R33 Alternator - Pls Help!!

[mdonohoe]

Hi,

I believe my R33 GTS25T(1993) Alternator is gone(or going out strongly), my battery voltage lies @ 11.0V give or take normally, with car running, if I unplug the positive terminal the car barely runs on alternator power only(yes, this isnt a great test, but it helped)... I get a reading of approx 9.6V, my belief is that the alternator is definately dying or something inside it has died. BTW, Voltage does NOT increase to 13.5V with high revs either!!! So, my questions:

1) Is the voltage regulator for the ALT inside the ALT itself or external? If so, where?

2) How to remove the ALT easily & therefore reinstall?

3) Can anybody who's nice enough do a test to see what kind of w/o battery voltage you score on your R33?(Start car, unplug +ve & test..)

3 very optional, pain in ass, but 1st 2 questions pls help?

Thanks

Matt

[grigor]

Anyone reading this thread please don't be FOOLISH enough to run your engine with a battery cable removed.

[blind_elk]

1. Internal

2. DISCONNECT BATTERY. Remove electrical connections. Undo the clamping bolt on the adjustment arm. screw the adjustment bolt until you can slip the belt off. Undo 2 bolts on the underside. Remove alternator.

3. NOT ON YOUR NELLIE!

Before you do all that, is the fan belt loose? Do you get decent voltage at higher revs?

[mdonohoe]

Wow, I do need to thank you but at the same time you need to read more.. I think you skipped some bits... but thank you!!

No, as stated ABOVE voltage does NOT increase with REVS.

No, it is not, the timing belt has just been done and it is spinning freely.

But thanks anyway.

[Cubes]

Will any one care to elaborate one why not to run a car with the battery disconnected.

I've done it multiple times on multiple cars when I don't have jumper leads handy in an attempt to get a car started to recharge the battery.

[Duncan]

what he said I have done it a number of times too.

[blind_elk]

My theory on the matter (may not be correct):

The alternator is producing all those little electrons. Those little electron things are wandering off, and generally finding their way back to the battery.

Suddenly, the path to the battery is disabled. Where do those little electrons go now? Let's see - there's a nice ECU sitting over there, with a path to earth.

That's why it's also recommended to turn on parking lights when jump-starting, to create a load to capture the excess electrons when you disconnect the cables.

You may well have been lucky that you haven't fried the ECU in any of your ventures into this darker side of auto-electronics.