Now I've seen everything, an alternator leaking oil. Like Eric said, we could learn a lot by working on cars there. Good thing we have you. Now we can learn from the comfort of home. Great editing Rob.
Cheers Wyatt, I thought you guys across the pond would like this one. Its not uncommon here. Once the alternator gets filled with oil it doesn't last very long either. Good for underbody protection though :)
My 02 Astra van alternator has just died and I have an oil leak, however, it's from the oil return pipe, now I can sort two birds with just one stone. This vid has/will help me a lot "top bolt first", lol Thanks a lot.
Sounds like a very amusing reality TV show. Make Eric and Rob swap shops for a week and watch as they loose their minds... We know how much Eric likes the old Euro trash...
It seems that the engineers that design north american cars aren't so MAD after all. When i saw "oil leaking from the alternator" i had to stay up until 2 AM to check it out. Well done, Rob.
Vauxhall sometimes uses the cams to turn the vac, have swapped a couple out before. not seen alternater do it, although I'm not a mechanic! Good engines those 1.7
Well at least the underside of the car is oiled up to keep it from rusting. Enjoyed your video & also the banter with Eric, Thomas & yourself...quite humorous,
That was a lot of oil there Rob and it's good that the owner was smart enough to top off the oil before blowing up the engine. And what a great idea of attaching a vacuum pump to the back of an alternator. Of course, I'm being sarcastic :) Have a great weekend Rob....
Yes Terry as soon as he noticed the leak he bought some oil. It's not the best idea I've ever seen having the vac pump on the alternator but they have been doing it for years. I had 2 showers to get clean when I got home lol. Cheers 🍻
Well, ya learn something new every day! Thanks for sharing with us, Rob. BTW - Eric O wouldn't last 5 minutes over here as he would miss all that 'proper' rust he has to deal with over there :) Cheers, Mothy.
That was a quite easy one. My mother has a 2001 A6 with oil leaks. Not much tough, we rarely fill it with oil. But it's probably some big gasket on the engine. But it gets though EU control without issues.
It seems like the Alpha Techs all get to know each other pretty quick. This is a great source of info on what they run in UK. The VW's use vac pumps on their gas engine cars too. As I learned from Thomas the forearm tattoo guy. Really enjoy all these channels. This guy is first class dignified too!!
Can that cause oil to go on the top part of the engine and on the belt. Mine failed mpt because it has a leak like that and my altenator is covered in oil and on the water pump sensors. And now my car takes like 7 seconds to start up but fine once started. Cheers
Roy Hetherington The classic thing of just changing the gaskets/seals doesn't always solve the problem. Had a tandem fuel pump with a leak, Replaced the seals/gaskets still leaked. Fitted a complete new unit = problem sorted. Sometimes it's just not worth the hassle. Also Rob will have a minimum of 12 months guarantee on that new alternator!
Hello, I've got the same problem on my Astra, I replaced the alternator a couple of months ago with an refurbished one because it was dead, and now it's leaking oil. I've looked everywhere online and I can't find the exact voltage and amperage specs. I suspect it's 100A and 12V, but could you help me with it just to be sure? Thanks in advance, I love your vids.
I've got this on a replacement alternator, just out of warranty! Its a shit idea, why isn't there a seal in the pump instead of blocking it out of the alternator? Also the seal in the alternator is a regular oil seal with an extra one inserted into the back of it, double sided if you like, which is a new one on me.(not a bodge, it was the OE alternator that I dismantled to check) There is a small weep hole in the rear alternator casing, which is where mine is leaking.That one must have been shagged out to leak that badly.
i cant tell you how many of these ive changed. such a high failure item. reman units are useless. ive seen the vacuum pump fail a few times and fill the brake servo with oil. even got past the check valve.
