MemphisMan Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 New years day I got the battery idiot light followed shortly by the ABS idiot light. I was on my way to meet Red93Cutlass (Jeff), who was passing through Memphis. We had arranged to meet up so he could check out my Cutty. No such luck. My Cutty died on the side of the highway less than 5 miles from where we were going to meet up. The voltage regulator had failed and the battery had completely drained. I was going 60 miles an hour when I lost all power and my beloved Cutty had to be parked along side of I-40 while I waited for a friend to bring me some tools. He arrived and we pulled the battery, took it to autozone, charged it, and put it back in the Cutty. Ran on battery power back to autozone to have the charging system checked out. Bad voltage regulator inside the alternator. Bought a new alternator and nursed the Cutty home. Started the alternator swap this morning at 10am...finished 12 hours later. 2 trips to autozone, 2 meals, taking down Christmas decorations, and a lot of cussing happened in between. It would've taken less time, but I spent a lot of time trying to get the top alternator bolt back in, which I never did. I did get all of the ducting work put back in place though. My hats off to those who have done an alternator swap on a 3.4 in 45 minutes. I just don't see how thats really possible to be honest, unless the motor is out of the car. I almost feel like this was a right of passage for me because I've read about all of the many things that go wrong with these cars, but I never had an issue. My Cutty is back in business. Jeff, again my appologies for not being able to meet up with you. I was looking forward to it. Maybe next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94 olds vert Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 That's the quite the accomplishment to do the alternator on the 3.4l DOHC. I have not been able to do it in 45 minutes. It took me 3 hours to do mine this summer. Now that it's done it will last you a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Next time, unbolt the tie rod end. THAT is how you do it in 45 minutes. I could do one in 25 if I really wanted to, to be honest. I learned this after I had a 3.4L car whose ECM decided to start frying voltage regulators. That was a fun car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94 olds vert Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 I didn't put my top bolt back in on the alternator. Should make it easier to replace the next time around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 15k miles old and the alt dies, great work GM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMan Posted January 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 I unbolted the tie rod end, but I didn't seem to have enough clearance after dropping the passenger side subframe. I was also concerned about tearing the CV joint boot and tie rod boot. I'm thinking when I have to do it again I'll replace the drivers side subframe bolts with jacking bolts and lower the drivers side some too. My problem was that I couldn't clear the frame. I mean I really had to force that thing through there and I'm lucky I didn't tear the CV joint boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMan Posted January 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Let's just hope your idea of a long time isn't 10-20k miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94 olds vert Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 My original one lasted till 100k, so you should have lots of use out of it still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White92Cutlass Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 New years day I got the battery idiot light followed shortly by the ABS idiot light. I was on my way to meet Red93Cutlass (Jeff), who was passing through Memphis. We had arranged to meet up so he could check out my Cutty. No such luck. My Cutty died on the side of the highway less than 5 miles from where we were going to meet up. The voltage regulator had failed and the battery had completely drained. I was going 60 miles an hour when I lost all power and my beloved Cutty had to be parked along side of I-40 while I waited for a friend to bring me some tools. He arrived and we pulled the battery, took it to autozone, charged it, and put it back in the Cutty. Ran on battery power back to autozone to have the charging system checked out. Bad voltage regulator inside the alternator. Bought a new alternator and nursed the Cutty home. Started the alternator swap this morning at 10am...finished 12 hours later. 2 trips to autozone, 2 meals, taking down Christmas decorations, and a lot of cussing happened in between. It would've taken less time, but I spent a lot of time trying to get the top alternator bolt back in, which I never did. I did get all of the ducting work put back in place though. My hats off to those who have done an alternator swap on a 3.4 in 45 minutes. I just don't see how thats really possible to be honest, unless the motor is out of the car. I almost feel like this was a right of passage for me because I've read about all of the many things that go wrong with these cars, but I never had an issue. My Cutty is back in business. Jeff, again my appologies for not being able to meet up with you. I was looking forward to it. Maybe next time. [ATTACH=CONFIG]7132[/ATTACH] No problem-stuff happens. Glad you got it going again. Maybe we'll be passing that way again sometime and can meet up with you then. It was good talking to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOT2B GM Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 Congrats on your first LQ1 alternator replacement. Your first one always takes a while longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 My first one took 3-4 hours. Second time was 1-2 hours. Third - fifth time was the 45 minute times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMan Posted January 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 No problem-stuff happens. Glad you got it going again. Maybe we'll be passing that way again sometime and can meet up with you then. It