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Help!! Alternator packed in / advice

dirtydirtyharry

dirtydirtyharry

New member
I don't believe this. [:(]

Was just driving home from work and the power suddenly cut out to the engine, headlights and cd player. Dash lights stayed on. I coasted onto a side road and phoned breakdown assistance.

I got towed home and the recovery bloke connected a power pack to the battery and the car started up fine. It wont start without the battery pack however and he was quite certain that it is therefore the alternator.

The crazy thing is that only last week I took the 944 (2.5) to a local Porsche indie who did the timing and balance belts. Could this be linked to the apparent alternator failure in anyway??

I really cant afford to shell out again but the 944 is my daily driver and I have to take the kid to school etc.

Im going to try and ring the indie tomorrow in the hope that they may have a look out of courtesy but I just wondered if anyone had an opinion as to whether there could be a link??

Gutted [:(]. not being mechanically minded, I assume the belts etc that I shelled out for last week will all have to come off again.

Cheers.

(also posted on TIPEC)
 
Don't panic - the alternator belt isn't anything to do with the timing & balance shaft belts.

I had an alternator rebuilt for £90 last year.
 
Ah right ok. The blokey who towed me home explained that the belts would have to come off but obviously he will be more familiar with modern cars.

So there probably isn't a link between having the belts done last week and the alternator packing in now?

Would a half decent little garage be able to put a new alternator in rather than me having to go out of town to an indie?
 
Should be easy for them-it's only an adjustable "bottlescrew" tensioning link with a pivot link-doesn't need any special expertise
 
Might be the brush pack on the alternator if the drive belt is OK. Happened to me on Porkers in the Trough, local RAC man sorted it for me and the brush pack was only £18 as it's a common part with Volkswagen.
Check voltmeter on instrument panel (right hand side of speedo). Should be between 13 and 14 volts with the engine running, if less than about 10.5 engine will cut out.
 
I had a belt come off (mounting bolt sheared) but the car did not stop like you described.

It should run for 50 miles or more (daylight - I did 35 at night) with no alternator, so I would get it checked before changing it.

It would have been taken off to do the cam/balancer belts, but as has been said it is a simple job on its own.
 
Agree with A9XXC when my brush pack packed up it was raining and we were in the middle of the Trough of Bowland. Got all the way to Fleetwood before it eventually died.
 
Got it sorted today. Alternator was a mess and was drawing power away form the battery. It was refurbed and refitted costing me £240 at Redline Racing, Thornaby.

Cheers for the advice.
 
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