3 blown alternators!

[t3t4turbo]

so my car broke down 300 miles away ( 600 miles round trip ) and I just got it back tonight affter 3 blown alternators. We ended up having to switch batterys in my bros civic every 30 miles or so. But anyways, I need help, well the first alternator to go froze tottaly and broke the belt, the pully might as well been welded to the alternator. The other 2 the voltage would at first stay around 13v then affter about 20 miles would spike to over 15v, making the lights bright as hell, then it just stoped working and the battery started dieing.

Any help?????? Im not a happy man right now

 

[AdoreGSX]

Is your heatsheild off?

 

[t3t4turbo]

yeah, the heat shield is off cause I have a external wastegtate. But it was off with the first alternator too that lasted for a long time, its also blowing these alternators in no time at all. arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[dustyb]

you might also have an electrical problem. alternators aren't built at all to charge up your battery, they are just there to sustain the power and run all the electrical shit. when your alternator has to start charging it just kills it. happened on my 1g laser a few times before i fixed a wiring problem, but then another bad wiring problem came up. so you migh twant to start checking for wire shorts in teh harness or something.....

 

[t3t4turbo]

well I know about a week befor this happend I had hooked up a amp for my subs in the trunk and it worked fine for a couple hours then freaked out, the next day my car wouldent start so I took out every wire that had anything to do with that amp and the car started fine, then a couple days later the alternator tottaly freezes and every other alternator I put on blows up in 15 to 20 min. I am not sure where the short would be, any advise on where to look or any hints to find the short? Could this have messed up my ECU and the ECU is making the alternators blow?

 

[Kevin90GSX]

These dont happen to be cheap rebuilds from like Advance Auto Parts are they?

I know I also went through 3 alternators when I was running the World Class junkie Advance ones.

I finally upgraded to an ACDELCO and I havent had a problem since then. My suggestion is get a GOOD alternator and have then check it before you leave.

One Advance I went to had 2 BRAND NEW BAD alternators in stock. Never trust that just cause its in a new box its a good working alternator.

Good luck and keep us updated.

 

[t3t4turbo]

one of the alternators was a brand new Boch ( and I had it tested), I have been told there a good brand to buy, but it lasted about 15 min just like the other one I installed =o/

any one know a good place to start looking for shorts at?

Thankis for your help.

 

[1LE]

Oil leaking onto the alternator? I lost one to that...

 

[DROOPY209]

i went throught 6 alternators from auto zone before i got one that actually worked......i almost pulled out every hair on my head(exxagerating) trying to find a short........it ended up being the alternator every time..........it would test good on their machines but not on my car.........after 6 alternators i finnaly got one that was working.........

now i can change my alternator in less the 5 minutes...........so its good that i learned how to replace a alternator quickly.......you get good at it after you replace em a bunch of times........check the power wire off the alternator........disconnect it from the alternator and the alternator fuse and check it for continuiuty............make sure its not grounding out somewhere.......

 

[t3t4turbo]

Oil leaking onto the alternator? I lost one to that...

I apears to be celan from oil, its a little black from frying itself though

 

[Kevin90GSX]

haha I to am an alternator changing master.

Anyway I still think its the alternator. Check the fuse that is located near the passenger fender. Its the fuse for the alternator. Who knows it could be blown.

 

[RamenPride]

one of the alternators was a brand new Boch ( and I had it tested), I have been told there a good brand to buy, but it lasted about 15 min just like the other one I installed =o/

I'm pretty sure it was a rebuilt unit. Most of the alternators they sell at auto parts store are rebuilds. I'm on my third alternator as well. The stock one wasn't putting out enough volts, so I replaced it with a Bosch. About a year later my lights were flickering and voltage would spike to 16V. Replaced it with a rebuilt ACDelco and everything's okay so far.

 

[t3t4turbo]

haha I to am an alternator changing master.

Anyway I still think its the alternator. Check the fuse that is located near the passenger fender. Its the fuse for the alternator. Who knows it could be blown.

yeah, the fuse did blow on the first alternator but I replaced it, hasent blown sence though.

 

[t3t4turbo]

yeah, the fuse did blow on the first alternator but I replaced it, hasent blown sence though.

I will try a ACdelco alternator as soon as I get the money too, but I think it may just blow like the other 3 did. Maybe I should just get a factory one uh? I still think its something else making these things blow but you could be right. You owe me $170 if tis one blows to

 

[Kevin90GSX]

If they keep blowing bro you may have to basically check EVERY SINGLE wire connection in your car. Could take you a longgggggggggg time.

