Alternator repair shop, service, check, upgrade etc

this is for my other car....

anybody knows any shop that does this?

I was told T&T in Sunway can do such work, but I am looking at more options

Can these alternators be rebuilt? serviced? bearings changed?

Currently on my French car with a Japanese made alternator, with a running engine my car is giving out 13.8V , but when i switch on the lights and AC it drops to 13.0 to 13.1V......is this good enough?

what sort of figures are we looking at for proper battery charging and longetivity?

tested on a 05 Honda City IDsi and it is giving out 13.8 to 14.3V with AC and lights switched on.

tested on a 03 Iswara, 05 Kenari, giving also about the same as the Honda.

A new alternator should put out close to 14, I wouldn't be too worried about 13.1, it can still charge the battery, most likely worn brushes in the alt, or 1 side of the diode pack is damaged.

If the alternator can be taken apart easily, the brushes and bearings can be changed, the commutator cut to smooth it out, regulator and diode pack checked etc.

I do know of some Japanese alternators that cannot be taken apart without damage, Hitachi ones come to mind.

I sent many units of my starter motor to one chap named Tan Boon Pooi at No 8 Jalan Penchala PJ who can also repair alternator for reasonable price. call him 012-2281203

french car? peugeot , citroen?

cheers!

citroen. mitsubishi made alternator. I have another spare that i swapped last time, made by Valeo France. Both from the same car. will post pics soon.

Hi Wallace, How did you test the Alt output?

I always test electrical circuits using the following principal,
BV-CV-EV

BV=battery voltage
CV= component voltage
EV=earth voltage

david, i have a meter that tells the voltage made by Pivot. basically just plug into the ciggie lighter socket and it will give the reading.

http://pivotjp.com/product/flame-vcapa-e.html

(IMG:http://pivotjp.com/product/vcapa/img/vmc-img.jpg)


I also use a multimeter and put on the alternator terminals and also try the same on the battery terminals with engine running.

So Wallace, Is there a difference from what you see at the ALT and the Batt? when testing with your multimeter, i.e A voltage drop?

no difference.

Where was your -neg lead on the meter on both tests?

david, both times on the battery.

Im not seeing any problem to be solved from the description given.

If you question the battery or alternator, have them load tested. A proper load test will be more than just turning on accessories.

The Above descrpition is an electrical circuit test, to test for voltage drops, So if wallace was to Put his -neg lead on the body of the alternator, and B+ on the alt and lets say it said 14.5 volts and when he he has his leads on the batt, it says 13.5, he has a 1 volt, voltage drop in the earth circuit.
GNandGS, I am interested in your on car alternator load test, Please describe.
My load test consists of leaving the lights on with the car not running, Start vechile after 5 mins and test alt output, Me and alot of other auto electricans carry this type of load test.
So in summary BV-CV-EV is a very good electrical test princpal to remember, So Is GOSH, grounds, opens,Shorts, High resistances

Its something common for you "over there" but not so much here apparently (but may have seen one at a shop recently). I cant say how the device would look visually but typical setups are either hand held or on a small small cart. Engine would be run at a few thou RPM during test.

batt load tester, but alt testers can look similar:
(IMG:http://www.2carpros.com/store/images/actron_cp7612_battery_load_tester_white.jpg)

Varied testers:
http://www.allstates.com/electric.html

The above link has the types of things many parts stores have back home to test your car for FREE. Seeing how they sell batteries and alternators it makes sense.

Anyway thats for others benefit. The test Im talking about is loading the system to a preset level. 20A 30A etc. without adding other variables. But I bet you know that already.

My old car had a 120A alt. Hard to test that without a serious load. It might have "passed" most tests but had problems at around 60A. I think it would be difficult to check with accessories alone! However, using accessories like the headlamps, A/C etc are often good enough to spot problems.

Seeing an increase in voltage when the surface charge is removed from battery is also a GOOD indicator of the charge circuit and the odds are really in your favor that this will be enough. What it doesnt test is the alternator ouput. Also, I wonder if the result might be skewed if you have a bad cell. Not sure on that one but having a fully charged battery will not cause alternator output to be tested all the way.

Thats my two sen!

Yes I have seen and used a battery tester many times, In my trade. Still interested in your ALt test that you do.

Eh? I dont... not here. The only thing left to me is turning on lights etc. Before coming here it was easy and free to get a load test. Now? Not sure.

I only mention it because it tells you everything - less guesswork. In my case, the testers available for batteries were the same ones as for alternator. The bench testers we had on the counters inside the parts stores would only test for voltage.

Anyway, Im not seeing enough information in this thread to indicate there is a problem. Is there?

So Wallace , whats the voltage drop on the earth?

now u got me thinking....should be less than 0.5V, but let me check it again tomorrow and update

i will do like you suggested


multimeter terminals at

1. battery positive and negative

2. alternator positive and body