 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
Car Forum / Chrysler Cars / August 2006Chrysler Alternator
How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? The dealership I called wants $440 plus tax to install one. > How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? The > dealership I called wants $440 plus tax to install one. What engine does your T&C have? Have you tested the alternator to ensure that it is defective? -KM >> How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? The >> dealership I called wants $440 plus tax to install one. > >What engine does your T&C have? Have you tested the alternator to >ensure that it is defective? <snip> Poop Boys and AutoBone LOVE these guys. They'll sell you cheaply rebuilt alternators all day long, when the trouble could be a fusable link or simply a loose junction. Same used to apply back in the generator days. "Rebuild? Sure!" Then, they'd come back an hour later for the regulator...which usually only had a case of crusty points. > >> How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? The > >> dealership I called wants $440 plus tax to install one. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > later for the regulator...which usually only had a case of crusty > points. WARNING- "DESERTBOB" is a ricer who drives an aging, rotted 1970's Honda car- he knows nothing about Mopars and his tech advice is lies and BS- BEWARE- he is a poser analog@epix.net Thanks to your reports to Google Groups, winchester1886@hotmail.com has been banned by Google Groups from polluting Usenet anymore. >> How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? >> The [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > -KM The OEM part (new) costs about $300. A rebuilt can be had for under $200. Why a rebuilt costs so much for this vehicle is hard to understand. Richard. thats why they call them stealerships > How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? The > dealership I called wants $440 plus tax to install one. > How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? The > dealership I called wants $440 plus tax to install one. There's some good points in the replies. Be sure the Alternator really is faulty before replacing it. The fusible link was a good suggestion. Also could be the voltage regulator, which is integral to the PCM. No use replacing the alternator if the PCM actually needs to be replaced (also expensive BTW). Phil > > How hard is it to replace a 2003 Chrysler Town and Country alternator? The > > dealership I called wants $440 plus tax to install one. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Phil Some time ago, Dan Stern posted a procedure to disconnect the wiring from the field terminals, and apply power directly from the battery as a method of testing the alternator. It may be available on allpar.com. Is your 2003 now out of warranty? If the PCM is not energizing the alternator correctly, it may be expensive to replace. -KM The van is making a loud whining noise. I don't know exactly what the dealership checked, the machanic just told me it was the alternator. He said he put something metalto the alternator and the other end to his ear and it was definetly coming from the alternator. >The van is making a loud whining noise. I don't know exactly what the >dealership checked, the machanic just told me it was the alternator. He >said he put something metalto the alternator and the other end to his ear >and it was definetly coming from the alternator. <snip> The ol' stethoscope test. Could be bad slip rings and/or front bearing, but this seems to be rare to me. How many miles on the vehicle? > The van is making a loud whining noise. I don't know exactly what the > dealership checked, the machanic just told me it was the alternator. He > said he put something metalto the alternator and the other end to his ear > and it was definetly coming from the alternator. That alternator has a clutch on it and when it develops a problem it can make some strange noises, especially when you shut the engine off Glenn > The van is making a loud whining noise. I don't know exactly what the > dealership checked, the machanic just told me it was the alternator. He > said he put something metalto the alternator and the other end to his ear > and it was definetly coming from the alternator. I had the exact same 'whinning' problem about 6 months ago. I replaced it myself without much trouble. I think the hardest thing was getting enough leverage to remove and replace the belt. I've always had the feeling the noise was coming from the pulley damper. Marvin Stockman Sorry, that is the pulley damper on the alternator. Make sure the 'new' alternator comes with the damper installed. Marvin Stockman > > The van is making a loud whining noise. I don't know exactly what the > > dealership checked, the machanic just told me it was the alternator. He [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Marvin Stockman I forgot to add that the engine is a 3.8 and yes, unforturnately, the van is out of warranty. >I forgot to add that the engine is a 3.8 and yes, unforturnately, the van > is out of warranty. Ok, I'll jump in here. I had a VERY similar experience, albeit on a Ford Windstar, 3.8L with a bad alternator, I was quoted almost $480, but it included a battery cable for $105. When I asked, I was told that the alternator was $279, $105 for the cable, and $96 for labor(1.5 hours). The problem they said was the sideways mount of the engine, making the alternator belt inaccessible. The alternator they wanted to use was a ford rebuilt, with a 90 day warrantee. The one that was in it, and not working, was a NAPA rebuilt, with a lifetime warranty. The shop would not let me take the old one down, and bring back a working alternator, it had to be a theirs. I got fed up, went to the NAPA dealer, and spent $30 for a long thin bar used to reach the alternator belt tensioner. It took me 6 minutes to pull the old alternator with hand tools, 3 minutes to exchange it for no cost, and 6 minutes to put it back in and hook up the battery. After 15 minutes and $30, I had another "lifetime" alternator. I then purchased a $5 battery cable, and spliced in the extra ground wire from the old cable, and installed it in about 10 minutes. My advice: 1. Buy a rebuilt alternator. 2. Find someone reasonable to install it, or do it yourself. 3. Save 200 dollars. Al G >> I forgot to add that the engine is a 3.8 and yes, unforturnately, the van >> is out of warranty. [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > cable, and spliced in the extra ground wire from the old cable, and > installed it in about 10 minutes. That's very interesting, but did you miss the part about the vehicle being a Chrysler minivan? I think the problem is that (at least with the 3.3 and 3.8 engines) removal of the alternator is somewhat more complex. Even if one can unbolt it, it is not clear how you get the unit out from its position behind the front intake plumbing. Although I am not the person who began this thread, I was rather hoping someone would post a clear explanation of how this task is accomplished. > > Ok, I'll jump in here. I had a VERY similar experience, albeit on a Ford > > Windstar, 3.8L with a bad alternator, I was quoted almost $480, but it [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Although I am not the person who began this thread, I was rather hoping > someone would post a clear explanation of how this task is accomplished. The job of the posters on Usenet is not to be a service manual. Surely, you have the service manual. Alternatively, you may buy the service manual. It's nice to have them ahead of time. |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.