Altenator Problem?

[dgriff]

Hi
Today my battery light on my dashboard is lit up while I'm driving and there's also a strange ticking noise (very fast) coming from that area (from behind the speedometer). I only hear the ticking noise when I'm in idle. The best way I can explain the "ticking noise" is if there is a twig hitting off your spokes on a push bike when you are cycling. (I hope that makes sense!)
Is there a fuse that I should check before I go buying an altenator? What fuse number should I check? Any other ideas? THanks!

[Scotcruz]

Originally Posted by dgriff

Hi
Today my battery light on my dashboard is lit up while I'm driving and there's also a strange ticking noise (very fast) coming from that area (from behind the speedometer). I only hear the ticking noise when I'm in idle. The best way I can explain the "ticking noise" is if there is a twig hitting off your spokes on a push bike when you are cycling. (I hope that makes sense!)
Is there a fuse that I should check before I go buying an altenator? What fuse number should I check? Any other ideas? THanks!

the trouble is that it could be anything..

easiest thing to do is to get the code scanned... check for the planet map on the forum to see any user around you..

[sammyd]

Originally Posted by dgriff

Hi
Today my battery light on my dashboard is lit up while I'm driving and there's also a strange ticking noise (very fast) coming from that area (from behind the speedometer). I only hear the ticking noise when I'm in idle. The best way I can explain the "ticking noise" is if there is a twig hitting off your spokes on a push bike when you are cycling. (I hope that makes sense!)
Is there a fuse that I should check before I go buying an altenator? What fuse number should I check? Any other ideas? THanks!

not sure about the ticking mate.. but ive just had a new alternator fitted, and boy was it expensive.. quoted £450 at one garage and ended up paying £175 at another!!
my advise is to take the thing off and go hunting ebay. theres tonnes on there, and a fairly easy fit! but make sure you get the right serial number, as there's about 6 different variants!!

[dgriff]

Originally Posted by sammyd

not sure about the ticking mate.. but ive just had a new alternator fitted, and boy was it expensive.. quoted £450 at one garage and ended up paying £175 at another!!
my advise is to take the thing off and go hunting ebay. theres tonnes on there, and a fairly easy fit! but make sure you get the right serial number, as there's about 6 different variants!!

Yeah, I heard that alternators are expensive but I've got 236,000 miles on my car so fitting a new one would have been a little overkill. Anyway, I checked the alternator with a multimeter and sure enough it was the alternator. I decided to buy a second hand one and get a mechanic to fit it. The mechanic said it would take an hour to fit and quoted me €75 (about £65) plus VAT for labour only. A bit steep. And there's no guarantee that the alternator that I brought to him would be the right piece. I went and bought the second hand alternator for €45 and I asked them to fit it for me too. They charged me €50 labour (no vat). Total cost €45+€50= €95 (£82). Not bad.

[sammyd]

Originally Posted by dgriff

Yeah, I heard that alternators are expensive but I've got 236,000 miles on my car so fitting a new one would have been a little overkill. Anyway, I checked the alternator with a multimeter and sure enough it was the alternator. I decided to buy a second hand one and get a mechanic to fit it. The mechanic said it would take an hour to fit and quoted me €75 (about £65) plus VAT for labour only. A bit steep. And there's no guarantee that the alternator that I brought to him would be the right piece. I went and bought the second hand alternator for €45 and I asked them to fit it for me too. They charged me €50 labour (no vat). Total cost €45+€50= €95 (£82). Not bad.

236,000 .. sure you,ve herd that given regular oil and necessaries that, that is not excessive for these cars!! couldn't really say why alternators are so bleedin expensive for these.. :@(
bu have to say, my car had a multitude of issues with the dodgy alternator! ie heater motor, "middle of the summer and it was blowing red hot" phew!! but these came back in to life.. with the shiny new alternator!!
good luck with yours
sam........@~)

ps
mines done 166,000 just had it re-mapped.. it pulls like a train.. and will knock that silly luck off most "boy racers"

[chopper1192]

Genuine brand-new alternators cost a bomb from anywhere. Chap I know just paid over £400 for a new Toyota alternator, just for the part.

Next down the tree is the remanufactured genuine alternator. They are really like new, new bearings, windings, the casing refurbed/painted etc, and you often get some money back if you swap in your old one. Not all car manufacturers make these available for sale at dealerships.

Then you got your aftermarket new, that can vary vastly in price as well, depending on make and intended application.

Then your aftermarket remanufactured, which is what the majority of off-the-shelf aftermarket jobs are these days, and they're usually the cheapest. Again, you often get some spondies back if you trade in your olde one.

The price you pay tends to go hand in hand with which of the categories above you're looking at.