Unfortunately these alternators are notorious for leaking through the rear main seal, there is also another problem if you are buying an aftermarket alternator in that the the circlip that holds the seal in place is missing and there is no goove to put one in either so aftermarket ones tend to leak even when new, i recently fitted a new aftermarket one and it was pissing out oil, took the alternator back out and took the back of the housing off to find the seal at an angle and was damaged this looked like bad workmanship, this again had no circlip i bought a new seal that was slightly wider so it sits flush with the outer race of the rear bearing and wont push out when under oil pressure, i used 32 x 14 x 7.5 with an R23/TC lip oil seal so far the alt is staying dry, i usually keep these oil seals on the shelf as after about 60k they will leak again hardly surprising considering how fast the alternator is spinning within that oil seal also they get hard and cracked.
Thanks Sir ! Do you work a lot on the Astras ? I have got an Astra G with no Power Steering... diagnosing it gave me error : invalid motor signal... could it be the mosfets ?
i think this is what my vauxhall combo1.3 cdti has, has the same oil spray patern, but only a tiny leak but enough to fail the MOT, any leak is now a fail. Very grateful for the video, will fix mine ASAP
Hi Rob Thank you for this video. Do you still have that old alternator? Could you give the dimensions of the O-Ring that seats between the alternator itself and the vacuum pump? Cheers Bruno
a question if I may...? I can't find the source of the leak but it's dripping almost directly under the lowest wheel on the belt (not sure what wheel that is) - but all I can say it occurs when my girlfriend pushes up and down on the brake pedal. Defo. Any ideas what that could be? Any ideas greatly appreciated - it's minus 10 where I am - just thawing out after 2 hours under the car.
my battery wont charge up and when charging it will drain straight away- I change the starter motor, batetry few years back,. Battery lights on dashbord. Could it be altenator
so you changed an alternator for a £2.50 oil seal..your local bearing suppliers probaly had one in stock or get one the next day ..you only need to give them the ID and the OD and how thick it is
and would they guarantee that seal for 12 months or 12000 miles and pay my labour to change it again if it started leaking?… No they wouldn’t. So as a business it got an alternator from a supplier that would. If it is your own car your working on, you could possibly do that. Hope this explains why.
Hey mate , i ve just put my new alternator on my Opel Astra 1.7cdti but the problem is that since I cannot brake anymore. Do you maybe know why ? Did I plug things wrong on the vacuum ? Thanks , cheers
It will definitely be vacuum related. Take vac pipe off pump and with it running it should suck your finger on the pipe fitting. If it don’t it’s faulty. If it does you may have a hole on the pipe
Thanks a lot , but actually i’ve fitted all the pipes on the alternator vacuum but only one thing is left without any pipe on it , it’s the very thin one on top . To what should it be fitted ? Is it normal that this stays with no pipe on it ? Thanks for help 🙏
can this lead to low charging voltage? the voltage regulator was tested outside and it seems to be okay, replaced only the brushes that worn out but i have 13.7 volts on idle and when u turn on the headlights it falls to 13.0 volts
Great vid; liked + subbed. I have the 1.7 DTi and a better spanner fiddler than I said he's seen both types do a leak around 160k. Just looked at two Di for sale and one def, the other prob, has it right there. Otherwise, great lumps and now I know what's involved (for someone else - used diesel oil, ick, yuk) to fix. PS - 01:49 - tries talking into mic with 1.7CDTi running. I turn my engine off at the drive-thru or else I get Big Mac + fries no matter what I ask for.
I just found my oil empty and what looked like oil sprayed onto my Alternator... I've only seen this problem on Diesels.. Mine is 1.6 Petrol... Are they the same alternator?
Another problem I've never seen, ha ha. For a simple vacuum pump, this seems over-engineered to be dragging oil where it doesn't belong. I had to scratch my head as to why a vacuum pump is needed, but I guess with turbo or diesel or small engines, there isn't enough manifold vacuum to power the brake booster servo.
That’s right Dave there is little or no manifold vacuum with diesel and turbo/ diesel turbo engines. This system helps to lubricate the brushes when it fails 😁
I just watched you, ff 2 min. at a time,i was looking for something else; BUT.... YOU REPLACED ALT. and VAC. PUMP, because of an oil leak??????????? WDF ? The next CRAZE is gonna be,to replace the WHOLE CAR?! At least give the old (GOOD!) units the the POOR; Thank you! (i didn´t see you checking if the alt. WAS charging,BEFORE, and if the VAC. pump WAS making proper vacuum;if you did,and they didn´t,sorry,everybody obviously disregard me).
