Car repair

[BridgeWalker]

My Jeep needs a new alternator.  I have never replaced an alternator.  I barely know what an alternator does.  And apparently, in my Jeep, the alternator is accessed from the bottom of the car, which makes it oh-so-much more fun to learn.

Trying to figure out if I should try to do this myself or pay someone to do it. I haven't gotten an estimate, but my guess is that it'd cost an extra fifty bucks to have the mechanic do it.  It doesn't seem too complex or involved and the part is only a hundred bucks. 

I hate paying people to do simple jobs I should be able to do myself.  But there's five inches of snow on the ground, it's freaking cold, and I'm suddenly remembering being seventeen and deciding I was gonna teach myself how to change oil in February.  That job took about an hour of being very, very, very cold. 

I'll probably wimp out and pay someone to do it, but really wish I had the confidence to figure it out on my own, regardless of the weather.  So, what do y'all think?  Learning new skills in the snow, or pay a mechanic?

[jefnvk]

Huh.  I just did the alternator on my Blazer today.

Three bolts and two electrical plugs.  Actually, the second connector is more of a screw, so four bolts and one plug.  Hardest part was getting the belt back on.

Do it yourself.  Tarps are good to take care of the snow problem.

[K Frame]

Two words follow:

Haines Guide

[thebaldguy]

Get a Haines or Chilton manual. Take a few pictures of the engine compartment and the fan belt so you know how it all goes back together.

Car work sucks in the winter; it may be easier to try on a nice summer day.

[Sergeant Bob]

Alternator used to be about a 10 minute job. Probably take that long to find it on a lot of the newer cars.

[BridgeWalker]

Define "newer".  The thing is fourteen years old...

According to the instructions that pulled up on the parts computer at Autozone, I have to remove a splash guard first, to get to the alternator. 

I'm getting there.  Leaning towards doing it myself.  Concerned about ground clearance and spending hours on my back in the snow trying to figure out how to do a ten minute job.  That it should be easy doesn't necessarily mean it will be for an ignoramus such as myself. 

[In my own defense I went to a private religious girls' school that didn't offer anything remotely like auto shop.]

[Snowdog]

I replaced the alternator on my Jeep recently as well.  Fortunately for me it's a Jeep Grand Wagoneer and accessed from the top.  Definitely do it yourself if you have the time and tools (and beer).

Costs of my recent swap-out:

Reman Alternator:                    $68 (after core charge)
2 cans of Guinness Draught :      $3
Toll to the cuss-can:                 $.50

 

[meinbruder]

Im reminded of my old Chevrolet Nova.  The battery came up dead for no apparent reason and my Dad, the ace mechanic and diagnostician, pronounced the alternator or generator or both were at fault.  Parts werent that much so I changed them both out and replaced the belt while I was at it, it took about an hour.  M.I. is right; the Haines Guide is your friend.

Da Bianhua
}:)>

[never_retreat]

If it a jeep wrangler you do the alternator from the top. you should not have to remove anything else to do it. I spent plenty of time under the hood of my friends 94'. did the trans, and head. When you do the head alot of crap has to come off, including the alternator. Just remember to disconnect the neg battery cable.

[Fjolnirsson]

I replaced my alternator on my 93 Jeep Cherokee last year. In the rain. In Oregon. In February. Cold, cold, cold. Not as cold as , say, Montana, but cold. I had swapped alternators before, but never on a Jeep. Not much room for my ham fists to work. Overall, not bad, most of the time was spent getting up and down from beneath the Jeep to rummage through my toolbox for the appropriate socket/wrench/screwdriver. In hindsight, I should have kept the darn box on the ground next to me....
If I had the money, I'd have my repairs done for me. I enjoy working on cars, but not my own. It's the whole, "gotta fix it to drive it to work tomorrow" thing I don't like....
It's a handy thing to know, replacing an alternator....

[Declaration Day]

Delta9, no need to spend money on a parts manual.  Go to www.jeepforum.com, there's almost certainly a write up with pictures.  If not, sign up and ask, you'll get answers quickly.  You didn't say what Jeep you had or what engine, but it must be either a Cherokee or Grand Cherokee at that age. 

If it were a Wrangler, changing the alt would take about two minutes, as it's right at the top and has enough clearance around it for you and four friends to hang out under the hood.  Good luck!

[gunsmith]

make sure the belt (serpentine?) is on correctly
my last alt, some one had put the belt on wrong
couldn't pass smog because the check engine light was on.
I checked, the engine was still there.

[Boomhauer]

My Jeep needs a new alternator.  I have never replaced an alternator.  I barely know what an alternator does.  And apparently, in my Jeep, the alternator is accessed from the bottom of the car, which makes it oh-so-much more fun to learn.

I'm quite adept at changing the alternator on a '91 S-10 Blazer. My Blazer had electrical problems, and would burn an alternator every few months. I had the alternator with the lifetime warranty (see if you can get this on your alternator) from Autozone, so I'd just swap it out- never had to pay for more than one...

Autozone hates me. Alternators on rear wheel drive vehicles usually aren't too much of a problem. Alternators on a front-wheel drive (most smaller cars and minivans use this crappy ass arrangement) are a whole different story.

[KenH]

All this talk about alternators and belts reminded of a time I was night man of a full service garage. 9 pm, getting ready to close at 10. AAA tows an OLD Honda in. No alternator belt. Took a quick look, "looked" easy. That's what taught me to take a close look. That belt went around a motor mount. Those were the days.