How to Remove a Car Alternator

Next to the battery for your vehicle, the alternator is probably the part of the charging system that fails the most. You can change the alternator yourself more cheaper than taking it to a repair shop. With proper care, you can have the vehicle up and running again in no time.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Adjustable wrench
• Screwdriver, flat blade
• Strips of electrical tape

1. Locate the alternator on the engine. The alternator will be placed somewhere on the engine so that the pulley on one end of the alternator can be attached to the main belt of the engine. The belt will turn the pulley of the alternator and create the electrical charge to recharge the battery as the engine runs.

2. Ensure that no other parts of the engine will prevent you removing the alternator. If there are other parts that you must remove, carefully remove them before attempting to remove the alternator. Make sure that you keep all the screws, nuts, bolts and other parts together for any other items that you remove, as you will need to use them to replace those items after changing your alternator.

3. Unscrew and remove the battery terminals. It is always wise to disconnect the battery when working on the electrical system of the vehicle. Make sure you place the terminals in such a way as to prevent them from touching the metal frame of the vehicle. If there is any doubt, wrap the terminals with a small amount of electrical tape.

4. Find the alternator mounting bolt or bolts. There is usually 1 bolt that attaches the alternator to the engine and is placed at a pivot point on the alternator, so that the alternator may be positioned against the fan belt to a greater or lesser of a degree as needed to generate the charging current for the recharge of the battery.

5. Loosen the mounting bolt at the bottom of the alternator and rotate the alternator back away from the fan belt. Continue loosening the bolt until it is free from the engine. Remove it and place it aside for use in remounting the new alternator.

6. Lift the alternator out of the engine cavity and place it on the engine so that you may disconnect the electrical connections for final removal. Locate the point at which the charging circuit attaches to the alternator.

7. Move the rubber covering shroud away from the terminal on the alternator and, using the small crescent wrench, remove the nut from the bolt and carefully wrap the terminal ends of the wire with a small amount of electrical tape. This will complete the removal of the alternator.

Tips & Warnings

• Most auto parts stores have the ability to test your charging system on your car and diagnose whether the alternator is bad or not before you go to the trouble of removing it from the vehicle. Most stores perform this service free of charge.
• Take the old alternator with you when you go to buy a new or remanufactured one from the parts store. Check before you leave the parts store that the mounting holes and the pulley on the new alternator match the ones on the old one.
• When remounting the new alternator you will probably have to use a short pry bar to rotate the new alternator into the path of the fan belt to get rid of the squeal caused by incomplete contact with the fan belt.