That Stupid Stupid Alternator cost me my Car the missus had gone out for the day in it and when she came back she told me the Engine was making rattling noises I found it to be one of the oil feed hoses to the vacancy pump had split and she had been driving it for 2 hrs with no oil in the Engine...We ended up Scrapping the Astra because it wasn't worth fitting a new engine to. Stupid idea putting an oil feed to a pump to produce a vacuum LOL Carbarreters all is for given Vacuum straight from intake Manifold no Pump no Pipes and no chance of an oil leak.
only problem with vacuum pumps on the cams is if they fail it destroys your engine. locks up. jumps teeth or twist cam shafts. seen it happen of fords.
Now I've seen everything, an alternator leaking oil. Like Eric said, we could learn a lot by working on cars there. Good thing we have you. Now we can learn from the comfort of home. Great editing Rob.
Cheers Wyatt, I thought you guys across the pond would like this one. Its not uncommon here. Once the alternator gets filled with oil it doesn't last very long either. Good for underbody protection though :)
My 02 Astra van alternator has just died and I have an oil leak,
however, it's from the oil return pipe,
now I can sort two birds with just one stone.
This vid has/will help me a lot "top bolt first", lol
Thanks a lot.
Great job Rob , good to see your customers come from far away
Cheers. Well I'd like to say he travelled all that way just to come to me but he works in Daventry 😀
The classic oil leaking alternator lol. Man I'd have to learn everything all over to come work there.
Glad to see large amounts of brake clean were used during this repair...
Oh yeah, we've had this crap for years!! 😂 Have a good weekend Eric 🍻
Haha yeah I thought about using your sound effect!
Sounds like a very amusing reality TV show. Make Eric and Rob swap shops for a week and watch as they loose their minds... We know how much Eric likes the old Euro trash...
Episode 3 Eric O. steps in front of bus because he couldn't take it any longer haha
As soon as I figure out a good enough comment to top Eric O I'll be back with one. In the meantime thanks for sharing.
Yeah Eric's comment pretty much sums it up. Cheers Keith, have a great weekend 🍻
It seems that the engineers that design north american cars aren't so MAD after all. When i saw "oil leaking from the alternator" i had to stay up until 2 AM to check it out. Well done, Rob.
Haha cheers man... go to bed it's not worth it lol
Vauxhall sometimes uses the cams to turn the vac, have swapped a couple out before. not seen alternater do it, although I'm not a mechanic! Good engines those 1.7
oh yes brings back so many memories been there done that got the t-shirt lol
at least one side of the car underneath will never go rusty
Yep the self lubing chassis system! It made a mess on me floor 😩
One Auto, that's good your floor will never rust now as well
That sir is a good point.
Well at least the underside of the car is oiled up to keep it from rusting. Enjoyed your video & also the banter with Eric, Thomas & yourself...quite humorous,
Haha well half the car won't corrode at least 😂
That was a lot of oil there Rob and it's good that the owner was smart enough to top off the oil before blowing up the engine. And what a great idea of attaching a vacuum pump to the back of an alternator. Of course, I'm being sarcastic :) Have a great weekend Rob....
Yes Terry as soon as he noticed the leak he bought some oil. It's not the best idea I've ever seen having the vac pump on the alternator but they have been doing it for years. I had 2 showers to get clean when I got home lol. Cheers 🍻
Well, ya learn something new every day! Thanks for sharing with us, Rob. BTW - Eric O wouldn't last 5 minutes over here as he would miss all that 'proper' rust he has to deal with over there :) Cheers, Mothy.
Thanks Mothy. I don't know about proper rust.. I see my fair share of it. But I guess we don't have his salt roads
That was a quite easy one. My mother has a 2001 A6 with oil leaks. Not much tough, we rarely fill it with oil. But it's probably some big gasket on the engine. But it gets though EU control without issues.
