Have you ever driven down the street and all of a sudden your car turns off? and you go charge it and it goes good until the next day when you start going to work and it turns off again, with the battery dead AGAIN?! Well There Could be many problems. So you go to Autozone and they tell you it might be all sort of things but in your gut its the Alternator... So you get it tested at autozone for FREE and it says its ok but the same thing keeps happening. You mighy replace a couple fuses here and there and keep going but youve had enough and wanna Get it Fixed. Ok so This is something many people ask and I want to Shed Light. One thing you want to check as soon as you cars battery keeps dying and your car seems like the power is very low is the Alternator, even if autozone says its ok. Autozone Store uses a machine that says its ok as long as it can give enough voltage for that little machine, but a car NEEDS the alternator power down to the last millawatt and it needs more. Open the alternator and check the Alternator Brush and Voltage Regulator and see that its not damaged, odd, and fussy. if it is that will solve all the problems there. But dont waste all your money on it, because a new one cost about more than the alternator itself depending from car to car. All you have to do is go to a salvage yard or junk yard and pick one up that fits your alternator and Install it which will cost from 10-50 dollars depending on the places prices. I did it for a ford taurus that ran ok, then the car all of a sudden would seem to want to turn off following with the car lights dimming, then ultimately turn off with the battery dead. So check it out and see If it Solves Your Problems!
Heres A Little More Explaining:



#1 is what you are going to be Replacing. That is the "brain" of the alternator. no brain, no Good.

#2 Are the Screw You will have to remove, and they usually require alot of torque so hopefully the shop/yard will remove it for you as did for me.

#3 Where You will remove/replace #1
Hope This Helps Some1. for help, add.

 

I think you should post a little more about which alternator you are talking about here and maybe learn a little more about how alternators function.

For example: The SI series of alternators are really easy to work on, but you must remember to insert something like a straightened out paper clip to hold the brushes in place while you disassemble, because putting them back in is a chore if they pop out of the brush holder. Also, when you are taking off some of the bolts that hold the voltage regulator in place, you have to put them back exactly where you removed them because at least one of them is insulated.

 

Not that familiar with newer alternators, it used to be to check one, you just grounded the "field" wire connection on the alternator and it should go to full charge - around 14.8 volts. Pretty sure that can also be done with the regulator but most of those are internal now. A great thread anyways, I never tried fixing one...if it didn't check out, I always just replaced it.

On older cars, (especially old Dodges) the insulation on the wiring breaks down over the years and causes "leaks"...those leaks cause the alt. to become almost undersized. Only two things will really remedy the problem...rewire the car, or get a higher rated amperage alternator (which is really a band-aid)...

BTW - what does "DYI" stand for - Do Yourself In?? (DIY = Do It Yourself)

 

haha yea i messed up