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Re: Alternator Stupid Question.. Posted by Ari [Email] ![]() ![]() In Reply to: Alternator Stupid Question.., JLD900S, Mon, 9 Feb 2004 10:54:17 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Alternators rarely die. Voltage regulators die, but they are easy to replace. If you let the brushes on the VR wear way, way down, it could conceivably bung up the commutator.
An alternator is a spinning mass of metal and wire. About all that can go wrong with the alternator itself is for the bearings to fail, or the wire insulation to break down. If the belt tension is right, I've never seen a bad alternator bearing, and I've never seen an insulation problem. Inside the alternator is a diode pack, and I've seen exactly one bad diode in 20 years of driving Saabs.
I've replaced a few failed Voltage Regulators, a bunch of VRs just to get new brushes, and only one alternator (bad diode). I don't think they fail often.
Just because the alternator light comes on does not mean you need to replace the entire alternator. Just the bit that's bad. What would you do if the Check Engine light comes on?
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