Hi All,
I keep getting an Alternator fault coming on my dashboard but the car runs fine for the time being. Suspect that the Alternator is on its way out.
Which brand would you recommend as a replacement?
Tom
Yours is the diesel so you don't appear to have many options, https://www.lrdirect.com/stc2227-alternator. Although someone did identify a replacement regulator and brushes assembly for around £20 which might be a better option as you will keep the original Bosch (I believe) innards.
my luck with rebuild parts for alternators has been limited. If the commutator or windings are shot (and i've been bit by both of those!) then you've spent hours messing with it for nothing. Newer alts also have the regulator/brush pack soldered into the windings so its not even a quick swap, its a lot of faff just to get into it, hours of messing to swap the bits and you get it all back together and it still doesnt work.
Years ago, it seemed the brushes would wear out or the regulator would fail relatively early in the life of the unit. Nowadays, the parts tend to last 20+ years and by the time any of it fails, the whole things basically needing rebuilt.
I recently replaced mine. I think I got it from Bearmach.
I replaced the reg/brush pack on my diesel in around 1/2 hr, no need to remove the alternator and I'd never done one before. Just small bolts, no soldering.
I was considering that but to be honest my alternator looked to be in a pretty poor state. As it is my sole vehicle I played it safe / chickened out and replaced the entire unit.
Chrisp38 wrote:
I replaced the reg/brush pack on my diesel in around 1/2 hr, no need to remove the alternator and I'd never done one before. Just small bolts, no soldering.
Yeh some have removable brush packs, but the main rectifier diodes are still soldered to the windings.
I think i've got a similar bosch unit on the bench, i'll pop the cover off and take some photos when i get a minute.
I suppose its one of those tradeoffs, your spending £20 instead of £120, but if it goes wrong your now out several hours and £140.
It was actually working fine but was recommended to fit a higher output voltage one on another forum so I did along with the recommended hankok mf31 battery.
Brushes, and to a lesser degree regulators, wear out and fail. Rectifiers rarely do, in fact I'd say the bearings are more likely to fail than the rectifiers.. At 450k, mine is on its second regulator and third set of brushes but still the original bearings and rectifiers.
Gilbertd wrote:
Yours is the diesel so you don't appear to have many options, https://www.lrdirect.com/stc2227-alternator. Although someone did identify a replacement regulator and brushes assembly for around £20 which might be a better option as you will keep the original Bosch (I believe) innards.
That was me.
Might be able to find part number if needed.