Alternator just went... What now!

[grandprixnyc]

I was just driving to go out to dinner... and behold! There goes the alternator. The lights went dim, the voltage light came on and the gauge is reading about 9 or 10 volts. I was about a mile from the house so i turned around, limped it home and its down to about 8 volts as I pulled in the driveway.

 

This is a 1992 LQ1. Honestly, I don't have the time, experience, or patience to do this work myself. That means it's gotta go to a shop. What do you think I'm looking at to have this done?

[AWeb80]

Dang....wish I was there....I'd do it for cheap

 

~$300

 

Tell them to drop the subframe and go from behind....

[Andrew]

i think the job books at 3.5 hours, so say around $250 just for labor.

[grandprixnyc]

Damn. I can not afford to fix this! I'm out a job, hopelessly in debt, and really don't know enought about this, or have the tools, to do it myself. I know alts on a 3.4 are a major PITA too. My luck sucks, man.

[Andrew]

you can do it. read Slicks write up.

[jeremy]

I would guess that you are looking at $400-500 for a show to do it.

[grandprixnyc]

I was figuring on 500 (which isn't going to happen.)

 

A thought - and don't flame me if this sounds dumb - but our alts have a belt, right? I was leaving a friends house this afternoon and as I was pulling away, the car was making a very unusual whining noise that it has never made before. So, i'm wondering, could the belt have gone out on the alternator?

[ManicMechanic]

You would have also lost power steering and the car would have been getting hotter if the belt had gone.

[oldscsc]

You would have also lost power steering and the car would have been getting hotter if the belt had gone.

 

Yup. It is run by the serpentine belt, which means it would not be operating the power steering pump or water pump. Your engine would be getting hot real quick so that isn't an option.

[19Cutlass94]

your better off doing it yourself.

 

Believe me, Ive spent LONG nights working on my car

[White93z34]

Honestly in the area where you live I'd say unless you can find a *really* decent shop, you are going to get raped.

 

If you have a garage of any kind that you can work in, and a basic metric socket set. I am sure you are capable of doing it. you can always call a good deal of us too for help along the way.

[grandprixnyc]

Well, I don't have a garage... I do have a metric set, though.

 

But, the power steering and the water pump are/were fine, so I guess that dashes any hope of this just being a belt. I was going to get a new(er) car in the summer (or when my tax return shows up) and unload this thing, so is it worth putting the time, money, and energy into it?

[AWeb80]

you'll get more out of it w/ it working fine.

 

Spend $80 on an alt and fix yourself....unload ASAP

[White93z34]

depends on how bad you need a car till then. For me I'd have my ass under the car in my snow filled, gravel driveway, I NEED my car daily. But your situation may be much different then mine.

[grandprixnyc]

I don't need one that bad right now... I can't afford to do a new car until the summer, at best, so I really needed this thing to last until may or june. Either way, I'm in a really shitty situation and I need to figure out what I want to do here. Does anyone have a link to the writeup?

[slick]

Maybe someone in the area would be willing to help?

[White93z34]

http://www.w-body.com/forum/index.php?topic=30225.0

 

If I was less then 6ish hours away from east NY I'd do it in a minute

[grandprixnyc]

It doesn't look THAT hard... but its ~20 degrees out now, so it's not going to happen!

[White93z34]

doing it (and most any car related project) the first time is always a bitch.

 

if you do decide to tackle it PM me and I'll send over my telephone number if you run into any problems along the way.

[grandprixnyc]

I'm trying to get my brother to help, but he is being reluctant.

[Crazy K]

maybe you'd like to trade if for a reliable beater of an oldsmobile?

 

I'd drive in, change the alt, and drive your GP home. You can keep the cutty.

[grandprixnyc]

I might try and con a neighbor into helping. I was going to buy a used G8 when I graduated, and I just needed this heap to last until the end of May. Ugh!

 

My brother doesn't want to fuck around with the tie rod or the subframe. Are there any pulleys or things like that which I should be aware of?

[GOT2B GM]

Follow the write up and you'll be fine.

[5speedz34]

I wouldn't do it myself. For a novice give yourself at least all day to do it. Do you change your own oil? Honestly I would take it to a shop. I dealt with this at the beginning of the semester with 17 credits this semester, it sucked I had to get a friend install it for me.

 

Isn't Brian P right by you? What about posting/looking on Craigslist for someone to do it cheap?

[grandprixnyc]

No, I'm one of those "I don't change oil, that's what shops are for" kind of guys. Don't hate me!

 

I can't garner up the support from anyone I know right now, so the future is looking grim. I think Brian P is out in Suffolk and I wouldn't even ask him to schlep all the way out here for something like that.