Replace alternator-Buy alternator-HELP NEEDED!
 

Hi there...

I am new in this forum so please apologize if me thread is in the wrong spot or might already exist. I could not find any similar.

I have a 2001 Cherokee XJ Limited 4.0L and have been told by my mechanic today that I need a new alternator. He ran a check on my car today and all seems to be fine except that the altenator only provides about 12,4V. He says it should be about 13,5V
He recons that it costs me about $1,200 to $1,300 to replace it which I find quite expensive.

I actually have 3 questions:

1.) Is this a reasonable price for Sydney region/Northern Beaches?

2.) Where can I buy a new alternator? How much will it approximately cost?
I understood that I have to take the old alternator off to get the correct model number?

3.) Has anyone any manual or description of how to replace the alternator?
It seems easy accessible and consider it replacing myself.

Many thanks

Ben

That's a rip off... to me anyway

Alternators are usually only a few hundred dollars...

Someone here who has changed theirs will tell you soon enough.

On my '98 I'm pretty sure it wasn't over $400. The labour includes removing the a/c fan as the lower mounting bolt is quite long and fouls the fan.

Just checked what a new alternator would cost me (without knowing the exact model). However, I should not pay more than $400 w/o installation.

From that point of view it really seems like a rip off!

Huuuuge ripoff.

Prob only the regulator...simple unbolt off the rear of the alt and swap out...around $80

Yerr mine was like 400 all up including new serpentine belt and labour.

regards A

Excuse my ignorance but what is the regulator, where does it sit and how do I know that this is the problem?

Cheers

Hey Ben.
Welcome to AJOR.

I guess it is fair to say who ever quoted you over a grand for an alt change is a good place never to go back to.
Any auto elec could do it for you.
I would be having some one else examine it before you pay anything.
There is nothing unique about the alt.
A new reg & brushes (they are 1 thing) may fix it. otherwise a rebuilt alt should be fine.
The North American XJ site has plenty of good info like work shop manuals. The alt is an easy change. Best replace the belt while you are at it. Maybe the idlers as well. Dont bother with genuine jeep parts.

Good Luck with your Jeep !!!!:):):D

Not a problem,here's a video.Not quite the same alt but you get the idea,you don't even need to remove it from the vehicle.Alt rarely fail by themselves.They are only copper windings and magnets.Their bearing will get noisy however.Get a auto elect to test for you....but over $1000 is a pure ripoff.Plenty of wrecker parts also,if you shop smart the Jeeps are no more expensive than any Jap crap.

HTH


http://www.ehow.com/video_4936005_re...lternator.html

as for shopping smart.
try
wooders garage,
polly 4x4,
there are others as well
personally i have found repco and bursons to be spectacularly uncompetitive.
I like to get a price from rockauto in the states as well, shipping is about 5 days-used them allot and very happy with the service.
good luck with it.

Its people like that mechanic that give Jeeps a bad name. Nothing wrong with the vehicle its the idiot mechanics that know nothing about them telling the average jo-bloe they are horibly expensive to maintain. He probably only rang the local Jeep dealer to get a price.

By the way, start at $179 for a complete alternator with free freight on ebay (though I think they use an external rectifier / regulator?)....

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/JEEP-CHER...ht_2301wt_1139

thought the computer controls voltage ?? not the alt or regulator .

which reminds me ,i had an auto sparky tell me i needed a new alt because of low charge (was actually due to batt temp sensor being disconnected ) this tells computer to deliver lower charge to batt (i think its like a default setting) anyway reconnected battery temp sensor and alt began charging within normal range again .;)

Good point - not sure on 2001 model. I know the JK does it that way, so it could even be a faulty computer not charging properly.

On the update atleast it is connected to the computer but I have an idea that is still uses the reg.

regards A

The ECU does the regulation, good point on the battery temp sensor, it sits under the battery in the battery tray, check that first but a brand new alternator should be less that $500 fitted, a reco unit should be a couple of hundred less also fitted.
I have some spare used and working pre-update alternators, I don't know if they are the same for your model though, I guess I can look them up and see if you like...

i thought the pre-updates were 90 amp units and the post updates 117amps?

Good point and probably worth to check. Will check that over the weekend and hope I am able to identify the temp sensor even knowing where it should sit... :-)
If that doesn't solve my problem it might be best to just buy the $179 alternator on ebay and not bother spending some money on a new reg without knowing that this is the issue.

What kind of inforamtion do I need exactly to buy an altenator (excuse my stupid questions)? Somewhere I read that model no etc are important and that you should get the old one out first to gathe rall required information?

Thanks

Thanks! I think I will get the old one out, check model no etc first. I will come back to you once I have some more detauiled information.

hi not sure if any1 has mentioned this yet as cant be bothered reading hole tread but i got mine from www.rockauto.com it is a shop in the states and it was cheeper for me to get mine from there shiped to my door than it was to get it from anywere in aussie.

Yeah you are most likely correct though my pre-update has a 136A unit!!!!! :)

Are there any write-ups on how to rebuild a dead XJ alternator?

Some ravings:
1/ You are getting ripped off!
2/ You can buy a new alternator well under the $400 and a lot less .. shop around (and YES, I am talking about one to fit your JEEP exactly)
3/ Forget the chat about regulators, yours most likely is internal to the alternator anyway and cannot be repaired by the layman without a rebuild.
4/ An auto electrician?? who is a supposedly an expert (who will remain shameless unless your in Blacktown and already know this wanker) said "I will need to change the vehicle wiring to make it all work correctly, they don't know how to build cars these guys".. and of course it will not work that way because the ECU (computer) will shit itself and will never forgive you for changing things (and of course MANY euro cars also work this way, but this guy has never heard of these.
4/ There is more to an alternator then the brushes as most of the failures I have seen are due to field windings and these are a major rebuild anyway - go buy a new one as it is cheaper!
5/ Easy change.. just do it!

This. Was about to mention rock auto. Search for your vehicle for alternator, check if Amazon sells that part as well because if they do, your shipment will be about one third of other shipping companies and you will have a new or reman alternator for under $200.

As mentioned previously in this thread the regulator is NOT in the alternator the PCM (ECU) controls the regulation of the alternator, it is NOT like a "normal" self regulated alternator....

So once the alternator fails the only option is to replace the complete unit, you can't replace brushes like with other alternators?

You can replace the brushes and bearings, however as in ANY alternator there are also field windings that are controlled by the Regulator, in Jeeps, this is controlled by the PCM or ECU and not by a normal regulator (allowing appropriate output for the load of the vehicle and not just a guess).
In ALL alternators, simply replacing the brushes and bearings may not solve the problem if the regulation is not working (diodes, regulator, etc), with Jeep this is controlled by the ECU via the 2 wires that deliver the appropriate current from the PCM to the field windings (assuming they are working correctly) plugged into the rear and this excitation of the magnetic field results in the correct output from the alternator to
the system which is then filtered by the battery and delivered to the vehicle supply.
If you have OBD, this will tell you if the field windings have failed however it is always best to replace the whole unit, it will be cheaper and more reliable in the long run.
Note: If you have an external regulator on your JEEP, you are probably experiencing strange dashboard blackouts and other errors (beeping, etc) as the PCM gets very upset with the lack of control... avoid everything that does this, it simply does not work!