Replacing a 1991 Sentra Alternator in the parking lot...

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jtpryan - 16 Jan 2008 15:42 GMT

My son's car died last night and it sounds like the alternator.
Anyway, assuming it is, I need to go down and replace it in the
parking lot where it died. Where does this sit and what tools will I
need to get it out? It's 24 degrees here so I want to do this as
quickly as possible.

-Jim

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C. E. White - 16 Jan 2008 15:49 GMT

> My son's car died last night and it sounds like the alternator.
> Anyway, assuming it is, I need to go down and replace it in the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> -Jim

Why not take the battery out, charge it, and then reinstall it and
drive it to a more convenient location.

Ed

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jtpryan - 16 Jan 2008 18:03 GMT

On Jan 16, 10:49 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com>
wrote:

> > My son's car died last night and it sounds like the alternator.
> > Anyway, assuming it is, I need to go down and replace it in the
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Ed

Ed,

Thanks, but I don't know how long we can leave the car where it is so
I don't think that is an option. Do you know if the alternator is on
top of the engine or below?

-Jim

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Codifus - 16 Jan 2008 18:27 GMT

> On Jan 16, 10:49 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com>
> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> -Jim

Take your car and battery cables to the Sentra.
Switch batteries . . . .put the Sentra battey in your car and then put
your cars battery in the sentra.
Connect the battery cable between the cars, + to + and - to -
Now, start your car 1st.
Rev your car to about 2000 rpms and hold it there. This spins the ALT
faster to flow more current.
Start the Sentra last.

By starting in that order you are having the good battery only start one
car, taking less juice out of it. When you start the Sentra with the
cables connected and your car running, you are getting an assist from
the working alternator in your car.

Disconnect battery cables and drive both cars home.

Chaning an ALT in realy really cold weather is a bad idea. I'm shivering
just thinking about it:)

CD

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Jim Yanik - 17 Jan 2008 00:30 GMT

>> On Jan 16, 10:49 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com>
>> wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 40 lines]
>
> CD

yeah,that's really good advice(NOT);take a good battery,put it in a car
that has a bad alternator,deplete it and not recharge it;that does wonders
for the life of the good battery.

that leaves you with TWO batteries that haven't been charged properly.

Why not wait for a warmer day to work on it,jump-start it and drive to a
garage,or just bite the bullet and have it towed to a shop and let them do
the work? Or buy/rent/borrow a kerosene portable space heater and use it to
keep warm during the repair.
Is it in a place where it might get towed for being inoperative?
Some store's parking lot?

If you have a second car,you and your son could tow it yourselves,get a
nylon tow strap.
Hint;the REAR car does the initial braking,to keep the tow strap taut.
start off SLOW.Don't jerk the car being towed.

Signature

Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

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Codifus - 17 Jan 2008 16:00 GMT

>>>On Jan 16, 10:49 am, "C. E. White" <cewhi...@removemindspring.com>
>>>wrote:
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
> that has a bad alternator,deplete it and not recharge it;that does wonders
> for the life of the good battery.

Because batteries never deplete continually and get charged by the
alternator, right?

> that leaves you with TWO batteries that haven't been charged properly.

A bad alternator does not make a battery useless. It just cant charge it.

> Why not wait for a warmer day to work on it,jump-start it and drive to a
> garage,or just bite the bullet and have it towed to a shop and let them do
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Hint;the REAR car does the initial braking,to keep the tow strap taut.
> start off SLOW.Don't jerk the car being towed.

....putting a strain on your tranny. I'd rather strain/deplete the
battery than hurt the tranny. The battery is easily replaced and
relatively cheap.

CD
CD

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still just me - 17 Jan 2008 16:26 GMT

>> yeah,that's really good advice(NOT);take a good battery,put it in a car
>> that has a bad alternator,deplete it and not recharge it;that does wonders
>> for the life of the good battery.
>
>Because batteries never deplete continually and get charged by the
>alternator, right?

Correct. In a proper system, the battery does not get depleted. It
gets a little use, it gets recharged. No depletion. Running the car
from the battery with a known bad alternator will totally deplete the
battery in a fast draw. That is not good for battery life.