The cheapest way of dealing with oil leaks is if its coming out the bottom, keep filling it from the top :)
It seems like the Alpha Techs all get to know each other pretty quick. This is a great source of info on what they run in UK. The VW's use vac pumps on their gas engine cars too. As I learned from Thomas the forearm tattoo guy. Really enjoy all these channels. This guy is first class dignified too!!
Thanks Bill cheers 🍻
looks like the sump gasket had been changed trial and error ive got same engine with oil leak so will have to check this area thanks for the video.
I call oil leaks rust stopper :))
I congratulate whomever over-engineered that thing, now take them out behind the wood shed and beat'em
Great VID, mine no O-ring seal oil leak ..... but not charging, 12.1 not 14
Thanku mate I'm really enjoying your videos, great variety of content, very good, from Tony, from Bedfordshire
Thanks Tony!
that's different. I know the Passat W8 had a watercooled alternator, but this is the first one I've seen with an oil leak. Good work
Cheers. Yeah they've been around for quite a few years now.
Top video. Very useful. I've just bought a zafira 1.7 and will use this if mine goes
Another great video Rob i hate oil leaks too better to get them fixed sooner rather than later
Cheers Paul :)
What would you experts say the most expensive outcome of an oil leak on an 09 plate Astra cdti would be?
Can that cause oil to go on the top part of the engine and on the belt. Mine failed mpt because it has a leak like that and my altenator is covered in oil and on the water pump sensors. And now my car takes like 7 seconds to start up but fine once started. Cheers
Never knew an alternator had an oil pump strapped to the back of it. Where does it pump oil too? Thanks.
Its vacuum pump creating vacuum for the brake servo. It’s fed oil to lubricate it.
@@OneAuto Thanks for that.
could you not have replaced the seals between the alternator and the pump rather than a new unit?
I think you can get them on eBay but with that much oil inside the alternator will soon be shot. Also time is money.
Roy Hetherington The classic thing of just changing the gaskets/seals doesn't always solve the problem. Had a tandem fuel pump with a leak, Replaced the seals/gaskets still leaked. Fitted a complete new unit = problem sorted. Sometimes it's just not worth the hassle. Also Rob will have a minimum of 12 months guarantee on that new alternator!
gotta change mine. whats the settings on the multi meter bud?
Up to 20v DC
@@OneAuto thanx pal, dont suppose u know which fuse does the speedo? think my nearside speed sensor is buggered. speedo isnt working
Hello, I've got the same problem on my Astra, I replaced the alternator a couple of months ago with an refurbished one because it was dead, and now it's leaking oil. I've looked everywhere online and I can't find the exact voltage and amperage specs. I suspect it's 100A and 12V, but could you help me with it just to be sure? Thanks in advance, I love your vids.
I've got this on a replacement alternator, just out of warranty! Its a shit idea, why isn't there a seal in the pump instead of blocking it out of the alternator? Also the seal in the alternator is a regular oil seal with an extra one inserted into the back of it, double sided if you like, which is a new one on me.(not a bodge, it was the OE alternator that I dismantled to check)
There is a small weep hole in the rear alternator casing, which is where mine is leaking.That one must have been shagged out to leak that badly.
i cant tell you how many of these ive changed. such a high failure item. reman units are useless. ive seen the vacuum pump fail a few times and fill the brake servo with oil. even got past the check valve.
Wow I'm glad you did it. I'm passing on that job. The car got a good oiling that's for sure. :)
It was a right mess under there Steve. I was covered in the crap! I hate diesel oil it gets everywhere.
Unfortunately these alternators are notorious for leaking through the rear main seal, there is also another problem if you are buying an aftermarket alternator in that the the circlip that holds the seal in place is missing and there is no goove to put one in either so aftermarket ones tend to leak even when new, i recently fitted a new aftermarket one and it was pissing out oil, took the alternator back out and took the back of the housing off to find the seal at an angle and was damaged this looked like bad workmanship, this again had no circlip i bought a new seal that was slightly wider so it sits flush with the outer race of the rear bearing and wont push out when under oil pressure, i used 32 x 14 x 7.5 with an R23/TC lip oil seal so far the alt is staying dry, i usually keep these oil seals on the shelf as after about 60k they will leak again hardly surprising considering how fast the alternator is spinning within that oil seal also they get hard and cracked.
