I'm on my 5th alternator :)

[Cool Mr Steve]

Ok, let's start at the beginning. I had a nice alternator that happily did it's job. One day my car started acting funny and I checked my voltage via my radar detector. It was pumping around 10 volts so I tried to get home as quickly as possible. My car died twice and needed jumps on the way home. I got my alternator rebuilt the next day and I drove with it for about 5 months. The entire time I had issues with it not wanting to charge above 12 volts after I had been driving for awhile and I had my lights and heater on. When I would use the windshield wipers with my lights and heater and turn signal on (sometimes without the turn signal) it would drop my radar detector into "LOW VOLTAGE" mode (below 10 volts). After awhile it didnt want to charge. I had it rebuilt again and the thing started acting up after about 4 months, only this time I blew out both headlights because it intermittently started juicing my car at over 17 volts. I had it rebuilt again and immediately after they started the car it started smoking. They removed it, rebuilt it again, and here I am, 2 months later, and the damn thing is acting up again! Mind you, each of these rebuilds is free with my lifetime warranty. What the hell is going on? This cant be just 4 bad rebuilds, can it? Everytime I have it rebuilt it doesn't charge very well when it's warm, it seems like. When I'm using accessorys my lights dim fairly well on each rebuild. With each rebuild, it doesn't seem like it can operate very well with lights, wipers and heater on. Could something be causing the alternator to be going out? What shoud I check?

 

[AndrewD5418]

Heat might be causing it to die out early.

 

[Billy6411]

First where the hell are you getting your alternator rebuilt? . I had a ton of problems with autozone altanators, head\t was killnig them, wrap your 02 housing and downpipe, also would be a good idea to check for ps pump leaks. and fix them as the ps pump is right on top

 

[FlatBlackTerror]

Get something with a lifetime warranty. Try oreillys they have good parts, that what i run on my car. Also, check your wiring, make sure there arent any shorts or anything.

 

[WeaselHack]

As others have suggested:

1: Make sure your PS isn't leaking onto the alternator
2: Make sure the heat shields are in place or wrap your o2 and downpipe

I would also check your ground wires. Take an ohm meter to ensure there isn't too much resistance on any given ground wire. Also check for shorts. You might also want to consider replacing the charge wire (or whatever it's called) coming off the alternator - perhaps even with a lower gauge wire.

 

[Cool Mr Steve]

perhaps even with a lower gauge wire.

Could you explain why I might want to use a lower gauge wire? Does the alternator need higher resistance in this wire to operate correctly?

 

[absolute_DSM]

Could you explain why I might want to use a lower gauge wire? Does the alternator need higher resistance in this wire to operate correctly?

Yea if anything, go to a bigger gauge wire for less load on the alternator.

Ask the poeple rebuilding it if they are checking/replacing the voltage regulater. A bad one will cause the volts coming from the alt to be up and down.

Who is "rebuilding" it by the way? WTF

 

[91Bomb]

Bad Battery?

 

[toybreaker]

To clear up some confusion, a lower wire gauge number= a larger cross section wire. (i.e. an 10awg wire is bigger than a 12 awg wire)

As far as the o.p's problem, I would check the entire current path of the charging system. Many times, a multiple failure in the charging system is due to looose/corroded battery terminals/connections.

Another problem area is at the alternator fuse. This fuse bolts into the fuse block, and many times the hardware becomes loose/corroded over time. This can manifest itself in all kinds of bizzare/intermitent charging system woes, especially if you put 17 volts+ into the system!!! (That can push a ton of current towards the battery, potentially melting the fuse base/fuse mounting area of the box.)

Another thing to cheack is the battery itself. When a battery is subjected to overcharging for any length of time, the electrolyte can be boiled out, exposing the plates. The plates will then begin to buckle/distort, and then road vibration can cause then to touch each other at random times, drastically changing the internal resistance of the battery. This will totally destroy the voltage regulator. If you have a servicable battery, (with removable caps on top,) remove the caps and eyeball the fluid level. It should be completely covering the plates. If it's low, please use distilled water, as it has less contaminates than tap water. The plates themselves should appear to be nice and evenly spaced.

Good luck, and please let us know what you find

 

[WeaselHack]

Yea if anything, go to a bigger gauge wire for less load on the alternator.

Ask the poeple rebuilding it if they are checking/replacing the voltage regulater. A bad one will cause the volts coming from the alt to be up and down.

Who is "rebuilding" it by the way? WTF

Lower gauge cable = thicker. Higher gauge = thinner.

Toybraker offered up some really good additional tips, check your battery in addition to the entire charging circuit. With our cars getting increasingly old every day the electronics (wires, terminals, etc) really start to show their age.

Good luck!

 

[absolute_DSM]

Lower gauge cable = thicker. Higher gauge = thinner.

My bad, sorry for the confusion, I meant bigger as in size.

 

[freshlane]

+1 check the p.s , make sure it isn't checking. Also, maybe the just suck at rebuilding and it is time to buy a new alternator. Like you said

I had it rebuilt again and immediately after they started the car it started smoking

 

[Cool Mr Steve]

Ok, so it's been awhile and I'm on number 7. After I started this thread I went and bought a new alternator with a lifetime warranty from Autozone. Well, that alternator crapped out, and I got a new one along with some 4 gauge wire as a new power wire. My problem now is that after my car is on for awhile, then I turn it off and turn it back on (going to a store, picking up my girlfriend) the alternator stops charging and I run on battery. This goes on for about 1-2 minutes and then my alternator kicks back on again. It happens EVERY time. I've checked the connections and they're good. When I go back outside to start my car, the alternator won't work for awhile, then it'll kick back on. Any ideas?