was good talking to you. Good talking to you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMan Posted January 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 Congrats on your first LQ1 alternator replacement. Your first one always takes a while longer. Thanks Matt! Did the internal design of the replacement alternators improve over time or are they the same as stock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55trucker Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 (edited) Where the Delco CS130 original is concerned.... pretty much the same as the original Delco supplied items, the regulator might be an offshore item, assuming that one purchases a unit from your average over-the-counter mass parts supplier.........unless.....you opt for one of the high output *iceberg* units, such as these builders.... http://www.alternatorparts.com/cs130-cs130d-series-alternators.htm who make use of better quality internals to get that better output/cooling. Don't know on the US side who distributes for this particular builder (or, if one purchases direct from these people), but where I live I make use of an independent builder who will build to suit. Edited January 5, 2012 by 55trucker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornado_735 Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I'm not looking forward to the day when I have to change my alternator...I'm hoping at 199k, someone's already done it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55trucker Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 It's not a *fun* task......have done it three times now....I have absolutely no way of understanding how one can do it in less than thirty minutes. Takes more than that long to just get the strut out, then there is the axle shaft shield, then the axle shaft.....etc etc...lol:( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psych0matt Posted January 5, 2012 Report Share Posted January 5, 2012 I just unbolted a few things, dropped the passenger subframe, and wiggled it in. Mine took about 4 hours total, but A) It was my first time, and The moron I bought the car from me had a loose alternator already in the general area, with no bolts, so I had to figure out which way it was supposed to be in there, and then find someone who had the bolt set All done now, I could probably do it in around 2 hours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MemphisMan Posted January 6, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I didn't remove the strut or the axle shaft. I did remove the axle shaft shield and lower the passenger side of the subframe. I swear 1/4 more clearance between the body and the axle would've saved me hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55trucker Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 (edited) Well, you've got a later model?.....with mine one has to contend with the heater core feed pipe that hangs approx. 1 1/2" below the chassis rail along the entire length of the rail, and one has to be able to get their hand and the ratchet/extension/u-flex/socket up into the space that the axle has vacated to get onto the bracket that supports the back of the alternator (one is doing this totally blind as you cannot see the bracket & the bolt in the block). Then there is the coolant pipe that blows cold air onto the rectifier pack that has to be pulled out of the bracket on the back of the alternator as well (the later models don't make use of the cold air blower system). The job in a word.....YUCK! I see that you have the cs130*D* model alternator as well. Perhaps getting that one in is easier than the original CS130 *iceberg* that I have. I replaced mine *again* this past summer, this one better last for the rest of the car's life (with me).. Edited January 6, 2012 by 55trucker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Yeah, the "D" might be easier to get in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOT2B GM Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 the 91 LQ1s had a cooling pipe with a blower motor for the alt rather than the cooling duct on the 92+ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I can do it in about an hour or so at this point, first time took me FOREVER... 12 hours or more. Next time it always way easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addicted To Boost Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 the 91 LQ1s had a cooling pipe with a blower motor for the alt rather than the cooling duct on the 92+ Anyone have a picture of how the 91 setup is supposed to look? On mine, the pipe runs down the passenger side of the engine bay and stops at the rear of the engine. Is there supposed to be a piece that goes to the alternator that I'm missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55trucker Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) Anyone have a picture of how the 91 setup is supposed to look? On mine, the pipe runs down the passenger side of the engine bay and stops at the rear of the engine. Is there supposed to be a piece that goes to the alternator that I'm missing? I don't have the photos that I once took of the blower assembly, but, out of the back end of the blower motor the rubber hose snakes around the shock tower, then makes a 90 bend toward the alternator, it is then wrapped in insulation, the piping is fed around to the backside of the alternator over the top and makes 180 U bend into the steel bracket that points the hose into the rectifier pack. Edited January 8, 2012 by 55trucker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White92Cutlass Posted January 12, 2012 Report Share Posted January 12, 2012 (edited) Mine had a dead battery a few days ago. Autozone tested the electrical system and determined that the alternator isn't putting out the full voltage. Looks like I'll be doing an alternator replacement soon, too. Luckily, in this case, I have the 3.1, so I should be looking at less than an hour of time. I also have an extra alternator in the garage from my parts car that has tested as good. Edited January 12, 2012 by White92Cutlass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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