Alternator Replacement

[lcc014]

Last Saturday, I spent about 3 hours to replace the alternator. It was much easier than I anticipated. The time consuming part was to get the 3 12mm PS pump bolts out thru the pulley holes. I had to use the trick that mentioned by another bricker - 12mm (1/4" size) socket with a 3/8" adapter and then a 3/8" ratchet or a box wrench. These bolts were not too tight so no need of any long handle bar to get them out. These 3 bolts were in roughly 25 minute position, 35 minute position and 55 minute position if you think about their position as a clock. When you lined up the pulley hole to the 25 minute position bolt, the other pulley hole would lineup with the 55 minute position bolt.

1) Disconnect battery negative terminal

2) Undo the Serp. belt.

3) Remove the upper heater hose and thermostat housing.

4) Remove the metal plate/bracket in front of the PS pump. The bolt/nut in the bottom of this bracket is one of the 3 alternator bolt.

5) Remove all 5 PS pump bolts (3 behind the pulley and 2 next to the thermostat/temperature sensor area).

6) Wiggle the PS pump out of the place and put it on the side.

Now, alternator can be seen along with the idle pulley mounting bracket.

7) Undo the long alternator bolt in the bottom of the alternator towards to the engine side. I used a 1/2" ratchet to undo it. You have plenty room down there for using any "big" ratchet.

8) Remove the last "top" alternator bolt/nut against the engine and take the out idle pulley bracket out of the place.

9) Disconnect the RED cable from the small wire from the alternator.

10) Wiggle the alternator out of it's place and put in the new one.

Installation is the reversal.

Volv0 has changed the 2 alternator bolt size from 12mm to 10mm. The longest one bolt still stays the same size, 12mm. All the bolts around the PS pump and alternator were 12mm excepted that the big +ve cable connected to alternator was 13mm.

A few things to keep in mind:

1) when installing the PS pump, all 3 bolts on the behind the pulley must be install before tighten all 5 bolts. Otherwise, you will have hard time to get them in especially in behind the pulley.

2) NOT to tighten the radiator drain cock too much, or you will break the drain cock. I did that and cracked the cock; luckily no leak so far. I just got a new one this morning from dealer and was told that this is a very easy break item. The nearby garage broke 3 in a road when installing a new radidator.

3) check you battery condition. Mine was down to 10.9V, and was not able to start the car with the new alternator installed.

Hope this will help other bricker to replace their alternator.

Ching-Ho Cheng

[prasamin]

thanks for the write up. did you get a rebuilt or new alternator?

[Guest Guest]

thanks for the write up. did you get a rebuilt or new alternator?

I got mine from Volvo dealer - rebuild. I was going to get the rebuild one from FCPGroton for cheaper price, however, from the picture in FCPGroton website, their rebuild Bosch alternator does not come with the pulley attached. Volvo does. So I chose Volvo for more price. The core charge from Volvo is $50.

Ching-Ho Cheng

[Kashif]

This should be put in the Pinned topics.

[Guest Guest]

Theres a big shortcut on how to do this in the Chilton book on page 2-11 in the 1990-1998 repair manual check it out if you have one. You have a good right up but you did not have to do alot of that stuff.

The power steering pump comes out attached to the tensioner bracket.

[Guest Guest]

Theres a big shortcut on how to do this in the Chilton book on page 2-11 in the 1990-1998 repair manual check it out if you have one. You have a good right up but you did not have to do alot of that stuff.

The power steering pump comes out attached to the tensioner bracket.

2nd thought of that, if we can remove all 3 alternator bolts/nuts, then the whole PS pump along witht the idle pulley bracket will come out in one piece. That will save time not to play with the PS pump bolts. I don't have the Chilton manula just Haynes and reading other brickers' post on the removal of alternator.

Still all the prep works are needed to be done : upper radiator hose, thermostat housing, draining coolant.

Ching-Ho Cheng

[Guest Guest]

Still all the prep works are needed to be done : upper radiator hose, thermostat housing, draining coolant.

^^Nope, dont have to do that either.

[lcc014]

^^Nope, dont have to do that either.

How do you access the bottom alternator bolt without the removal of upper radiator hose ? There was not enough room to do that ?

Ching-Ho Cheng

[lcc014]

^^Nope, dont have to do that either.

I double checked the PS pump tonight and it was no way that you can move it on the side without the removal of upper radiator hose. Unless you can show us how with picture(s).

Anyway, with the new alternator, the charging voltage is about 14.06V. Everything back to normal, no CEL or ABS or Trac or SRS or battery light.

Ching-Ho Cheng

[Guest Guest]

There are seven pics of this on page 2-11 in the Chiltons. Look at figure 34 on page 2-11 which is the last pic at the end of the job. You will see the alternator there loose with the bolts out and right behind it in the pic very clearly you can see the thermostat housing still connected completely.

But it really doesnt matter because you are done so feel good that you did it.

You might want to think about getting that Chilton for yourself because theres stuff in there thats not in Haynes especially testing electrical parts. Both books are not the greatest but the combination of the 2 helps you out more.

[lcc014]

There are seven pics of this on page 2-11 in the Chiltons. Look at figure 34 on page 2-11 which is the last pic at the end of the job. You will see the alternator there loose with the bolts out and right behind it in the pic very clearly you can see the thermostat housing still connected completely.

But it really doesnt matter because you are done so feel good that you did it.

You might want to think about getting that Chilton for yourself because theres stuff in there thats not in Haynes especially testing electrical parts. Both books are not the greatest but the combination of the 2 helps you out more.

I will take a look at the Chilton manual.

Thanks,

Ching-Ho Cheng