97 SL alternator replacement difficult?

[JerryHughes]

Hello fellow Saturnites,

Yikes, need some advice. Got a battery warning light yesterday but my positive terminal was not tight so I was hoping it would go off today after I drove the car. Nope. So I took the car to Walmart (where I bought the battery less than a year ago) and they told me I had a bad alternator. I have zero, nadda, zilch experience with changing an alternator or any other work on a car, so can anyone out there advise me wheather this can be done by someone as mechanically challenged as myself? Should I attempt this fix or leave it to the pros? Thanks for any feedback.

Stuck in San Diego (no problem)

Jerry

[Razorbak]

Replacing an alternator is not a difficult DIY task, but if you're afraid to tackle an ECT sensor, then you might want to leave this one to a professional mechanic.

[Qlara]

Another DIY quick test:
Have you done oil-change to your '97 SL before?
It requires the same level of skill to DIY the alternator, just with different set of tools.

If not, let the PRO do the alternator. Street(non-Dealer) price of this job should be around $200.

[M.Nguyen]

That sucks, man...If you had this up saturday, i woulda been more than free to have helped you...I've helped a few board members do various tasks to their car, but i just left SD yesterday morning...

Anywho, it's not terribly hard, it's a few bolts, a few connections, and you're set.
If you don't have a chilton, haynes, or factory service manual, do yourslef a favor and get one soon. It can save you alot of money.

[JerryHughes]

Thanks guys for the advice. This morning (after changing my ECTS sensor ) I decided to look into changing my alternator too. By-the-way, the ECTS sensor was a snap and written up in my other post. Thanks to Wolfman and the others who posted the alternator proceedure in the How-Too section, I took out the old alternator this morning and am simply waiting for the new alternator so I can install it! Yeeeeeee-haaaaaaaaa! The only reservation I have is making sure I don't tighten the mounting bolts too tight so the mount breaks. Also, would anyone know what size wrench I need to install the wire that comes from the starter? Not the nut itself but the size of the narrow wrench I need to hold the "square" fastener beneath that nut so as not to harm the connection.

When I called Saturn for a cost quote ($295 plus tax) I was asked for my VIN number of my 97 SL because evidentally there are two, different alternators that were used on that year. Anyone know anything about this because I may need to tell the auto store guy which alternator I need. I've already called for a quote and a new one will cost about $125 but the auto store guy never asked me about which one of the two alternators I needed for my car.

At any rate, thanks again and the additional info would be helpful. Thanks to this great board for all the help. Hey, if I can install something like this-----anyone can!

Jerry

[JerryHughes]

Oh and by-the-way---I couldn't believe how easy it was to take the serpentine belt off! And I'm glad I did because it is ready for replacement. (107,000+ miles) There are numerous, small cracks on the inside of the belt. I also cleaned off the pulleys to make contact better. Thanks again.

Jerry

[SpeedPlayer 97sl2]

As Qlara said, if you have the confidence to do you own oil changes on the SL, changing the alternator yourself shouldn't be too far of a stretch. There are a lot of great tips regarding alternator removal/replacement on these forums. I followed the thread in the How-To section and changed it no sweat. As many others will attest, it is easier to get to if you remove the front passenger wheel and splashguard. I also find it is easier to take out and put back in the alternator if you flip the alt 180-degrees before sliding it out.......if that makes sense....

[JerryHughes]

Yes, I read that flipping the alternator is helpful when taking it out and putting the new one in. (Read it on the forums) And yes, I agree.

Anyone have any information on the size of wrench needed for the alternator output stud? In Chilton they don't list a size but give a number, which is---SA9401C. Anyone have a clue what size that .060" wide wrench is so I can buy one? Thanks again,

Jerry

[DHOOP]

Just follow instructions from "how-to" section. I think the alternator terminal was a 10 mm, but its been 6-7 months since I did the job. Be patient and be willing to try a few braille wrench techniques and you'll be ok. I changed the alternator on a 96 sl2. Running fine today.

[pictureid]

I personally don't think changing the alternator is a piece of cake,as a matter of fact it is the most difficult alternator i have ever replaced. under the engine, in the back. I ended up with a lot of grease in my eyes, a sore back. The top bolt is hard to reach or see. ten times the degree of difficulty level of an old rear wheel drive car, four bolts, easily assessible from the front. As compared to oil changes, I would rather to ten oil changes than replace the alternator.

