Mk4 Alternator Replacement - Diy Or Garage?

[jeebowhite]

Hi Guys,

OK so it looks like my alternator is on its way out - last time this happened was with the Focus and that was a lovely £600 price tag from Ford.... Lets just say right now, I am struggling to pull together 1% of that for the repair!

So, I have checked it out and by the looks of it, the MK4 requires the Air Con Compressor to be removed before I can get at the alternator... Given my recent whiplash and the effort required to replace the alternator, is it worth doing it myself, or should I be just chucking it to a garage?

Also, as i dont like Fords price tags in the first place, can anyone tell me what sort of prices an indie would charge for a used alternator fit, recon alternator fit, and fitting their own parts?

I suspect £400

[BOF]

So, I have checked it out and by the looks of it, the MK4 requires the Air Con Compressor to be removed before I can get at the alternator... Given my recent whiplash and the effort required to replace the alternator, is it worth doing it myself, or should I be just chucking it to a garage?

The whiplash thing would put me off, although only you know how bad it is now. But, its seems like there would be lots of bending over under the bonnet, and the lots of bending over while doing it, would worry me.

Also, as i dont like Fords price tags in the first place, can anyone tell me what sort of prices an indie would charge for a used alternator fit, recon alternator fit, and fitting their own parts?

I suspect £400

As a guess, and it is only a guess, you'd be doing pretty well if you got to the lower end of the 300 - 400 range. I can only guess the alternator itself would be about £135 - 150.

OK so it looks like my alternator is on its way out - last time this happened was with the Focus and that was a lovely £600 price tag from Ford.... Lets just say right now, I am struggling to pull together 1% of that for the repair!

How do you know that it is the alternator? Maybe, there is another possibility.

[jeebowhite]

Basically the issue is this:

2 weeks ago, the temperature where I was dropped to lower than 5 degrees, the engine had an 11.2v startup, dropped to 7v and then the car eventually started after a struggle.

This has happened a few times, so I replaced the battery yesterday. Unfortunately though, the car laboured this morning, so I checked the voltages, the new battery (Bosch S4 Silver Calcium) was at 10.5 volts.

The irritating thing is there are no error codes on the car for low battery, or voltage issues. The running engine reports between 13.2v and 14.6 at the battery, so its a bit lower than I would have liked. Now and then after I start the car, the battery warning remains on for about 15 - 20 seconds and then goes out, showing that just after startup something isnt quite right, normally though I am driving 2 x 30 mile trips daily 5 days a week, but where I have been off on whiplash of late, I have only been driving short journeys, so the battery has not had a decent opportunity to recharge, but I have had the engine running and idling outside the house for periods over the last few days to ensure a maximum chance of keeping the battery charged that bit further.

Its odd, and maybe because I am not doing much driving at the moment, its just bringing it to the surface sooner rather than later, maybe its the earlier stages, but as I am stuffed financially, I need to look at preventative maintenance if not planned recovery!

[BOF]

2 weeks ago, the temperature where I was dropped to lower than 5 degrees, the engine had an 11.2v startup, dropped to 7v and then the car eventually started after a struggle.

So, as I understand it:

• the battery voltage was 11.2 volts before you had turned anything on, apart from whatever comes on at the first stage of the ignition switch
• it dropped to 7 volts during the starting process (transiently, during cranking)
• these voltages were measured from the dash, rather than a DVM across the battery

This has happened a few times, so I replaced the battery yesterday. Unfortunately though, the car laboured this morning, so I checked the voltages, the new battery (Bosch S4 Silver Calcium) was at 10.5 volts.

Bosch S4 is a Silver and not a Silver Calcium, as far as I can tell (and that's good). AFAICT Varta/Bosch do not make any Calcium batteries, but I could be wrong.

The irritating thing is there are no error codes on the car for low battery, or voltage issues. The running engine reports between 13.2v and 14.6 at the battery, so its a bit lower than I would have liked.

I wouldn't like much more than 14.6 volts, at least, not 'permanently' (as opposed to a brief boost after starting).

Now and then after I start the car, the battery warning remains on for about 15 - 20 seconds and then goes out, showing that just after startup something isnt quite right...

Well yes, but it could be a slipping drive belt or a poor connection (and those are relatively cheap).

• is there any reason to think that oil might have got on the drive belt?
• is there a screeching noise as the car start, particularly in the cold/wet?
• did you check around the connections as you fitted the new battery? - it can take remarkably little corrosion in the right place to reduce the charging/starting efficiency

normally though I am driving 2 x 30 mile trips daily 5 days a week, but where I have been off on whiplash of late, I have only been driving short journeys, so the battery has not had a decent opportunity to recharge, but I have had the engine running and idling outside the house for periods over the last few days to ensure a maximum chance of keeping the battery charged that bit further.

Is a longer trip, or 24+ hours on a battery charger possible? This new battery may never have got to full charge...and you may, for example, be only operating around 50% charge, say going down to 45% and up to 55%, which isn't good for the battery and which doesn't really give a fair opportunity to judge the battery.

