Guest bridge Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 I am new, so please pardon me if I do not understand the protocol. I searched and did not find this exact problem addressed. I have a 95 XE, 5 spd, 4wd, V-6 Intermittenly, my idle will become erratic(idling down and then back up, lights will dim and then brighten,and while it is doing this I will get a strong exhaust odor. This is all intermittent and it may go a month (2500 miles) and not do it. It will dim the lights drastically, however, it will do this when nothing is on also(lights,Ac), but I will notice the clock dimming along with the erractic idle. Dealer says no codes, everyone else says it must be the alternator, but they are guessing and that is one expensive guess Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatterHorn Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 its a good guess though ... a voltage regulator that is burnt out or going on an altenator will do that ... i think that 88' can back me up on this one as I am sure that he's been though as many if not more altenators than I have ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bridge Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Yeah, a good guess. Best place you guys have found to buy alternators? Looks tough to change. Mechanic wants $175 labor. Its my only car, so getting it rebuilt is a problem with the down time. So, I guess I was just hoping it was something simpler and cheaper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikesmaximase Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 Parts places you can buy a rebuilt alt without taking out your alt first, You just pay the core charge then after your done you can return it to them and get the core charge back. But I also think may think that it could also be an idle problem and that when the idle bogs down its not turning the alt good enough, but it would have to bog down for longer than a sec or the battery would be fine holding enough voltage to keep your lights brightseeing its in good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted May 3, 2004 Share Posted May 3, 2004 $100 and 15-20 minutes is all it takes for me to change an alternator out on mine. It's not all THAT expensive, considering many newer alternators run upwards of $220. You can usually get one for that price with a lifetime warranty, which is good for later if it does go out on you again. In my opinion, the stock Pathy 60 amp alternators are a joke. The vehicles are equipped with WAY more accessories than the alternator and battery will run. Add some nice lights, a decent stereo and drive it in the rain at night with them all turned on, and you've got one overused alternator and battery. By the way, a $50 junkyard Quest alternator and a day's worth of messing around with it are all it took the last time mine died...and now I have a 110 amp alternator that should outlast all of the prior rebuilt ones I've been putting on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NissanPerson Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I've found the easiest way is to pull it out from underneath the car. 88 can vouch for me or tell me i'm stupid. But I can get one in and out in about 45 minutes, and I've only done a couple of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I'd love to see you try and get it out from the top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
statikuz Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 My alternator had issues a few months back, so I took it to the good ol' auto shop at my high school... the guys in the Auto II class managed to get mine in and out in around an hour... even though they all claimed it was a major PITA, it didn't take them too long... don't know if that tells you anything. =) Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramithepimp77 Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 I just did my alt last week and didnt have THAT much trouble. I had a little trouble getting the top bolt out cuz my fat hands so I had my cousin do it. The other bolts were kinda hard for me just cuz I couldnt see anything for a while. I was being lazy and didnt get the light out. I eventually got the light out and get the last bolt out at 8:50pm. The auto parts store closed at 9pm. Id like to take this time to thank Ryan (he drove to the auto store) for making awesome time on the road. So ya I dont know much about cars but the alt is kinda an easy thing. This next time Ill either be able to do it in a forth of the time OR ill go with that Qwest alt that 88 recomended. Rami Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mookie Posted May 4, 2004 Share Posted May 4, 2004 Removing it from the bottom is definitely the way to go. Though I do have a little more space to work with with the sas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 The rear upper swivel bolt is easier to get to through the wheelwell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now