alternator

bohman

bohman

Well-Known Member
Hi folks,

Thanks again to everybody posting advice on my clutch a few weeks back. For what it's worth, I'm still being gentle with it, making sure not to ride it at all, and there hasn't been a problem since. :shrug: We need a smilie for :knockwood:

New question for today: Terbear's car may or may not need a new alternator. I'm not sure if it does yet, but if so, this is one of those rare repairs that I'd be able to handle myself and save a few bucks on labor. Where should I buy one? And should I try to go with a new one, or is there a way to find a deal on a rebuilt one?

The car is a '93 Buick Lesabre, 3.8L V6, if that matters wrt this question.
 
S

Schizo

Guest
bohman said:
Hi folks,

Thanks again to everybody posting advice on my clutch a few weeks back. For what it's worth, I'm still being gentle with it, making sure not to ride it at all, and there hasn't been a problem since. :shrug: We need a smilie for :knockwood:

New question for today: Terbear's car may or may not need a new alternator. I'm not sure if it does yet, but if so, this is one of those rare repairs that I'd be able to handle myself and save a few bucks on labor. Where should I buy one? And should I try to go with a new one, or is there a way to find a deal on a rebuilt one?

The car is a '93 Buick Lesabre, 3.8L V6, if that matters wrt this question.
Click to expand...

Buy a reconditioned one. Good as new. Most auto parts stores have them. Napa, Autozone, etc. Oh, you'll have to give them your old one to get the core charge back.
 
Ponytail

Ponytail

New Member
may or may not be?

Take it to Autozone. Have them do a charging system check on it. They do this for free, and can tell you whether it is your alternator, battery, or other.
While you're there, buy whatever it is that they say is bad. Pick up a Chiltons or Haynes (or both) manual for your car. It'll show/tell ya how to replace that alternator.

:yay: PT
 
S

Schizo

Guest
Ponytail said:
may or may not be?

Take it to Autozone. Have them do a charging system check on it. They do this for free, and can tell you whether it is your alternator, battery, or other.
While you're there, buy whatever it is that they say is bad. Pick up a Chiltons or Haynes (or both) manual for your car. It'll show/tell ya how to replace that alternator.

:yay: PT
Click to expand...


If it's just an alternator, you don't need a manual. IMO.
 
bohman

bohman

Well-Known Member
RoseRed said:
Some men do need a manual.
Click to expand...

No comment. :whistle:

Thanks, I didn't know Autozone offered a charging system check (which tells you a lot about how often I do my own repairs). Here's the long version of why I think that it might need an alternator (at the risk of sounding like a know-nothing rube). We are starting to pick up a lot of radio interference on the stereo, very obviously in tune with the rpm's of the engine, so I thought it might need new plug wires. Over the last weekend, my father in law listened, and was of the opinion that the interference was coming from the alternator and not the plug wires. At idle, the noise from the speakers was still relatively high frequency, not the slower pop-pop-pop that he would have expected to hear if the interference was from the plug wires. Also, there are a few things that have started to intermittently flicker - the radio display, dome light, etc.

So I'm definitely taking the car to autozone and having them check. Can't beat a free service and, if it is the alternator, I'd love to replace it before we kill the battery, get stranded, etc.
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Some alternator replacements WILL need a manual.. I know my Lumina.. 3.4 Euro, you had to take the whole right side of the car apart to get the alternator out, where the same car with the 3.1 you could just reach in and snatch it out!
 
kom526

kom526

They call me ... Sarcasmo
DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BEFORE SWITCH OUT THE ALTERNATOR!!(voice of experience) You could always pm wickedwrench.
 
onebdzee

onebdzee

off the shelf
RoseRed said:
Some men do need a manual.
Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

and some women, too....I usually did(have a new truck that's under warranty now, don't have to do them yet) my own car repairs....save on labor charges....if you do it yourself, you don't have to pay someone $150.00 to change a $5.00 part
 
crabcake

crabcake

But wait, there's more...
kom526 said:
DISCONNECT THE BATTERY BEFORE SWITCH OUT THE ALTERNATOR!!(voice of experience) You could always pm wickedwrench.
Click to expand...
:yeahthat: And DON'T forget to drain your flux capaciter before you disconnect the battery! :nono:
 
DoWhat

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
Put a meter to the battery prior to starting it.
You should read around 12 volts DC.
Start the car and read across the battery again while it is running.
You should read around 14 volts, indicating the alternator is charging the battery.

The noise on the radio can be easily fixed.
Turn it off. Problem solved.

YW.
 
bohman

bohman

Well-Known Member
DoWhat said:
The noise on the radio can be easily fixed.
Turn it off. Problem solved.

YW.
Click to expand...

yeah right, tell that to Terbear and see how far you get with that suggestion.


I will be getting a service manual soon, shouldn't need it for this job but you never know. The Buick does have the advantage of having a really large engine bay for a medium sized engine; most parts are very accessible. Bob, you just reminded me of the Lumina APV that we used to have, it was a nightmare to get access to anything. With the added benefit that the rear 3 spark plugs could only be accessed by taking the engine off the mounts. :frown: Needless to say, replacing them is a job that I didn't take on myself.
 
huntr1

huntr1

.
I say PepBoys. Bought one for our '98 Pontiac back in '01. It died just less than 30 days later. Had the car towed to Pep Boys. They replaced it and reimbursed for the towing. New one lasted for 2 years. It died and I managed to get the car to Jimmy Rader's Auto Shop, and gave them the paperwork from Pep Boys. Pep Boys delivered a replacement to Jimmy's, all free of charge.

I do not blame Pep Boys for the failures of the rebuilt units, it's not like they rebuild them in-house.
 
crabcake

crabcake

But wait, there's more...
huntr1 said:
I do not blame Pep Boys for the failures of the rebuilt units, it's not like they rebuild them in-house.
Click to expand...
No, but you could blame them for continuing to buy them from a crappy supplier. :ohwell:
 
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