Just got a text from Bazza, he is stuck in the Alps with a broken alternator, hes basically asking how hard is it to fix, how expensive and how long does it take?
Felt like him last week with my creaky suspension!! As long as he has some kind of recovery cover someone will help him. The worst kind which I had would be to ring the AA and they'll give you some reccomended numbers. Don't fall for the admin charge of £350 which they charge to book you a hotel and call a recovery firm!! I hope he gets some cheap help!!
Best get a replacement? Bench job if you are really going to examine/fix it? Brushes,rectifier,(diodes) or bearings, and so forth? Decent garage where she is?:
She got towed to a Fiat service garage, Alfiadiag (what ever that is) said only 12volts output, Bazza is asking how long to replace and is it a rare part?
alfadiag is the diagnostic computer, 12 volts is not unusual with low revs and a big load like lights on and aircon running with a few revs on and lights off you should easily see 14.5 volts. it could be a bad battery, mine died in two hours with no notice, and much cheaper than an alternator!!
Do you know where he is - I'm on the Swiss side and there's a couple of English speaking Alfa Specialists in the town (plus I've a spare room if needed)
Sounds like you are getting some decent help, the only other possibility(cheap repair) is if the bulb in the dash has blown. This would then mean that there is no excitation of the alternator and then it doesnt produce voltage until the engine is revved much harder. Check the dash to see that the battery light is coming on and that will confirm the alternator. Best wishes!!
Rhett
If this is the GTA he's driving then it's possible to swap an alternator in an hour, but it is one pig of a job and is easiest done with the car off the ground, there is the chance though that it's just the regulator pack that's failed, this can be done in situ in half an hour, but best to pull the alternator and fit a new one though, to confirm it's the alternator just start the car and rev it, if the battery light comes on then it's the only thing it could be. 12V would be a good battery if it's not charging.
You aint seen me working, trust me in my job speed is everything, unless you enjoy waving you ass to Terry Taliban (not saying thier stalking garages now but I hope you get my jist). Just as well I charge by the job and not the hour eh???
I think he must be in Switzerland, as he was en-route to Austria in the GTA. Think everything should be ok, spoke to him yesterday and he wasnt stressing out to much!
Thanks for all your responses, it seemed to re-assure Bazza what he was thinking anyway!
This thread is a blast from the past. I never mentioned it in the thread, but I realised some time later that I heard the alternator fail.
I didn't make the connection at the time, but the previous day as I was driving through Como there was a horrible screeching/clattering noise for a moment from under the bonnet. Because nothing further happened, I wrongly convinced myself that I had misheard.
Should I clarify I was driving through the town of Como, not the lake?
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