Could this Vacuum pump on alternator produce clanging noise?
Hello mate, thanks for the video. I was just wondering why the vacuum pump needs an oil supply? Are all vacuum pumps like this? Thanks
To lubricate the mechanical pump. Most vac pumps are oil fed nowadays but not all of them.
Thanks Sir ! Do you work a lot on the Astras ? I have got an Astra G with no Power Steering... diagnosing it gave me error : invalid motor signal... could it be the mosfets ?
A common fault is the alternator stops charging which stops the power steering motor working.
@oneauto what did you charge the customer/what should we expect to pay for this? I'm in need of this but its parked up till i can save enough cash
Don't you also have to replace the oil seal on the vacuum pump since this is causing the problem?
The new alternator comes with the vac pump already assembled and sealed
@One Auto Thanks for the answer. The oil leak is fixed by replacing the alternator?
@@mbz4652 yes
If I understood well,the problem was in vacuum pump ?
Sasa Glisic yes the oil seal failed
i think this is what my vauxhall combo1.3 cdti has, has the same oil spray patern, but only a tiny leak but enough to fail the MOT, any leak is now a fail. Very grateful for the video, will fix mine ASAP
Hi Rob
Thank you for this video. Do you still have that old alternator? Could you give the dimensions of the O-Ring that seats between the alternator itself and the vacuum pump?
Cheers
Bruno
Sorry mate, this was 3 years ago
hello i need help i need dimension of sealing ring(oil seal) inside alternator
really nicely made video that, thanks. Clear and to the point too. I've an oil leak on mine and couldn't trace it - could just be this issue.
a question if I may...? I can't find the source of the leak but it's dripping almost directly under the lowest wheel on the belt (not sure what wheel that is) - but all I can say it occurs when my girlfriend pushes up and down on the brake pedal. Defo. Any ideas what that could be? Any ideas greatly appreciated - it's minus 10 where I am - just thawing out after 2 hours under the car.
my battery wont charge up and when charging it will drain straight away- I change the starter motor, batetry few years back,. Battery lights on dashbord. Could it be altenator
It could be, get it checked out
Good job Rob, but I think you should warn us when you are about to point a can of brake cleaner at us haha
I love a good wash in brake cleaner!
Hello everyone i have a problem whit mine Opel astra 2004 under the alternator has a sensor how i can remove it thank you
Hello, Do you know by any chance the dimmensions of the rubber o-ring ? Thanks
No sorry I don't.
Just put a 'new' alternator in my Hilux, started it up and it's dripping oil from inside.. unreal
Does this astra have DPF filter ? I have 2006 caravan 1.7cdti and i dont know does have Dpf filter? If someone knows please answer
so you changed an alternator for a £2.50 oil seal..your local bearing suppliers probaly had one in stock or get one the next day ..you only need to give them the ID and the OD and how thick it is
and would they guarantee that seal for 12 months or 12000 miles and pay my labour to change it again if it started leaking?… No they wouldn’t. So as a business it got an alternator from a supplier that would.
If it is your own car your working on, you could possibly do that.
Hope this explains why.
Hi Rob, I brought a replacement alternator, but would I have been able to get the oil seal and repair the alternator.
Peter Cross I don’t know of anyone in the trade ever repairing them themselves but anything’s possible
Hey mate , i ve just put my new alternator on my Opel Astra 1.7cdti but the problem is that since I cannot brake anymore. Do you maybe know why ? Did I plug things wrong on the vacuum ? Thanks , cheers
It will definitely be vacuum related. Take vac pipe off pump and with it running it should suck your finger on the pipe fitting. If it don’t it’s faulty. If it does you may have a hole on the pipe
Thanks a lot , but actually i’ve fitted all the pipes on the alternator vacuum but only one thing is left without any pipe on it , it’s the very thin one on top . To what should it be fitted ? Is it normal that this stays with no pipe on it ? Thanks for help 🙏
And I do not have that red little cap on my alternator, where the red cap is I’ve fitted a pipe on it
can this lead to low charging voltage? the voltage regulator was tested outside and it seems to be okay, replaced only the brushes that worn out but i have 13.7 volts on idle and when u turn on the headlights it falls to 13.0 volts
Renzo Villari Figueroa It’s possible... get your battery tested also
How much for this done
Does anyone know the list of tools needed for this?
