Alternator Bearing failure
Posted: 05 Apr 2015, 21:07
Hi,
I had a sudden whine on my van while driving up the M5 yesterday. (I always whine on the M5 also but that's because of the constant roadworks around junct 5,4,3). I was doing about 60/65 up the incline towards junction 4. I wondered if it was the Auto trans, or the engine, diff etc? so I took it out of drive and revved the engine from 3000rpm up to 3500 and hey presto the whine pitch went up as the van slowed down so it wasn't the gearbox!! Back at home this was a job for the stethoscope. With the engine ticking over I held the stethoscope on the waterpump (just a nice whirr) Then the dizzy, (same again) and then the alternator (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee) right in my ears. It appears the bearings are dodgy all of a SUDDEN. I checked the brushes they were ok although the slip rings have seen better days. New bearings with rings and brushes are about 35-40 pounds so I decided to look at a new alternator. After scraping myself off the floor seeing £157 plus delivery I turned to Ebay and Eurocarparts who had better prices but alot of the offerings were made by RTX (which are rubbish). So I ordered one from a German autoelectrical company for £62.00 inc delivery and no return of the old one. (Remanufactured Bosch) I hope I've not made a mistake!!! Bad things never come in ones so I also discovered that the earth had come loose on my solar regulator which has killed it!!! Now just waiting for number 3.
I had a sudden whine on my van while driving up the M5 yesterday. (I always whine on the M5 also but that's because of the constant roadworks around junct 5,4,3). I was doing about 60/65 up the incline towards junction 4. I wondered if it was the Auto trans, or the engine, diff etc? so I took it out of drive and revved the engine from 3000rpm up to 3500 and hey presto the whine pitch went up as the van slowed down so it wasn't the gearbox!! Back at home this was a job for the stethoscope. With the engine ticking over I held the stethoscope on the waterpump (just a nice whirr) Then the dizzy, (same again) and then the alternator (eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee) right in my ears. It appears the bearings are dodgy all of a SUDDEN. I checked the brushes they were ok although the slip rings have seen better days. New bearings with rings and brushes are about 35-40 pounds so I decided to look at a new alternator. After scraping myself off the floor seeing £157 plus delivery I turned to Ebay and Eurocarparts who had better prices but alot of the offerings were made by RTX (which are rubbish). So I ordered one from a German autoelectrical company for £62.00 inc delivery and no return of the old one. (Remanufactured Bosch) I hope I've not made a mistake!!! Bad things never come in ones so I also discovered that the earth had come loose on my solar regulator which has killed it!!! Now just waiting for number 3.