>> If you have a second car,you and your son could tow it yourselves,get a
>> nylon tow strap.
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>battery than hurt the tranny. The battery is easily replaced and
>relatively cheap.

Well, the "auto or manual" question comes into play. But I'm not keen
on the idea of amateurs towing a car with a strap. Bad for them, bad
for the car when they collide with each other or something else.
Little issues like "no power brakes or steering" are also a problem
unless you are experienced. Not to mention, it's illegal in most
places, particularly without proper lights on the towed vehicle.

But, I think the bottom line is "do it right". Either fix it where it
is, or have it towed home. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.
FWIW, if it's not a long distance, you can probably buy a new battery
and a small charger to use to get it home for the cost of the tow.
Then, (re)charge the new battery and use it in the car after repair.
Draining a new battery once will only slightly damage it...it will
last a good long time after a that.

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codifus - 17 Jan 2008 17:13 GMT

> >> yeah,that's really good advice(NOT);take a good battery,put it in a car
> >> that has a bad alternator,deplete it and not recharge it;that does wonders
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> from the battery with a known bad alternator will totally deplete the
> battery in a fast draw. That is not good for battery life.

Sorry, what I meant to say is, the battery doesn't get depleted, as in
fully discharged, but it regularly loses charge which the alternator
replenishes. The hardest work a battery does is to start the car.
After that, the charge is running down (assuming the dead ALT, of
course), but its running down a whole lot slower than if it was still
turning over the motor. During that short time, the car could be
driven home. Minimal strain would be put on the battery and the car
gets home to have its alternator replaced. Instead of the battery
lasting its remaining 2 years, its service life may be reduced to 1.5
years.

Yesterdays cars could run a long time on battery alone. I once had a
Chevy citation with a busted alternator belt. For a week my car was
running on battery alone.

Today's cars use more electricity, so the car may not last as long on
the battery charge, but it could run for at least a day. Keep the
headlights off, no AC, no rear defogger, and get the car home.

CD

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codifus - 17 Jan 2008 17:14 GMT

> > >> yeah,that's really good advice(NOT);take a good battery,put it in a car
> > >> that has a bad alternator,deplete it and not recharge it;that does wonders
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>
> CD

Plus keep in mind that a battery can start a car several times before
it gets depleted.

CD

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Gib Bogle - 20 Jan 2008 03:36 GMT

>>>> yeah,that's really good advice(NOT);take a good battery,put it in a car
>>>> that has a bad alternator,deplete it and not recharge it;that does wonders
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
>
> CD

Makes sense to me.

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Gary - 16 Jan 2008 21:41 GMT

On my SE-R, I think it was the front/middle (accessible from the top) and I
had to wrestle it out from between the other devices... (Been a few years).
10-14 mm socket wrenches mostly?

> My son's car died last night and it sounds like the alternator.
> Anyway, assuming it is, I need to go down and replace it in the
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> -Jim

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jtpryan - 16 Jan 2008 22:28 GMT

> On my SE-R, I think it was the front/middle (accessible from the top) and I
> had to wrestle it out from between the other devices... (Been a few years).
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> > -Jim

Well, we got it done, not to bad. 3 bolts, top hose on radiator,
electrical connections. Brought it down for the core charge, got it
back in. Total about 3 hours. Funny, I had forgotten that even in 24
degree weather it's fun to do when you do it with your son. That's
what makes it worth it, not the money you save.

Thanks for the input.

-Jim

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R Flowers - 18 Jan 2008 02:19 GMT

> Well, we got it done, not to bad. 3 bolts, top hose on radiator,
> electrical connections. Brought it down for the core charge, got it
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Thanks for the input.

Wow - you just made me envious of replacing an alternator in a sub-freezing
parking lot!

-- R Flowers

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Codifus - 21 Jan 2008 14:25 GMT

>>On my SE-R, I think it was the front/middle (accessible from the top) and I
>>had to wrestle it out from between the other devices... (Been a few years).
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> -Jim

It's nice that the event got you to bond with your son. You've got big
cohones to be working in such a chill. Do not try this at home kids:)

CD

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