Instead of saving money by buying the cheapest Asian components, it is worthwhile to fix the original ones – better known as reconditioned.
If someone wanted to take care of the self-repair of the alternator, it is possible. Parts (at least most of them) are available, operation does not require exceptional manual skills, but using a repair shop for such components is a better idea.
What the amateur takes two days, the professional will do in 15 minutes. In the home or garage, there is no way to smash the housing, there are problems with removing old bearings from the housing or pulling them from the rotor, always have to count on the fact that it will stop the lack of some detail that is usually in the workshop at hand.
In any case, after replacing the voltage regulator with the brushes (or brushes itself), the rectifier bridge, the bearings and the commutator the regenerated alternator has the features of a brand new factory. Buying a new, original piece is usually superfluous, buying cheap “chinese” is a guarantee of problems.
In the gallery you will see how to step by step regenerate the alternator.
Likewise alternators: Too low or too high charging voltage is usually a voltage regulator failure; Charge diodes may be responsible for charging failures; Alternator can also simply bypass the short circuit. Mechanical wear usually manifests itself in bearing noise – the last wear stage can even cause the shaft to lock and break the belt that drives the alternator. The mechanical wear also affects the pulleys – in newer cars they are not monoliths, but the metal-rubber elements responsible for the reduction of vibrations that start to make noise, and over time simply dissipate.
Alternator regeneration step by step
Instead of saving money by buying the cheapest Asian components, it is important to fix the original ones – they will last longer. We show how professional alternator regeneration should look.
Alternator regeneration step by step
A typical pulley list includes a pulley coupler that is responsible for disconnecting the alternator drive when it is not needed. An alternator can also just break – in some cars it is a real scour due to either low quality casting of factory-assembled parts or placing it where it is exposed to splashing water.
What can be regenerated?
Contrary to appearances, most even from the assumption of insensitive alternators and starters professional can dismantle, replace the damaged parts, the rest to rest and fold to obtain a part of the factory quality. Cases are sand blasted and painted, bearings, voltage regulators, rectifier bridges and other replacement parts, grounding rings.
Regardless of what has gone wrong (except for the external voltage regulator available in the alternator), the device needs to be removed from the car, dismantled – and best left to the professionals. Likewise, the case looks like a starter – only in case of a typical malfunction of the coupling device (the starter operates at high speed, but does not rotate the engine), it is highly probable that the breakdown will take place.
You also need to know that things that are trivial in older cars – for example, checking the alternator operation with a universal multimeter, in newer models are much more complicated. If your car is equipped with a start-stop system and sophisticated electronics that control the distribution of electricity, the multimeter will not do anything.
Regeneration of the starter step by step
Is it worth to buy a cheap starter replacement? No. The best solution is to regenerate the worn component, if the repair is done well we have a guarantee that a long part will work faultlessly.
Regeneration of the starter step by step
Voltage fluctuations on the battery terminals during engine operation in the range of 12.8-14.8 V in the car without power management systems indicate a fault in the voltage regulator; The same measurements in a start-stop vehicle can be natural and do not indicate a fault.
Workshops for the regeneration of alternators and starters in most cases suggest their comprehensive regeneration. Especially in the case of cheaper models, repairing individual components does not make sense, as a large part of the cost is to remove the starter or alternator from the car and disassemble it.
Many models can be regenerated for 50 to 100 pounds. There are, however, more expensive faults that affect even the non-essential component, such as the alternator pulley. In such cases you have to pay up to £200 and more, but it is usually much less than would have to spend on a brand new item.
The expert advises
For our customers to be fully satisfied for a long time, I recommend them to fully regenerate their components, as replacement of individual components is less cost effective, and alternators and starters are fully regenerated.