Time for alternator is approaching

SoulSoak

SoulSoak

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Well my LS is starting to show signs of a failing alternator I believe. Not everytime, but maybe one out of every 10 start-ups I get "Check Charging System", "Check Advance Trac", and "Service parking brake" right at the initial start. I've never had any of these come up while driving, only directly at start-up. But from reading, I believe my alternator may be going on it's way out.

Rockauto has a reman Motorcraft for $291.xx.

Fordpartagiant has a new one for $345.xx.

Any recommendations as to which I should grab? I'll probably just go with Fordpartsgiant since I've used them for everything else and have only received nice quality parts so far.

Anyhow, if anyone would recommend I do further diagnosing before pointing to the alternator, please advise me now. Thanks guys

(Oh and for those who don't know, '03 LS8 105k miles.)
 
Let me start by saying, I'm sorry. (You'll know why when you get into it.)

It would be good to use a multimeter to measure DC voltage while riding around. You can even measure from the power point. You should also check for AC voltage. When my alternator failed, it made some noise and couldn't hold voltage at idle any higher than 12 volts. It did give some warning before this by making a little noise once in a while.
When I was having trouble with the alternator on my Ranger, I made my own version of this to use: http://www.amazon.com/Cigarette-Lig...qid=1433886827&sr=8-4&keywords=car+volt+meter
 
Have any good rebuild shops around? The alternator on the LS is rebuildable. Had mine done, think it was about 100 bucks (price dependent upon your local shop) and you KNOW they will replace all the wear parts where a bought rebuilt could very well have just been dunked in a barrel of degreaser then slapped in a rebuild box.

When you go to replace it, jack the car up, support if by the frame (not ramps). The alternator comes out through the lower A arm. If you're good at Tetris, you can do this. The long bolt on top comes out by loosening the passenger side engine mount, then jacking the engine up. You can jack it up with the oil pan, with a short piece of 2x4 between the jack and the pan. You will also need to loosen the HVAC Freon line across the entire front of the car, and down the passenger side. The blind bolt on the top rear of the alternator is a 10MM. If I remember correctly it took me about 3 hours to get the alternator out, not knowing these things. Knowing them, probably less than an hour.
 
Thanks Joe, I'll give this a try this weekend Saturday and see what results I get. And thanks Telco, I don't know of any rebuild shops around but I'll do some research. If all fails, I'll just buy a new one from giant. Unfortunately... this looks like a fun task..
 
joegr said:
Let me start by saying, I'm sorry. (You'll know why when you get into it.)

It would be good to use a multimeter to measure DC voltage while riding around. You can even measure from the power point. You should also check for AC voltage. When my alternator failed, it made some noise and couldn't hold voltage at idle any higher than 12 volts. It did give some warning before this by making a little noise once in a while.
When I was having trouble with the alternator on my Ranger, I made my own version of this to use: http://www.amazon.com/Cigarette-Lig...qid=1433886827&sr=8-4&keywords=car+volt+meter
Click to expand...

Which is why I GLADLY paid the one hour labour for my indie to replace the alternator in my wife's '06!!!!
 
Telco said:
Have any good rebuild shops around? The alternator on the LS is rebuildable. Had mine done, think it was about 100 bucks (price dependent upon your local shop) and you KNOW they will replace all the wear parts where a bought rebuilt could very well have just been dunked in a barrel of degreaser then slapped in a rebuild box.

When you go to replace it, jack the car up, support if by the frame (not ramps). The alternator comes out through the lower A arm. If you're good at Tetris, you can do this. The long bolt on top comes out by loosening the passenger side engine mount, then jacking the engine up. You can jack it up with the oil pan, with a short piece of 2x4 between the jack and the pan. You will also need to loosen the HVAC Freon line across the entire front of the car, and down the passenger side. The blind bolt on the top rear of the alternator is a 10MM. If I remember correctly it took me about 3 hours to get the alternator out, not knowing these things. Knowing them, probably less than an hour.
Click to expand...


When you refer to supporting and raising the engine at the oil pan, I don't need to worry about it collapsing? I thought oil pans were pretty fragile, but I'm sure you wouldn't advise me to do so if it were a bad idea haha.

And as for the HVAC lines, do you mean just loosen the brackets so it can be maneuverable? Or do you mean disconnect etc. and I'll need to refill/recharge the AC system?
 
Telco said:
...When you go to replace it, jack the car up, support if by the frame (not ramps). The alternator comes out through the lower A arm. If you're good at Tetris, you can do this. The long bolt on top comes out by loosening the passenger side engine mount, then jacking the engine up. You can jack it up with the oil pan, with a short piece of 2x4 between the jack and the pan. ...
Click to expand...

I did it on ramps. Also, I didn't loosen the engine mount or raise the engine. I removed the sway bar bracket on the passenger side and disconnected the sway bar end-line at the lower control arm. That let me move the sway bar enough to be able to get the long bolt out.
 
SoulSoak said:
... And as for the HVAC lines, do you mean just loosen the brackets so it can be maneuverable? Or do you mean disconnect etc. and I'll need to refill/recharge the AC system?
Click to expand...

There's one plastic clip holding the suction line that you need to unclip, and one metal bracket (towards the driver's side) that you need to unbolt (8 or 10mm, I think. You can feel it, but probably can't see it.) from the car. Then you'll have enough play to pull the line out of the way just enough to get the alternator out and back in. (It does require some puzzle thought to twist and turn the alternator just right to get it out.)

The nut on the top stud holding the alternator on is 13mm.
 
I meant just the brackets on the AC lines. On the oil pan, it is a cast aluminum oil pan which is a structural member of the block. It's not the same as the old stamped sheet metal oil pans on older engines.

I don't know what's different from yours vs mine on that alternator bolt, Joe, but mine was running into the bottom of the radiator support. I had to jack the engine up enough to clear the rad support. I also couldn't see how to get it out with the car on ramps. But, you removed and installed yours and I removed and installed mine, so I guess there's more than one way to do this particular job.
 
Hmm, I suppose it's possible. I don't remember having to remove my sway bar support either. Lovely. Still, didn't look like it would be all that hard to swap when I was under there.
 
My alternator died while I was sitting in the staging lanes at Maxton. Battery power ran out just before I was going to run. I got a tow back to my pit, and having decided it must be the alternator, we took the truck into Laurenburg and to the Auto Zone, the only place open on a late Saturday.

It took us until almost midnight to weasel the old unit out and replace it---working in the dark, in the dirt, with a flashlight for illumination. Unfastening it wasn't all that difficult but it must have taken more than an hour of twisting and turning it to get just the right attitude on it to have it fall out in my face. I set four records, in two classes, the next day.

The A Z alternator lasted several months before it too needed to be replaced. And twice more with a few months between jobs. But the lifetime warranty meant I didn't have to pay. I'd become adept at the work by the last time and the final iteration has been running flawlessly for more than five years now. I DID install a voltmeter so I could keep an eye on things. So far it's been putting out 14-and-a-half-or-so volts everytime I look at it.

I still hold the record in E/F CC I set that day.

KS
 
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