 

[blue92laser]

Alright, I didnt get to read through everyone of them, and Im sure this was said and already done but did you ever check the 80amp alternator fuse. I know mine was blown and I drove around and replaced the alternator twice and then I finally figured out after avbout 120 dollars that it was a 3 dollar fuse. So take a look if you haven't.

just my .02 cents

 

[Kevin90GSX]

Alright, I didnt get to read through everyone of them, and Im sure this was said and already done but did you ever check the 80amp alternator fuse. I know mine was blown and I drove around and replaced the alternator twice and then I finally figured out after avbout 120 dollars that it was a 3 dollar fuse. So take a look if you haven't.

just my .02 cents

It would be beneficial to read through the other posts prior to posting. Changing the fuse was already suggested and he stated that he had. Taking the extra 2 minutes to skim over the thread isnt a bad idea.

 

[jjbrasil]

yea the same thing happened to me, i bought a new alt. that went bad after like 1 day of driving so i take it back get a new one...and the same thing happened and only this time when i took it back it tested fine so i spent so long trying to figure it out! so finally i took it back and it tested bad this time :thumbdown dont ask me why! and i recieved anouther rebuild and this time the alt. has worked fine..but it ocasionally spikes to 15volts once in a while

 

[t3t4turbo]

So right now here is where I am at on the alternator thing.

1. I know its the voltage regulators that keep going out.

2. I know atleast one of the alternators was good casue it was used on my
old eclipse for 2 or 3 months with 0 probs so that gets rid of the all the alternators where bad idea.

3. Its not the battery casue I replaced that with a brand new one.

So now im stuck and my poor poor DSM is down and im stuck driving a Civic!

 

[luv2rallye]

well I know about a week befor this happend I had hooked up a amp for my subs in the trunk...

I am not sure where the short would be, any advise on where to look or any hints to find the short?

Either you are drawing more current from the alternator than it is rated for (added amp for your subs and what else???) in which case you need a higher capacity alternator OR you do have a full/partial short OR your battery is bad (even new ones can be bad - should load test it with battery tester to be sure).

To find a short use the following proceedure:

To find a short, first disconnect the obvious devices (eg. taillights if blowing taillight fuse) to see if fuse still blows. Also try disconnecting everything that is or may be on that fuse’s circuit or anything suspicious or recently worked on that’s electrical. Disconnect anything electrical that doesn’t work. Examine the wiring and connectors on the things you disconnect to see if they are frayed, broken, melted, wet, or touching other wires or metal. 95% of the time you will find the short this way (which is also the quickest).

If it still blows you will have to use a tougher technique. Replace the fuse that blows (temporarily and only for testing purposes) with an actual small 12 volt light bulb like a marker light or license plate light (don't try to start the engine with it in). The bulb will limit the current so you now don’t have to worry about any short melting wires. You will have to solder wires on the bulb or put it in a socket with wires. Then insert the wires into the slots where the fuse was. If there is a short, it will lite brightly (no short may lite it half bright along with the a device doing the other half, or it may not lite at all). Then start disconnecting one at a time (1) things that don’t work, (2) suspected things, and (3) anything on that circuit. When you disconnect the item that is causing the short, the light will go out (so it's a great detection device). Keep in mind the short may be in the wiring or fusebox which is harder to find, but first check all the easier, more obvious devices and places.

Here is also a helpful link: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54846

 

[Jimmy Jr.]

I've lost one to oil spill, one to blown regulator and one to spun bearing. DSMs; turning ordianry people into master mechanics.

I timed myself the last time I replaced it and it took 22 mins and 36 secs. Next time I'm going to shoot for a sub 20 min replacement time.

 

[t3t4turbo]

i am getting a new alternator tomorrow and I still have not found any problems.
I'm worried that if I install this one it will just blow like the other ones.
Some one told me it could be the ECU, is this posible?

Any other ideas would be gratly apreciated, im stumped and have no clue what to do.

 

[t3t4turbo]

ok, I found 2 really bad exhaust leaks, one between the o2 housing and the down pipe and another one between the o2 housing and the turbo. The guy I got the car from didnt think you needed gasets or something. But could this be letting heat into where the alternator is at and killling them? I am going to try to fix these leaks tomorrow.