hi guys so when i try to turn on my car, the battery light comes up and it won't start. :/

I've bought a replacement alternator but i can't work out how to replace the old one.

the two top bolts are easily accessible but i have no clue how to get to the bottom bolt or remove and replace the belt. :/

 

can anyone please give a guide or some useful tips? it would be much appreciated as I'm desperate to get it back on the road again XD

thanks a lot,

James :)

How did you diagnose it as an alternator fault ?

to be honest i don't really know :/ a mate of mine came and looked at it and did some tests and told me it was the alternator plus a lot of forums had the same issue which turned out to be the alternator. I was going to try get a mobile mechanic to come and fix it but i saw a replacement alternator from the same model and year for £25 so i thought is was worth a shot lol as you can probably tell im not too great with my engine parts and mechanic skills XD

Your drive belt is a stretch belt type so you'll either need the correct tool, cut the belt and fit a new one or be very careful with a screwdriver or similar and lever it off as you turn the crank pulley

ok well i don't have the correct tool so i think ill have to lever it off haha is there a way i can reduce the tension in the belt?

As mentioned above, its not a simple job mainly because of limited access.

Try and go through what is happening or not, and when the fault first occurred.

Do the general electrics work, radio, lights etc ?

Does the immobiliser light stop flashing when the key is turned to position II

Do you hear the fuel pump whirring when the key is in position II

Do you hear any relays clicking ? etc etc.

not really but you will have 2 belts to remove, the first one runs around the crank and power steering pump. Be careful if you are going to lever it off not to damage the belt or more importantly the pulley.

hi dan when i turn the key to position 2 the battery light, oil pressure light and the engine emissions light comes on but all the electrics work fine. when i turn the key the fully all the dash lights go off and the oil pressure flashes and makes this clicky sound... i have no clue whats wrong with my car haha is it broken?! XD :/

OK, that's a good start. So you didn't see the battery light come on when you last drove it ?

Its possible to be the alternator not charging the battery but until you can get the engine running you can't diagnose that.

Charge the battery with a mains charger, from your above description its low on charge.  Seeing you have a low maintenance battery, first remove the battery cell covers and check that there is fluid above the the cell plates. If you have jump leads and another vehicle you could try jump starting it.

If you have a multimeter, check the battery voltage and if you get it to start check it again with the engine running. If you don't have a multimeter there is a dash diagnostic mode to read the battery voltage.

ok will do and no the battery light wasn't on when i last drove the car. but now my concern is the oil pressure light. I've checked the dipstick ant its up to the max so why is the oil pressure thing stopping the car from starting? do you think that'll cost a lot to fix if its the oil pump? :/

or could it be the start motor??? 

The oil pressure light will be on if the engine is not running. When you try to start the car, because the starter motor is drawing a lot of power it is causing the relays to click and lights to flash. Don't worry about that !

Here is how you use the instrument cluster to check the battery voltage, at step 3 you'll need to press it approx.  24 times until the display reads "batxxx" the xxx being the battery voltage.

Self-Diagnostic Mode

Note:
The instrument cluster tripmeter reset button is located on the right-hand side of the instrument cluster lens.

1.    To enter the instrument cluster Self-Diagnostic Mode simultaneously press and hold the tripmeter reset button and turn the ignition switch to position II.

2.    When TEST is displayed in the LCD, release the tripmeter reset button.

3.    To navigate through or skip any of the instrument cluster self-diagnostic mode tests press the tripmeter RESET button. If the reset button is depressed for more than 3 seconds between tests, the instrument cluster will exit the self-diagnostic mode.

4.    The self-diagnostic mode is deactivated when the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position.

3 minutes ago, jameslyonlee said:

or could it be the start motor??? 

Doubt it, more likely to be the battery has had its day.

ok haha thanks a lot thats reassuring ill do the self diagnostics thing now and let u no what it said

 

ok so i cycled through to the battery and underneath it said 11.5

but i have no clue what that means haha

At this point it doesn't mean a lot other than its below 12.

Charge the battery as above and hopefully you can get it to start. 

Do the test again, before starting and then when the engine is running, you should see the voltage is higher when its running, that would prove if the alternator is working.

how can i charge up the battery without my car? do you need any special cables or tools?

Borrow or buy a car battery charger, or get a jump start. Failing that just buy a new battery.as it probably going to be the battery after all.

ok so my neighbour has jump start cable but he's not in so ill have to do it later. so let me get this right, i jump start the car, hold it in low revs for 30-60 seconds, then turn the engine off and do that same battery test and see if the number has increased?

 

Get a multimeter and when the car is running check the battery voltage, if its over 12v - somewhere around 13v ish - the alternator is fine, I could be something as simple as a bad earth strap somewhere. Have you checked that the battery connections are all tight etc - also, how old is the battery? The Alternator might be fine but if the battery has had it then it won't keep the charge it is being given.

I would recommend purchasing a 'jump pack' which is basically a battery with jump leads attached - keep this in the car at all times as it can be really handy if you have an issue 1 day and just need a jump to get everything running again.

ah im not sure lol its my first car and i bought it like 2 weeks ago haha I've only driven it once :(

im guessing the battery will be old tho lol

 

Judging by the photos, it's still got the original battery, does it not say on the actual battery, any dates? - does the car start up on jump start?

Just had to change my battery and had the same things as you, but I had a 'clicking' noise when tried to turn over... are you getting any noises?

yes! the oil pressure light flashes and the car clicks in time with that. i would guess the speed like 5-6 clicks a second

Change your battery, and see what happens! It should start. EuroParts have a major sale on right now, and you can go to a local store and pick it up there and then!

 

Sorry just noticed you said there is a clicking noise. My bad for not reading 100% lol.

haha no worries thanks for the info... fingers crossed its just the battery and not the alternator!