Alternator — preventative servicing

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by garrycol

Then what about the water pump? the A/C compressor? the power steering pump? the idler pulley and the tensioner, then wheel bearings

---

Bearing in mind material failures which are inevitable and uncontrollable (ELF as Tombie calls it), the answer to your question is personal and is predominantly dependant upon ones own perspective when doing the following cost benefit analysis;
Cost (time and monetary) of preventative maintenance, vs
Cost (time and monetary) of reactive maintenance.

To address OP;
Looks like I’m replacing the engine in my D3 @ 224,000km’s. I bought it from the original owner and I have no receipts for a replacement alternator. So it’s getting replaced.

In response to garrycol. I’ll also be replacing radiator, lower cooling matrix and a couple of other things including torque converter. My CBA says preventative maintenance is cheaper than reactive maintenance. Primarily because preventative maintenance affords time and thus cheaper sourcing of spares.

Maybe you need to keep some spares in the shed garrycol?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

I wish mine had only taken an hour. 3 hours later and I was still cursing, trying to get the power cable off and on again.

---

Apparently the LR time schedule lists the time to change the alternator as 40min [thumbsupbig].

The trick is to leave the cables attached until the alternator is free of the engine and pulled out a little - then gives access to the nut holding on the power cable - same when refitting, connect the cables before the alternator is bolted to the engine.

The main issue I has was getting the alternator out and back in past the coolant pipes without damaging them.

Garry

Alternator failure would not normally be an urgent problem (battery would just go slowly flat) but in the D3 it fails to direct short, and can flatten battery very quickly. Worse, lead from alternator is common to starter so is very heavy lead with no fuse.
I have read somewhere that someone was supplying a fused alternator lead which you would use and remove the link to the starter cable.
alternator failure = blown fuse = no immediate problem. You could still jump start the car & drive safely.

A D3 with a failed alternator (even if fused) will run for about 15 minutes before cascading errors and shutdown!

Please explain how you have the following scenario:
- Jump start
- Driven safely

This scenario can not happen...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iannicki

In a few different threads recently, people have mentioned preventative servicing, via replacement, of the alternator. I thought I would start a new post to see if there is a general agreement on this and when it should be done. If so, it seems like a good addition to the 'sticky' on Key Items for Servicing.

---

I bought a good low k secondhand alternator and just have it in my car with other emergency spares for off road. Any problems I would change it on the track.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tombie

A D3 with a failed alternator (even if fused) will run for about 15 minutes before cascading errors and shutdown!

Please explain how you have the following scenario:
- Jump start
- Driven safely

This scenario can not happen...

---

Having recently been through this I can support what Tombie has said - but he is optimistic about the 15 minutes before cascading errors and shutdown - it is about 5 minutes even with battery voltage at 12.8v. Cascading errors are horrific - I didn't get the engine shutdown I guess due to high battery voltage - if it had shut down I might have got it going again with a jump start but the cascading errors would still be there - doors locking unlocking, temps gauge and lights on HOT, no tacho, EPB failure, F on the gearbox and stuck in 2nd, no tfr case, suspension indications on the bump stops but was still at onroad height - it goes on and on.

Drive safely no way.

Even when battery voltage is high, the ECUs obviously need high alternator voltage also to enable communications though the Canbus system - I had acceptable battery voltages but the car would still not work correctly with no alternator voltage as well. I drove over 40km with a dead alternator and when I got home I was stuck in second with a max speed of about 40kph - battery after the 40km had only dropped from 12.8 to 12.6 but the cascading errors were impacting just about all aspects of the car.

New alternator with the battery still at 12.6 and all faults immediately bar one disappeared - one switch off and back on and then all gone.

Garry

my discovery 3 2009 failed at 148000k

Quote:

---

A D3 with a failed alternator (even if fused) will run for about 15 minutes before cascading errors and shutdown!

---

This was not my experience when my D3 alternator failed. After disconnecting it I was able to travel for 2 1/2 to 3 hours to Karratha from Millstream with no dramas. May have been helped by 2nd battery in the D3 and a 3rd in the camper.
Also spent a fair bit of time driving around town looking for assitance and booking into caravan park.

Ivan

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tombie

A D3 with a failed alternator (even if fused) will run for about 15 minutes before cascading errors and shutdown!

Please explain how you have the following scenario:
- Jump start
- Driven safely

This scenario can not happen...

---

Not my experience either. I drove with a dead short and cable smoking for 40 min after alternator light came on and before cascading errors stopped the engine. ( No, I didn't know cable was overheated until I stopped). It follows that if the alternator was isolated (by a fuse) I could have gone much longer, I would have thought.
in any case, good to have a fused alternator to prevent cable damage.

Just a quick thanks to everyone who is contributing. As the thread is still pretty active, I am still monitoring before summarising for the sticky. Thoughts so far:

1. If you are thinking of preventative maintenance, 150K is about the mark.

2. As with all preventative maintenance, it is a matter of balancing cost, consequences, where you drive, own mechanical knowledge etc (ie, a risk assessment).

3. If your alternator is still working when replaced, think about keeping it as a travel spare.