I bought a 2014 passat TDI not even a year ago and i’ve had to replace the alternator twice. It just went out again and i’m getting really frustrated because nobody can figure out what’s wrong. After watching this, i have a fleeting suspicion that diesel might be getting into the alternator and trashing it. There is a fuel leak somewhere and it creates a mist of unburned fuel in the engine bay. I’ll be getting that fixed along with a new alt and hoping for the best.
Thank you for that, concise and easy to understand. Try as I might, I cannot find anything definitive about maximum temperature that a stock alternator can safely run at, no OEM numbers or even consistent "expert" opinion. Regarding your item # 4 about extra loads; I am drawing 20-40 amps extra (depending on how I set it) from my 160A alternator to charge my RV battery when driving. Running normally with all usual loads (headlamps, fan, wipers, radio etc) max draw is up to 65A or so. So it stays well under it's rated capacity even when charging the extra battery. My intent is to measure temperature with and without this extra load. Is there a "safe" maximum temperature that should be adhered to?
The temperature range likely varies between alternators, but my guess would be around 200 Degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a link to a forum where they talk about alternator heat ranges that might help. www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14/alternator-temp-what-is-normal-range-228245.html
Thanks for the video, great info. Trying to figure out why my 2011 Edge keeps burning the alternator, since last Friday have changed 4 alternators, today is Monday and still haven't figured out what is wrong. After install everything looks good, no dash massage, once the car is moved the dash light appears and burns the alternator.😭any suggestions will be appreciated ✌️
Thanks very much for your video, it is helpful to me. Right now, I am trying to figure out why the factory-rebuilt Bosch 140A alternator I just installed in my 89 BMW is charging fine (14.2 A) at idle but once the engine warms up it drops to around 12V. Car starts right up, correct battery 1 year old, no additional electronics, engine to chassis ground strap new, You obviously know a lot about these things. Any suggestions for me to pursue?
Thanks for explaining. I have a 2013 Infiniti JX35. In the past two months the alternator failed three times. The repair shop replaced it two times in last 2 months now it’s back in the shop for same reason. They said they used dealer alternator. I am clueless about this getting frustrated without a car. Still waiting for the 3rd alternator to arrive from the dealer. But why is this failing this often.
Hey how is your 3rd alternator working? I'm having the same problem out of my v6 altima everything on the car works good but replaced 2 alternators now battery light on again so curious of your current outcome as well
Along side to the wire connections and a weak battery - The most important of all is The GROUNDING points. Power flows from the Negative to positive not positive to negative. So grounds connections are very important especially from battery to block and battery to frame.
I've been popping alternators on my boat. The start battery is new but the house battery is 4 years old. The Atem charger sends a10 amp charge over to the house battery after the start batt is full. If the house battery has a bad cell/short, would that kill the alternator ??
OKI got your tips on the alternator and what would cause it to go out?Now I've got a question for you.What would cause the battery page on the dashboard of my car?Of the Ford Explorer.What would cause that battery gauge to pin out?Max out all the way on to the top
It needs to be diagnosed, but if the voltage is maxing out, it is overcharging and has a bad voltage regulator. I would use a meter and check the voltage at the battery when the engine is running. Anything over roughly 15 volts is too much.
So what if there is a really loose connection to the battery terminal to where a bump in the road can disconnect the battery. Does that cause any long/short term issues to the alternator and if so, how or why?
Question engines off and cold yet when the battery terminals hooked up the alternator starts getting hot and it's draining power. Are these diodes the one-way diodes?
I got some oil in the alternator each time I did a change, as it is positioned right next to the oil port. I got it replaced by an automotive electrician where it lasted about 18 months - the expensive technician failed to tighten the neutral terminal on the battery. Check the basics!
Hi i have a L300 mitsu . And it keep burning tha main altinator fuse when i rev the van? I brought the alt. To a specialist rebuild it .i thought it was the regulator but it is doing the same thing . Help plzzzzzz
I have a 05 Chevy trailblazer I just put a brand new alternator on it add a battery but my alternator is getting hot can you tell me what's going on and I do not have any extra electrical components hooked up
I got 2006 Buick 1 .5 year ago since then 3 times alternator stop working... yesterday I stopped working out of the blue... definitely something is wrong with the wire system 😢
So I’ve been having issues with mine I’ve changed this being my 3 one but this time I bought a new one instead of a rebuilt but I have noticed that I get a wine sound over the speakers then the alternator goes out and the wine goes away? Any suggestions?
