Alternator completely burned out - Experience required

To sum things up.

I am stuck at point 1. 280 000km, perhaps it is just moeg.

But driving now, every 5 minutes, unplug and plug the chinese charger in to see if it is doing 14.4V.

Maybe it is said cell charger causing kak. But how can that little thing cause the alernator to kak.

Maybe a short making the thing work overtime, hence checking for heat.

Sooo, point 1 thing is just moeg and burned itself out.
 
An alternator is in the engine bay so once the engine is warmed up they can get quite warm
 
My_King said:
100%, just checking.

I have no baseline of what it should be at.

So asking here to confirm.

Hoping to NOT spend another R3700.
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What exactly turned out to be the problem with the alternator? because I am not getting head or tail of this thread, did it literally burst into flames?
 
My_King said:
To sum things up.

I am stuck at point 1. 280 000km, perhaps it is just moeg.

But driving now, every 5 minutes, unplug and plug the chinese charger in to see if it is doing 14.4V.

Maybe it is said cell charger causing kak. But how can that little thing cause the alernator to kak.

Maybe a short making the thing work overtime, hence checking for heat.

Sooo, point 1 thing is just moeg and burned itself out.
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There's no way something plugged into the cigarette lighter can overload a working alternator. The wires would vapourise first.
 
TheChamp said:
What exactly turned out to be the problem with the alternator? because I am not getting head or tail of this thread, did it literally burst into flames?
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Complete noobs trying to be electrical engineers and can't even describe and/or diagnose the problem.
 
Just had my alternator replaced for my BMW330D 2002. 187 000km.
It had a French alternator in the car (Valeo), was replaced with a Bosch 150 Amp.
Cost me R9 000, R6500 for the alternator and R2500 labour. This was at my local independent repair guy.
Also doing 14.4V after the repair.
Before the repair was not charging at all and just running the battery down, could not drive very far. Even after full charge.
For a while before the replacement was only charging at about 13.6V.
I have a USB charger in the cigarette lighter socket that displays the voltage, seems to be quite accurate.
 
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Jola said:
Just had my alternator replaced for my BMW330D 2002. 187 000km.
It had a French alternator in the car (Valeo), was replaced with a Bosch 150 Amp.
Cost me R9 000, R6500 for the alternator and R2500 labour. This was at my local independent repair guy.
Also doing 14.4V after the repair.
Before the repair was not charging at all and just running the battery down, could not drive very far. Even after full charge.
For a while before the replacement was only charging at about 13.6V.
I have a USB charger in the cigarette lighter socket that displays the voltage, seems to be quite accurate.
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Reconditioning wasn't an option?
 
Stokstert said:
Complete noobs trying to be electrical engineers and can't even describe and/or diagnose the problem.
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I am a noob myself as far as cars are concerned, but I have always known that the regulator always goes on those things, when mine in the Corsa gave up I did it myself, wiggling the thing out of the car was the difficult part, the regulator itself is just a screw off and screw the new one in.

Didn't realise replacing the whole thing was even a thing, unless of course it literally burst into flames and melted.
 
wizardofid said:
A recon, also doesn't last.

Renault scenenic alternator packed up, reconned the alternator lasted about 3 years, and then seized completely was replaced with a new one.

Alternators do eventually pack up, actually never seen a seized alternator
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If it turns but just doesn't charge, it's most probably the regulator, a seized alternator does happen, it usually snaps the belt, I've had that happen before and a new bearing later all was well.

So I guess it depends on what component is being reconned.
 
TheChamp said:
If it turns but just doesn't charge, it's most probably the regulator, a seized alternator does happen, it usually snaps the belt, I've had that happen before and a new bearing later all was well.

So I guess it depends on what component is being reconned.
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In the end, it is usually just better to replace it, brushes and stuff like that no issues. Once bearings or belt fails, it is usually a good sign to yeet that mofo......
 
wizardofid said:
In the end, it is usually just better to replace it, brushes and stuff like that no issues. Once bearings or belt fails, it is usually a good sign to yeet that mofo......
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I respectfully disagree on the blanket statement, the car with the one that had a bearing seize was sold, years later with the same alternator and I am still driving the car with the alternator that had a regulator replaced.

But at the end, it's what works for you, to me, just throwing R9k at an alternator without exploring other options doesn't make financial sense, but if course, that is just me.
 
TheChamp said:
I respectfully disagree on the blanket statement, the car with the one that had a bearing seize was sold, years later with the same alternator and I am still driving the car with the alternator that had a regulator replaced.

But at the end, it's what works for you, to me, just throwing R9k at an alternator without exploring other options doesn't make financial sense, but if course, that is just me.
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I live out in the sticks, the alternator seized on the way to BFN. As we stopped at the garage, turned off the ignition, that is all she wrote. Then reconned it, send me on my way, a week later stock arrived and was replaced the end.

6 years later still no issues. It entirely depends, in the end it is just better to replace and get it over and done with, and sure mine wasn't 9k. It was 2500 for the alternator, 1k for labor.

Not worth the risk, and 3.5k for peace of mind in the middle of nowhere, you betcha I would choose to replace it every time over the risk of being stuck far from home.
 
If the case and windings are still good and the service centre knows what it’s doing it makes perfect sense to recon an alternator.
An OE alternator is typically far better than an aftermarket one and new OE or Bosch alternators are rather pricey
 
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