Need alt and batt

[Phoenix///M3]

Also installed alternator from FCP last month. Valeo and there was no core charge. If you're doing the alternator you might as well pick up their belt & pulley kit at the same time.

Edit: Check that, alternator I got from Turner. Belt and pulley kit from FCP.

[ATB88]

Also installed alternator from FCP last month. Valeo and there was no core charge. If you're doing the alternator you might as well pick up their belt & pulley kit at the same time.

V true, good time for belts! Just did all my belts and pulleys a few months ago tho

New Valeo alt on its way from FCP, will be here tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've hooked my "completely dead" battery up to my CTEK charger and it charged fully, passed the CTEK's "Analyse" test phase that tests if it can still hold a charge, so, fingers crossed that I don't need a new battery too! I'm going to have the CTEK charger "recondition" the battery today while I'm waiting.

I ask again: I know that the alternator's main job is to generate power and keep the battery charged while the engine is running. But does the alternator play even the smallest role in starting the car? I've been having hard start issues the last 8-10 months and I'm curious whether or not my alt being on the way out could have been the cause? (and yes, I've already tried replacing everything in the fuel system, fuel pump, all sensors, etc)

Also, for the 2.5 years I've owned the car, I've had a very intermittent, very rare high pitched squealing/chirping noise that'll come from the engine bay for a minute or two then stop and not be heard again for 6 months. Wondering now this may have been the alt giving me warnings.. never thought much of it because it was so rare that it happened and my mechanic said it's probably nothing, or is the ebox fan.

[eacmen]

V true, good time for belts! Just did all my belts and pulleys a few months ago tho

New Valeo alt on its way from FCP, will be here tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've hooked my "completely dead" battery up to my CTEK charger and it charged fully, passed the CTEK's "Analyse" test phase that tests if it can still hold a charge, so, fingers crossed that I don't need a new battery too! I'm going to have the CTEK charger "recondition" the battery today while I'm waiting.

I ask again: I know that the alternator's main job is to generate power and keep the battery charged while the engine is running. But does the alternator play even the smallest role in starting the car? I've been having hard start issues the last 8-10 months and I'm curious whether or not my alt being on the way out could have been the cause? (and yes, I've already tried replacing everything in the fuel system, fuel pump, all sensors, etc)

Please make sure the battery is disconnected from the car while you run the recondition procedure.

That process supplies voltages that are fine for the battery but may harm stuff on the car.


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[ATB88]

Please make sure the battery is disconnected from the car while you run the recondition procedure.

That process supplies voltages that are fine for the battery but may harm stuff on the car.


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Thanks for the heads up!!

[yhp2009]

Also, for the 2.5 years I've owned the car, I've had a very intermittent, very rare high pitched squealing/chirping noise that'll come from the engine bay for a minute or two then stop and not be heard again for 6 months. Wondering now this may have been the alt giving me warnings.. never thought much of it because it was so rare that it happened and my mechanic said it's probably nothing, or is the ebox fan.

I believe its the ebox fan as well. Kind of sounds like its coming from driver side AC vents

[Xmetal]

V true, good time for belts! Just did all my belts and pulleys a few months ago tho

New Valeo alt on its way from FCP, will be here tomorrow.

In the meantime, I've hooked my "completely dead" battery up to my CTEK charger and it charged fully, passed the CTEK's "Analyse" test phase that tests if it can still hold a charge, so, fingers crossed that I don't need a new battery too! I'm going to have the CTEK charger "recondition" the battery today while I'm waiting.

I ask again: I know that the alternator's main job is to generate power and keep the battery charged while the engine is running. But does the alternator play even the smallest role in starting the car? I've been having hard start issues the last 8-10 months and I'm curious whether or not my alt being on the way out could have been the cause? (and yes, I've already tried replacing everything in the fuel system, fuel pump, all sensors, etc)

Also, for the 2.5 years I've owned the car, I've had a very intermittent, very rare high pitched squealing/chirping noise that'll come from the engine bay for a minute or two then stop and not be heard again for 6 months. Wondering now this may have been the alt giving me warnings.. never thought much of it because it was so rare that it happened and my mechanic said it's probably nothing, or is the ebox fan.

The alternator have no role in starting your car. HOWEVER, if the alternator is on it's way out, it may have been less than efficient at charging up your battery and therefore your battery have less and less "juice" over time. Since you have a CTEK charger laying around, why didn't you hook it up every so often to top off your battery?

Also, if the alternator's bearing is going bad, then it may also add more "load" to your starter - hence harder start.

[eacmen]

Agree. Replace alt first then test battery after the new alt goes in. My guess is it may fix your hard start issues.


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[bigjae46]

If you’re battery isn’t holding a charge...it will certainly make your starter, alternator and all of your electronics work harder.

If voltage drops to 10-11v, electronics will draw more amperage and run hotter. Running hot wears out electronics.


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[ATB88]

The alternator have no role in starting your car. HOWEVER, if the alternator is on it's way out, it may have been less than efficient at charging up your battery and therefore your battery have less and less "juice" over time. Since you have a CTEK charger laying around, why didn't you hook it up every so often to top off your battery?

The CTEK's a newer purchase, and also, I unfortunately don't have anywhere I can park my car that's anywhere near an outlet. So it's not as simple as just plugging it in every once in a while, for me. Interesting to hear that this could be related to my hard starts, though!

If you’re battery isn’t holding a charge...it will certainly make your starter, alternator and all of your electronics work harder.

The battery is holding a charge -- passed the CTEK charger's analysis and reconditioning phases, and is holding at full charge. So, this seems to purely have been an alt problem. My best hope is that it's been failing softly in the last year which has been causing the hard starts but hasn't been a large enough failure (until now) to put the warning light on.

[sapote]

Looks like I need both an alternator and a battery.

No, you just need a voltmeter.

Without checking the voltage at the jumper post before and during engine running then there is no way to pin point the problem. ex: what if the heavy cable from the starter to the alternator connection is loose causing no charging current?

[S3diment]

I replaced the alternator and all the belts. When I test the battery using the OBD, it shows as 12.5V. It does take a long crank to start, when it does finally start up, the reading shows at 11.5 and then back to 12.0-12.3. Does that mean that battery is likely shot? I can't think of anything that would be wrong with the install of the alternator other than the positive cable nut on the alternator.

[bigjae46]

Did you plug the regulator in? Voltage should be close to 14.0 with the engine running.

If it’s 12v then it’s running on the battery. The alternator is bad.

I’d bet that you can replace the regulator and be done.


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[S3diment]

Did you plug the regulator in? Voltage should be close to 14.0 with the engine running.

If it’s 12v then it’s running on the battery. The alternator is bad.

I’d bet that you can replace the regulator and be done.


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Checked the regulator and the the positive bolt. It seems like my negative ground bolt was loose. Voltage now reads on the OBD as 13.7. At the terminals under the hood it was more than 14. Entire alternator was replaced with a Valeo unit.

could it be that a bad battery isn’t charging fully to 14?

[eacmen]

Checked the regulator and the the positive bolt. It seems like my negative ground bolt was loose. Voltage now reads on the OBD as 13.7. At the terminals under the hood it was more than 14. Entire alternator was replaced with a Valeo unit.

could it be that a bad battery isn’t charging fully to 14?

Battery only charges to 12v. With the car running the voltage should be 14. So looks like you fixed it.


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[S3diment]

Battery only charges to 12v. With the car running the voltage should be 14. So looks like you fixed it.


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Perfect. Thank you