[BOF]

Bosch S4 is a Silver and not a Silver Calcium, as far as I can tell (and that's good). AFAICT Varta/Bosch do not make any Calcium batteries, but I could be wrong.

Well, none of their technical information seems to mention Silver Calcium (as opposed to Silver), but there is this bit of PR puff (press release).

The new Silver range, which continues to use Calcium Silver Alloy technology ensuring exceptional power output and longer-life...

Now, I'm confused.

[jeebowhite]

Hi Mate,

Yeah, The voltage was read from Torque through the bluetooth OBD. The S4 is silver calcium (http://www.boschcarservice.co.uk/repairs/batteries.php)

As for the oil, no I dont believe there is any reason, its not been topped up or leaked on that I can see, there are no screeches or noises on startup and the connections I rubbed with copper slip and felt / saw no bad connections or friction.

As for the trip, not likely at the moment and I dont have any comfort to do that journey, but I am already looking at a Sealey charger: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Compact-Auto-Maintenance-Battery-Charger-3-Cycle-12V-for-Cars-Motor-Cycles-/221219373570?, so that I can put it on for a long charge, get it to the top of its voltage and plug it back on. I am just waiting to be paid something so I can make the order, but I cant afford it at the moment :( hopefully if the seller does pay after delivery, I can order now and pay in 14 days so I could get it sooner and fix it rather than later.

As for the battery, just checked and it shows Silver on the battery itself. Odd that, as everything I read says silver calcium....

[jeebowhite]

Not sure but I think it's better now, the battery seems to have bedded in, there's no more lights flickering, car starts fine no more warnings of low battery, but I will still get the charger as a precaution

[BOF]

While I don't really want to suggest 'something more expensive that you might buy', have you considered one of these power pack thingies? I have to say I'm (slightly) tempted to throw one in the boot and then not worry about it.

Edit

...or somewhat cheaper at Amazon.

[jeebowhite]

Got a cheap one off eBay seems fairly useless as it failed me, then green flag rocked up connected there's and job done, they are worth them in the winter but buy a decent one from a parts shop or similar rather than cheap on eBay.

For Mr though money is tight so I will charge my factory battery and leave it in the boot, just in case the car dues I can swap them if aa takes too long...

[Lee Mar]

Hi  , 

    I was charged over £400 for alternator replacement is this the average on what a garage would charge ? 
Ford Mondeo 1.8tdci hatchback 
                          Lee 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Lee Mar
Missing information

[morrismen]

It is rare for an alternator to fail these days, unless the bearings in it go. The ECU re-learns when a new battery is put on but backs off trying to charge a trash battery to protect the alternator. So once the ECU has re-learnt after about 30 miles or so, then it will keep the new battery charged up ok.

As you mention, when the engine is not running, the battery will drop in volts slightly. This is normal because the 14V or so you mention (can be up to 14.7V) is about the accumulation of charge the battery can hold and sustain to optimise power for all the car electrics if you switch everything on. When a battery is short charged it will usually show about 13.2V and drop to around 12.7V within a few minutes after switching off the engine as chemical electrolytic reactions in the battery slow down and stop when it is no longer charging (amps).

[isetta]

I recently replaced alternator on my brothers focus 1.8tdci . It was quite a lot of work so a lot of the cost might have been labour. On his, the pulley (has one way clutch in it) failed last year, at first we thought it was alternator but it was just pulley. Replaced pulley, then about 6 months later alternator failed. Car has oil leak and there’s a lot of oil around including on alternator so I don’t know if oil getting in it caused the problem, 11 years old about 140k miles

[Irish Paddy]

I just replaced the alternator on my 2012 2.0 diesel Mondeo. It died suddenly on Christmas eve after a 2 hour trip. I was literally 100 metres from home when I had to slow down at a junction but it wouldn't pick back up again, completely dead. It had been showing signs that it was running on battery only for the last 30 minutes of the trip. Started with the wipers running slow, then the cruise control kept disengaging. Next the battery light came on, then an engine fault light, then the dash went completely dark and speedo and rev counter sat at zeros. Then the radio went out, then the climate control. Everything died one by one over the space of 30 minutes until finally the car just stopped, 100 metres from home. I was lucky, could have been stranded half way across the country.

 

Anyway, this job was so simple. Only had to remove the serpentine belt and power steering pump. That gave good access to the alternator which was situated right on the front. Whipped the old one out, put the new one in, absolutely no issues, easy. And job done - car is back in full.

 

Now I ask why it failed in the first place. I did notice that the general area around the front of the engine was very wet with black, sticky engine oil. One side of the old alternator was badly contaminated, as are all components in that area. So I obviously have oil ***** out under pressure somewhere. I didn't have time to investigate too much - needed that car back on the road pronto plus it was getting dark and I have no garage - so I left it with a promise to come back to it to investigate. But I wonder if it was the oil that caused the alternator to pack in.

 

Can anyone offer advice where to look? Is it common for the front area of the engine to be coated in black sticky oil and if so, where does it most commonly come from? Dipstick? Rocker gasket? Oil filter housing? Any ideas or knowledge would be appreciated before I start groping around clueless in the dark.

 

Cheers as always folks!