any of the wiring and he ignored the leaking power steering pump.

Your cars go fine for a week or two and then the problems start.
This guy, who has done you a cheap price has left himself open to a number of potenial problems that could cause the dreaded "come-back"

the guy that had the $300 plus price tag would have used a quality new or reco altinator that comes complete with a 2 year warranty. he would have tested your battery and informed you of its condition, he would have spotted and fixed the damaged wiring or found the charge wire had a very resistance and would have replaced it. he would have informed you about the contion of the drive belt and the power steering pump and given you option of replacing and fixing them.
You would have driven out unhappy about the price but happy about the fact you just got good service and that you know the problems are fixed and not just bandaided.

but hey $300 is way to much

Yeah i didn't clarify it was a brand new alternator he was goin to put in and thats where most of the cost was. The real question i wonted answered was "Would it be worth it?" or should i upgrade it? Its my understanding that 13.5 is the norm.

Mine charges at ~14V jumping between 14.0 and 14.4...according to my Voltmeter. I always thought 14.4V was normal unless your alternator is a smaller one in size (I believe mine is standard).

Bad side about not getting it replaced would be that it would slowly deteriorate and the charge rate would drop and suddenly you find yourself driving without the battery being recharged and then finding you get a flat.

I'd personally would find a replacement, be it a reconditioned one or second hand one from a wrecker. You probably would come out ahead knowing your current alternator is already losing charge and on its way out.

Good luck with your decision.

phong =P~

have you actually just tried turning the car off when you get home and seeing if it starts in the morning.

I'm fairly sure the gauge is alternator output - not battery. If its above 12v then it shouldn't be to bad.

As for the leaving it idling for 5 minutes when you get home - I wouldn't really expect this to 'top' up the battery significantly to a level where its a matter of starts or doesn't start.

Dimming headlights - Could be an earth issue. Check your amp earth's as well as your engine block earth, negative terminal etc.


Of course this is speculation - It could be the alternator dying, headlights dimming may be the extra load on the engine just getting the better of it. Just giving you some other options to look into before replacing it.

I only leave it running for 30 - 40 secs or so and once i turn everything off i can see the volts go up. I have just turned it off without charging it and it does start but sometimes it struggles a bit, so i charge it to not risk it.

And now that i think about it you might be right about the gauge being the alt output rather then the battery because when i went to see the elec the readings he was getting was the same as the gauge.

i payed 280 fitted for mine new