I have a 2013 Chevy Malibu, I had my alternator replaced in july, then in November my alternator failed again, now its December and the new one has now failed, any ideas?
Yup, time to replace the voltage regulator next. I just took a look at it and the thing might be as old as my vehicle, my vehicle is 50 years old, a 1974 Superior with the Dodge 440 big block, my alternator just shit the bed at 20,000 miles! I just replaced it last year. Pack rats had done a number on this vehicle, replaced so much wiring.
Town and Country turned still can't get it to charge change battery and alternator twice and alternator just won't charge. I installed voltage regulator kit and still not charging. I can't believe two new alternators could be bad. I can't figure this one out!
Melted my alternator doing a race at the drag strip. Windings completely melted. I don’t know what it could’ve been, maybe track debris, oil from the oil cooler, or maybe the engine just pulled so much current it fried it.
I heard high output alts can get so hot that they melt. So then I wondered if a special fan should be built to cool off that extra heat on top of what the engine is creating.
I bought a 2014 passat TDI not even a year ago and i’ve had to replace the alternator twice. It just went out again and i’m getting really frustrated because nobody can figure out what’s wrong. After watching this, i have a fleeting suspicion that diesel might be getting into the alternator and trashing it. There is a fuel leak somewhere and it creates a mist of unburned fuel in the engine bay. I’ll be getting that fixed along with a new alt and hoping for the best.
Very nice job fella. Now I have a list of probable causes.
Thank you very much. I have a Nissan Maxima and mine was antifreeze from my radiator neck dripping on my alternator. Thanks
Thank you for that, concise and easy to understand. Try as I might, I cannot find anything definitive about maximum temperature that a stock alternator can safely run at, no OEM numbers or even consistent "expert" opinion. Regarding your item # 4 about extra loads; I am drawing 20-40 amps extra (depending on how I set it) from my 160A alternator to charge my RV battery when driving. Running normally with all usual loads (headlamps, fan, wipers, radio etc) max draw is up to 65A or so. So it stays well under it's rated capacity even when charging the extra battery.
My intent is to measure temperature with and without this extra load. Is there a "safe" maximum temperature that should be adhered to?
The temperature range likely varies between alternators, but my guess would be around 200 Degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a link to a forum where they talk about alternator heat ranges that might help. www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14/alternator-temp-what-is-normal-range-228245.html
Thank you for the information. Could a bad car computer burn out an alternator?
Thanks for the video, great info. Trying to figure out why my 2011 Edge keeps burning the alternator, since last Friday have changed 4 alternators, today is Monday and still haven't figured out what is wrong. After install everything looks good, no dash massage, once the car is moved the dash light appears and burns the alternator.😭any suggestions will be appreciated ✌️
Maybe steering wheel fluid leaking on alternator that was my problem Damaging the alternator.
Thanks very much for your video, it is helpful to me. Right now, I am trying to figure out why the factory-rebuilt Bosch 140A alternator I just installed in my 89 BMW is charging fine (14.2 A) at idle but once the engine warms up it drops to around 12V. Car starts right up, correct battery 1 year old, no additional electronics, engine to chassis ground strap new, You obviously know a lot about these things. Any suggestions for me to pursue?
I would test the voltage regulator. While rare, sometimes rebuilt alternators are duds.
Will do, thanks. Wouldn't speak too well for Bosch if their "factory-rebuilt" alternator is a lemon out of the box! Appreciate your suggestion!
Thanks for explaining. I have a 2013 Infiniti JX35. In the past two months the alternator failed three times. The repair shop replaced it two times in last 2 months now it’s back in the shop for same reason. They said they used dealer alternator. I am clueless about this getting frustrated without a car. Still waiting for the 3rd alternator to arrive from the dealer. But why is this failing this often.
Hey how is your 3rd alternator working? I'm having the same problem out of my v6 altima everything on the car works good but replaced 2 alternators now battery light on again so curious of your current outcome as well
Along side to the wire connections and a weak battery - The most important of all is The GROUNDING points. Power flows from the Negative to positive not positive to negative. So grounds connections are very important especially from battery to block and battery to frame.