[Razorbak]

Originally Posted by pictureid

I personally don't think changing the alternator is a piece of cake,as a matter of fact it is the most difficult alternator i have ever replaced. under the engine, in the back. I ended up with a lot of grease in my eyes, a sore back. The top bolt is hard to reach or see. ten times the degree of difficulty level of an old rear wheel drive car, four bolts, easily assessible from the front. As compared to oil changes, I would rather to ten oil changes than replace the alternator.

Remove the front passenger wheel and splashguard next time, and you'll find it's much easier to access.

[JerryHughes]

Question on the .060" wide wrench to tighten the connector to the alternator---The metal nut that I have to hold secure before tightening the upper nut on the same bolt there also has a black, plastic tab underneath it, making getting the .060" wide wrench on the metal nut nearly impossible. Anyone remember what they did to get around this? Because that plastic tab is there, I can hardly get a wrench on the nut. Thanks again for any information.

Jerry

[Razorbak]

Originally Posted by JerryHughes

Question on the .060" wide wrench to tighten the connector to the alternator---The metal nut that I have to hold secure before tightening the upper nut on the same bolt there also has a black, plastic tab underneath it, making getting the .060" wide wrench on the metal nut nearly impossible. Anyone remember what they did to get around this? Because that plastic tab is there, I can hardly get a wrench on the nut. Thanks again for any information.

Jerry, that tab acts like the second wrench, as long as you don't overtorque the nut above it. Just be careful to torque the nut very lightly (10 Nm or 89 inch-lbs, while minimizing movement of the stud, and you won't have a problem. That's what I did, and my alternator is still working fine.

You might be able to use a pair of needle nosed pliers as a substitute for the thin wrench, if you use a socket to tighten the nut (recommended, if you're attempting to monitor torque). You don't have to hold it very tight to resist turning with 89 in-lbs on the nut.

[JerryHughes]

Ahhhhh, thanks again Razorbak! I will keep in mind that that is 89 inch-pounds and not foot-pounds! Will let the board know how installation went this week.

Jerry

[Tiger]

I am anxiously awaiting how installation goes. You are asking all the questions I have.

[JerryHughes]

The installation couldn't have gone smoother! Took about 1 1/2 hours and although the battery was low and dragged when starting, the car did start. I let the car idle for about 15 minutes then ran it for a few miles. After that, it started right up.

The car is running like new. I don't know if this is related but just before the alternator went bad I noticed a slight vibration when idling the car. About every two seconds, the vibration would cycle, then stop. I actually noticed this variation, very slightly, on my r.p.m.'s. on the dashboard. The vibration would come-and-go but it was enough for me to feel. A warning that the alternator was going bad? Don't know but now the vibration is gone.

To get the alternator out of the car I took out the alternator and installed it by unhooking the wire that was attached to the starter instead of the wire that was attached to the alternator. This seemed much easier to me and it was a snap. The only reservation I have about doing this is that it "appears" that there is also a nut on the alternator connector that may need to be held with a wrench to get it off without damage to the starter. I didn't realize this until I was reinstalling the alternator so I just snugged up the nut to the starter connection and didn't reef on it. Getting a wrench in there to hold that rear nut would not be easy. Again, I don't know if that's the case but I didn't take any chances.

I ended up buying the alternator from Autozone. I bought their brand new $130 one that carried a lifetime warranty. Their connection, discussed above, to the wire that leads to the starter made the connection process easier, on the alternator side. They allow more room to get a wrench around or above the plastic "safety nut" that is there to hold the bolt in place and not strip the connection. (If you strip that connection, all is lost and the alternator is not going to work) So be careful when tightening that---inch pounds, not foot pounds.

I was also worried that because I didn't have a torque wrench (Autozone lets you use their's for free with a $99 fully refundable deposit) I made sure that I didn't apply too much pressure when tightening the mounting bolts. If they break, again, all is lost! I made sure they were quite secure but didn't tighten them really hard. (I should go back in a month to make sure they are still tight)

Once again, thank you everybody for all the help. This board and the people here are great!

Jerry

[Razorbak]

Originally Posted by JerryHughes

The installation couldn't have gone smoother!

Good job! Pretty soon you'll be rebuilding sps SOHC's engine for him.

[JerryHughes]

Thanks Razorbak. I'm feelin so good about the alternator, I'm daring my water pump to go out! I do know that if I have a problem with my water pump, etc., I will be able to fix it with no problem.

Jerry