Excellent video.well done
Great vid; liked + subbed. I have the 1.7 DTi and a better spanner fiddler than I said he's seen both types do a leak around 160k. Just looked at two Di for sale and one def, the other prob, has it right there. Otherwise, great lumps and now I know what's involved (for someone else - used diesel oil, ick, yuk) to fix.
PS - 01:49 - tries talking into mic with 1.7CDTi running. I turn my engine off at the drive-thru or else I get Big Mac + fries no matter what I ask for.
I just found my oil empty and what looked like oil sprayed onto my Alternator...
I've only seen this problem on Diesels.. Mine is 1.6 Petrol... Are they the same alternator?
No..there is no vac pump/oil supply on a petrol alternator
you deserve at least another 50k sub's!
ZED Cheers 🍻
I'm sick of oil seals and gaskets. Some of them are so difficult to get to.
How long it takes to replacment this part of alternator?
Approximately 1.5 hours
Love the videos rob.
Thanks Andrew :)
Just think of it as the "rust prevention system" and top it up. 😂
Yep the self lubing chassis system I like to call it 😂
Just when you think you've seen it all... Bam!
We've never seen it all in this trade Thomas, you know that 😂
Is it common for customers to travel to you from such distance?
It has been known with the powers of TH-cam.
Helpful thanks 🙏
Sold loads of these! Common as anything.
thank you
Another problem I've never seen, ha ha. For a simple vacuum pump, this seems over-engineered to be dragging oil where it doesn't belong. I had to scratch my head as to why a vacuum pump is needed, but I guess with turbo or diesel or small engines, there isn't enough manifold vacuum to power the brake booster servo.
That’s right Dave there is little or no manifold vacuum with diesel and turbo/ diesel turbo engines. This system helps to lubricate the brushes when it fails 😁
those were big hooters
.hmmm..an alternative conservation against rust ;-)
At least they don't have to worry about the car rusting away in the NY winter
Bleeding Diesel903 We have our fair share of rust, with salt on the roads from about Nov to Feb
I just watched you, ff 2 min. at a time,i was looking for something else;
BUT....
YOU REPLACED ALT. and VAC. PUMP, because of an oil leak???????????
WDF ? The next CRAZE is gonna be,to replace the WHOLE CAR?!
At least give the old (GOOD!) units the the POOR; Thank you!
(i didn´t see you checking if the alt. WAS charging,BEFORE, and if the VAC. pump WAS making proper vacuum;if you did,and they didn´t,sorry,everybody obviously disregard me).
That Stupid Stupid Alternator cost me my Car the missus had gone out for the day in it and when she came back she told me the Engine was making rattling noises I found it to be one of the oil feed hoses to the vacancy pump had split and she had been driving it for 2 hrs with no oil in the Engine...We ended up Scrapping the Astra because it wasn't worth fitting a new engine to.
Stupid idea putting an oil feed to a pump to produce a vacuum LOL Carbarreters all is for given Vacuum straight from intake Manifold no Pump no Pipes and no chance of an oil leak.
Ouch! yeah Petrol Carbs FTW!
What a god damn stupid place to put a vacuum pump! Just connect it to the camshaft somewhere like every other car GM europe/Opel.
Clever eh? Old transits used to have the same idea
clarkie005 Or to the inlet Manifold no Pump Required like the old Morris Minor.
That's the problem, diesels don't create hardly any constant manifold vacuum like the old ones. Hence the pump.
Steve Jones there is no available vacuum in a turbo engine, hence why a dedicated pump is required
only problem with vacuum pumps on the cams is if they fail it destroys your engine. locks up. jumps teeth or twist cam shafts. seen it happen of fords.
Ha £25 in consumables to clean everything up
Yeh you know it!
Really poor explanation.
RICHARD EVANS cheers waiting for your video?