I've been popping alternators on my boat. The start battery is new but the house battery is 4 years old. The Atem charger sends a10 amp charge over to the house battery after the start batt is full. If the house battery has a bad cell/short, would that kill the alternator ??
OKI got your tips on the alternator and what would cause it to go out?Now I've got a question for you.What would cause the battery page on the dashboard of my car?Of the Ford Explorer.What would cause that battery gauge to pin out?Max out all the way on to the top
It needs to be diagnosed, but if the voltage is maxing out, it is overcharging and has a bad voltage regulator. I would use a meter and check the voltage at the battery when the engine is running. Anything over roughly 15 volts is too much.
So what if there is a really loose connection to the battery terminal to where a bump in the road can disconnect the battery. Does that cause any long/short term issues to the alternator and if so, how or why?
Question engines off and cold yet when the battery terminals hooked up the alternator starts getting hot and it's draining power. Are these diodes the one-way diodes?
I got some oil in the alternator each time I did a change, as it is positioned right next to the oil port. I got it replaced by an automotive electrician where it lasted about 18 months - the expensive technician failed to tighten the neutral terminal on the battery. Check the basics!
Hi i have a L300 mitsu
. And it keep burning tha main altinator fuse when i rev the van? I brought the alt. To a specialist rebuild it .i thought it was the regulator but it is doing the same thing . Help plzzzzzz
I have a 05 Chevy trailblazer I just put a brand new alternator on it add a battery but my alternator is getting hot can you tell me what's going on and I do not have any extra electrical components hooked up
I have a shelve Chrissie and I'm always facing the same problem of the alternator at keeps on burning it
I got 2006 Buick 1 .5 year ago since then 3 times alternator stop working... yesterday I stopped working out of the blue... definitely something is wrong with the wire system 😢
So I’ve been having issues with mine I’ve changed this being my 3 one but this time I bought a new one instead of a rebuilt but I have noticed that I get a wine sound over the speakers then the alternator goes out and the wine goes away? Any suggestions?
I have a 2013 Chevy Malibu, I had my alternator replaced in july, then in November my alternator failed again, now its December and the new one has now failed, any ideas?
I keep putting new alternators keeps smoking right when I put them in. Any reason for this?
Same issue did you figure out anything?
Same
if it smoke when you put it in you have a short somewhere.
Could be computer as well mine was
My new alternator stops charging the new battery when I run my AC. Any hint about what causes this ?
Yup, time to replace the voltage regulator next. I just took a look at it and the thing might be as old as my vehicle, my vehicle is 50 years old, a 1974 Superior with the Dodge 440 big block, my alternator just shit the bed at 20,000 miles! I just replaced it last year. Pack rats had done a number on this vehicle, replaced so much wiring.
Do modern vehicles have it inside the alternator housing? I was suspecting that could be an issue as well.
Awesome video! 👍🏽
Town and Country turned still can't get it to charge change battery and alternator twice and alternator just won't charge. I installed voltage regulator kit and still not charging. I can't believe two new alternators could be bad.
I can't figure this one out!
Not having an upper proper bolt can cause jiggling and the alternator may go bad sooner than expected, or the belt
Melted my alternator doing a race at the drag strip. Windings completely melted. I don’t know what it could’ve been, maybe track debris, oil from the oil cooler, or maybe the engine just pulled so much current it fried it.
I heard high output alts can get so hot that they melt. So then I wondered if a special fan should be built to cool off that extra heat on top of what the engine is creating.
Great content 👌
If you got the alternator from autozone or oreillys or advance. It's just a low quality part.
My alternator went out and got a new battery and alternator, the alternator went out in 35 miles.
Mine did the same thjng
My new alternator burn after 20mins
Same happened to my alternate like 5 times I replaced it can you plz help how you fix the issue
Made in China
Mice are gremlins to!
Anyone ever see an alternator make a battery short circuit.
If it fails within the first hour
I don't think I wNt to ask a question which would be ignored
lol. Yep people are lining up with their specific problems.
My 1986 Porsche 928 original alternator failed at 166000 miles and my 2007 Toyota Matrix still has the original alternator at 165000 miles.