 

[1gcrazy]

ECU? Have you checked to see if the caps are leaking? I know this is a long shot but hell 7 alts and no cure?

 

[DGajre777]

My problem now is that after my car is on for awhile, then I turn it off and turn it back on (going to a store, picking up my girlfriend) the alternator stops charging and I run on battery. This goes on for about 1-2 minutes and then my alternator kicks back on again. It happens EVERY time. I've checked the connections and they're good. When I go back outside to start my car, the alternator won't work for awhile, then it'll kick back on. Any ideas?

You have a bad voltage regulator inside your alternator. I had the same problem as you mentioned above, I got a rebuilt alternator from mitsubishi, got a new battery and rewired my alernator with 4 gauge wire and a 100amp fuse going to the battery. I also added another ground strap from the engine to the chasis.

 

[oldman]

Steve, you didn't answer this question, Are you running both heat shields?

 

[selmerguy]

You are fring you alternator buddie. This happend to me. Your downpipe it to close to the alt or your heatshield is not there. Wrap your exhaust in heat wrap and I bet it wont happen again.

 

[Talesin]

I'm guessing it's either a leaking PS pump/reservoir, or he doesn't have all the heatshields on.

Actually met someone with a very unique fix for the heat-killing-alternators problem... he made a heatshield specifically for the alternator! Bolted it on and made sure there was airflow from under the front lip. From what he said, his alts would last for about two years after that, without changing his driving habits at all.

Beyond that, our cars tend to fry alts on the order of every six months to a year, if they're driven fairly hard. I've gone through four already... ended up going to Autozone and grabbing the 'lifetime warranty' on the alt. It's really not all that much of a pain to change out, aside from having to remove the driver's side inner splashguard to get the stupid pivot bolt out. Pop the A/C fan off the radiator, and you have plenty of room to work... just remember to disconnect the positive cable on the battery before you start in... I had a nasty arc weld scar on my first radiator when I forgot... fortunately, none of the volts went through me.

 

[selmerguy]

I'm guessing it's either a leaking PS pump/reservoir, or he doesn't have all the heatshields on.

Actually met someone with a very unique fix for the heat-killing-alternators problem... he made a heatshield specifically for the alternator! Bolted it on and made sure there was airflow from under the front lip. From what he said, his alts would last for about two years after that, without changing his driving habits at all.

Beyond that, our cars tend to fry alts on the order of every six months to a year, if they're driven fairly hard. I've gone through four already... ended up going to Autozone and grabbing the 'lifetime warranty' on the alt. It's really not all that much of a pain to change out, aside from having to remove the driver's side inner splashguard to get the stupid pivot bolt out. Pop the A/C fan off the radiator, and you have plenty of room to work... just remember to disconnect the positive cable on the battery before you start in... I had a nasty arc weld scar on my first radiator when I forgot... fortunately, none of the volts went through me.

Easy for you. With my current turbo setup I have to take the radiator off to get the alternator out of there.

 

[Talesin]

One more thing to take into consideration when debating whether or not to jump to a FMIC. Good to know.
Sounds like you should give the heatshield thing a shot, just to save some time. IIRC, he'd bent his out of some of that thin HVAC sheet aluminum used for air ducts in a house, as he had a spare scrap laying around. Just needs to maintain an air buffer. Are your IC pipes heat-wrapped? Might be a good idea as well, if not.

 

[Cool Mr Steve]

You guys probably hit the nail on the head, and I'll go ahead and wrap up my pipes tomorrow before getting another free alternator. The manifold I have on right now does not allow for the stock heat shield so I took it off and never thought about the effects the heat could have on the alternator. Can anyone recommend some good wrap for the pipes and/or where you got yours? Thanks for all the help, guys!

 

[Charlie90GST]

Do you have Advance Auto Parts up there? If you do I'd suggest buying a lifetime warrantied on from them, mine has been going strong for 2 years now with no replacements. Also check your alternator relay.

 

[spaceball]

I'm guessing it's either a leaking PS pump/reservoir, or he doesn't have all the heatshields on.

Actually met someone with a very unique fix for the heat-killing-alternators problem... he made a heatshield specifically for the alternator! Bolted it on and made sure there was airflow from under the front lip. From what he said, his alts would last for about two years after that, without changing his driving habits at all.

Beyond that, our cars tend to fry alts on the order of every six months to a year, if they're driven fairly hard. I've gone through four already... ended up going to Autozone and grabbing the 'lifetime warranty' on the alt. It's really not all that much of a pain to change out, aside from having to remove the driver's side inner splashguard to get the stupid pivot bolt out. Pop the A/C fan off the radiator, and you have plenty of room to work... just remember to disconnect the positive cable on the battery before you start in... I had a nasty arc weld scar on my first radiator when I forgot... fortunately, none of the volts went through me.

if you pop a hole in the splash shield big enough to get your socket thru, you dont ever have to remove it again for alternator changes. just sneak a long extention in there. i had to junk the ac fan for the dumptube. now i swap the alt right in the autozone parking lot. takes only 5 minuts.

 

[GSntncT]

Actually met someone with a very unique fix for the heat-killing-alternators problem... he made a heatshield specifically for the alternator! Bolted it on and made sure there was airflow from under the front lip. From what he said, his alts would last for about two years after that, without changing his driving habits at all.

Got a link for that? Anyway, I too am going through alternator problems once again. I will take the counsel of all the sweet advice I read on here, and make changes as necessary.