Possible Alternator Issue

[jdoublehcubed]

Originally Posted by SaltyNC

http://www.ebay.com/itm/172003595546

Will that work?

Salty

Great find, I owe you a drink for that. Just ordered. And cheaper than the original option!

$40 is cheap insurance to ensure you won't have to pick up a whole alternator in the future ($375 for a respectable rebuild, a few hundred more for new OEM). Anyone else who's mileage is getting up there should consider buying one of these while they're still available.

[SaltyNC]

Originally Posted by jdoublehcubed

Great find, I owe you a drink for that. Just ordered. And cheaper than the original option!

$40 is cheap insurance to ensure you won't have to pick up a whole alternator in the future ($375 for a respectable rebuild, a few hundred more for new OEM). Anyone else who's mileage is getting up there should consider buying one of these while they're still available.

I've been collecting parts like this based on common failures. I got the idea from Stickmon.

Salty

[StickMon]

Thanks! Yea, WHS.
j2h^3 you should buy 2 at that price. One for now, one for later.

[elerner61]

Great find indeed! Do folks think it makes sense to proactively change out the voltage regulator at about 80K miles say? Does a voltage regulator going bad shorten the life of an alternator (we've confirmed it does shorten the life of a battery, right)?

[jdoublehcubed]

Originally Posted by StickMon

Thanks! Yea, WHS.
j2h^3 you should buy 2 at that price. One for now, one for later.

As long as I get another 50-75k miles out of this one I think I'll be all set.


what else is in your spare parts collection?

[SaltyNC]

Originally Posted by jdoublehcubed

As long as I get another 50-75k miles out of this one I think I'll be all set.


what else is in your spare parts collection?

I've just started collecting. ;-) Ignition switch. Spare ignition coil.

Crankshaft position sensors, oxygen sensors are also common failures.

Salty

[StickMon]

Originally Posted by jdoublehcubed

... what else is in your spare parts collection?

TPS (2)
Full set of O2 sensors
EGT sensor
MAF
Coil (1 new + 6 that were working when I replaced them at 80k miles)
Both belts
CPV O-ring

And, of course sacks of hardware:
Front and rear single use reinforcement plate bolts
Assorted plastic push-pin rivets
Door card pins (white and yellow)
Sack of body nut clips and associated screws
Copper hardware for exhaust

Crankshaft position sensors sound like a good thing to add.

[dc_wright]

Originally Posted by Westersund

I have no idea what the difference is between an alternator and a generator, they do the same thing no? In Sweden both alternator and generator translates to "generator". As with coal and carbon both are "kol", hence the occational brain farts from me. English have so many different words meaning the same thing compared to Swedish.

Edit: After some Googling it seems like the part used in a car is called alternator in English. It converts mechanical movement into AC and it is converted in the diode bridge to DC. A generator converts mechanical movement into DC straight away. Seems like it's only the Alternator that have "brushes".

Both have brushes. Here's a good primer on both.

http://www.rowand.net/Shop/Tech/Alte...atorTheory.htm

[elerner61]

Originally Posted by StickMon

TPS (2)
Full set of O2 sensors
EGT sensor
MAF
Coil (1 new + 6 that were working when I replaced them at 80k miles)
Both belts
CPV O-ring

And, of course sacks of hardware:
Front and rear single use reinforcement plate bolts
Assorted plastic push-pin rivets
Door card pins (white and yellow)
Sack of body nut clips and associated screws
Copper hardware for exhaust

Crankshaft position sensors sound like a good thing to add.

Along these lines, what are components that will render a S54 dead (or quickly cause damage) with relatively little or no warning and should be changed out pro-actively? My thoughts:
- Crankshaft position sensors (are there Camshaft position sensors on the S54?)
- Belts (at 50,000 miles)
- Cooling system -Rad., exp. tank, hoses (at 80,000 miles)
- Voltage regulator (at 80,000 miles)
- Coils- bad coil can damage cats (at 80,000 miles)
- Fuel pump (change at 100,000 miles)
- Alternator (change at 100,000 miles)
- What else?

My fear as the car accumulates more miles is getting stuck on the side of the road far away from home.

[StickMon]

And if you have VT mounts, you can add a rebuild kit to the parts you'll eventually need.