Turbo Van alternator issue

[Lee'sdaytona]

Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving!
Well, the van made the 5 hour trip just fine up to Massachusetts. Going from the hotel to my family's house for thanksgiving dinner, through the middle of the woods, the battery gage started to drop to 12 VDC, then back up to 14 VDC. It has a denso alternator that came with the van and has never been a problem. The big black wire looks corroded a bit, so I'm thinking the electrical contacts at the alt should be cleaned up, but I hope I don't have to change an alternator up here! Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
-Lee

[turbovanman²]

Check voltage with a mulitmeter, if that's ok, find a shop that can test your alt, ON THE VAN. They can tell you usually within 15-20 mins what's up.

[Lee'sdaytona]

Well, I don't have my tools with me of course. My uncle had a small socket set I was able to pull the large black wire off the alt and clean it up. Ran the van for about a minute or so, and the gage read it was charging, so hopefully it holds out. I know my voltage gage normally reads just above the halfway mark. When it would drop below the halfway mark, my dash lamps would dim. I kept the radio and heater off for the remainder of the drive.
I sure hope that does it. My family will be pissed at me if I have to change an alternator or worse, it leaves us stranded.
Simon, if the voltage is OK with a multimeter, why would that indicate a bad alternator? I would think if the voltage is 14, the alt is good? Or did you mean battery voltage?
Thanks,
Lee

[black86glhs]

Because it can make 14 volts, but not put out any amps. Voltage only doesn't do anything.

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[Lee'sdaytona]

oh right....Well, when we went to leave my aunt/uncles house in the middle of the woods, with my parents and my 87 year old grandfather by the way, it was not charging at all. Thank god the battery had enough juice to limp us back to the hotel 15 minutes away, that happens to have a Midas next door. It really sucks having the know-how to change an alternator, with no tools. I'm just happy it didn't leave us stranded.

Its funny, I was just commenting to one of my colleges the other day how my first car, the 87 daytona, I went through 4 or 5 alternators, because the Bosch rebuilt ones from Autozone suck. And yet, the Nippodenso ones are awesome, and I have the same one that came with the van when I bought it 5 years ago, and 55,000 miles back....go figure it would give out on this trip.
Thanks for your help guys!
-Lee

[Lee'sdaytona]

Midas took it in this morning. The alternator did indeed die. The voltage regulator was tested in the SBEC, and checked out OK. So, the only available alternator was in Connecticut and will be in this afternoon. Apparently, this includes local parts stores. So, with the $240 alternator and labor its going to be just under $400. Of course I know if I were home, I could get the alternator for under $200 and install it myself in under 30 minutes. Oh well. Thanks again!

[89scottytona]

Most autozones have them alternators in stock, least in my area...

[turbovanman²]

Midas took it in this morning. The alternator did indeed die. The voltage regulator was tested in the SBEC, and checked out OK. So, the only available alternator was in Connecticut and will be in this afternoon. Apparently, this includes local parts stores. So, with the $240 alternator and labor its going to be just under $400. Of course I know if I were home, I could get the alternator for under $200 and install it myself in under 30 minutes. Oh well. Thanks again!

Wrecking yard? Almost all Dodges from mid 80's to mid 90's used the same Nippo alt, just swap the pulley.

[Lee'sdaytona]

Yeah, I might do that Simon. I'm now safely home in NJ with my family. For the record, unless you are like I was, and absolutely have to, NEVER "trust the Midas touch". We waited all day on the alternator to be delivered from out of state. It showed up and supposedly was the wrong one. I did ask them if they would put in another Nippodenso, and they said, oh yes, definitely.
I picked up the van at 5:00 to begin my 5 hour drive home that was supposed to be at 9am this morning.
The van belt was squealing. I said something to them, but they said its the A/C belt. OK, I know they can be tricky to tension, so I'll do it when I get home.
Got back to my Aunt's house to pick up the rest of the family and checked it out. Not only was the belt loose, but they charged me $250 for a freekin $89 Bosch alternator!!! (plus labor).
Drove for about an hour, and at a rest stop, I decided to try to tighten my alt belt with this little 3 or 4" adjustable wrench I carry with me. Tightened up the belt, and the squealing got worse. Either the alt is not properly aligned, or the bearings in the new alt are shot.
Either way, I'm headed to my local Midas tomorrow, and asking to return the Alt, and get my money back for the part, not the labor, and I'll install a new Nippo.
I was worried the whole way home that the belt (which is about a month old thankfully) would shred and leave us on the side of the road....

[Lee'sdaytona]

So I popped the hood this morning with better light. No wonder its squeelling. Not only is it the wrong, crappy Bosch alternator, but when they installed it, they broke one of the mounting ears of the new alternator, probably because the bracket on the Denso is smaller. So I called Midas, and asked if I could ship back the $90 crappy broken Bosch, that they charged me $250 for, and get my money back on just the part. They said find. :thumb: Somehow, my new-ish radiator is now leaking:mad:

2 Questions: Where is a good place to get a good new Nippodenso alternator? Is Autozone/Advance OK? Or should I go elsewhere?

Now that my newish radiator, aluminum with plastic ends is leaking, where can I get a quality rad? This rad might have a lifetime warrenty, so I have to check on that.

[89scottytona]

I've always got mine from autozone. It's hard to beat a lifetime warranty....

[Lee'sdaytona]

Yeah, as it turns out, my rad has a lifetime warranty through Advance Auto Parts. I returned it and they ordered a new rad for me, free of charge, and I also ordered a nippodenso alt. while I was at it, for $190 :thumb: How great is that compared to a broken Bosch for $250

[Lee'sdaytona]

Van is back on the road :thumb: I picked up the parts today and installed the rad and alternator. No belt squeaking, no fluid leaking, and 14.45 VDC measured off the battery while running :) She's good for another 100,000 miles!
Thanks again guys!
-Lee

[turbovanman²]

Awesome, sorry to hear about the bad luck but glad it all worked out, :nod:

[Lee'sdaytona]

Hey, no one was hurt, including the van, and we were stranded with our family, giving us an unexpected extra day with family we see once a year. So it could always have been worse :)
-Lee