Where to get an alternator in Dublin?

milltown

I need an alternator for my 320Ci.
Ideally a drive in/drive out deal but if I can get a reconditioned one I'd fit it myself and drop back the old one for the exchange.
Tried Myles Balfe already. He doesn't have one so I'd need it off the car to bring it in to him.
Anyone else spring to mind?

Ta.

smash

Electro Maintenance Limited. 58a Baldoyle Ind Est Dublin 13. (01)8394875

milltown

Thanks, will try them on Monday.

shamwari

milltown wrote: »

I need an alternator for my 320Ci.
Ideally a drive in/drive out deal but if I can get a reconditioned one I'd fit it myself and drop back the old one for the exchange.
Tried Myles Balfe already. He doesn't have one so I'd need it off the car to bring it in to him.
Anyone else spring to mind?

Ta.

Out of curiousity, what's wrong with your alternator?

ALso, I don't bother with Myles Balfe anymore. I've found him gratuitously expensive. I either replace worn bits myself, or order second hand or replacement units from the North.

He quoted a neighbour well over €300 for an exchange alternator for his Mondeo TDCi, the same alternator was less than half that price new from a Ford main dealer north of the border.

shamwari

steve06 wrote: »

Electro Maintenance Limited. 58a Baldoyle Ind Est Dublin 13. (01)8394875

Thanks for that - never new about these guys so will bear them in mind....;)

milltown

shamwari wrote: »

Out of curiousity, what's wrong with your alternator?

ALso, I don't bother with Myles Balfe anymore. I've found him gratuitously expensive. I either replace worn bits myself, or order second hand or replacement units from the North.

He quoted a neighbour well over €300 for an exchange alternator for his Mondeo TDCi, the same alternator was less than half that price new from a Ford main dealer north of the border.

It's squealing a bit at certain revs. I've done all the cheap stuff like belts, tensioner and idler pulley so it's all that's left that feels less than buttery smooth. I'd strip it and pop a set of bearings and brushes in it myself if I had the use of another car to go get the bits in.
But I don't.

€300 is nuts for an exchange! I've PM'ed a few Ebayers in the states for shipping quotes. There's new ones there for $120-$140. I'm jiggered if I'm paying €300 for a respray and a fiver's worth of brushes!

Andrew Campbell

Before you jump in there and spend money can I suggest you check the routing of the fan belt. It will go on two ways around an idle pulley and if you route it the wrong way the belt will only touch 1/4 of the alternator pulley instead of half. you could be changing parts till christmas and still be listening to the screech

milltown

Good advice but the belt is 100% on the right way. I had the Bentley manual to guide me the first time but I could do the lot with my eyes closed at this stage in about 10 mins.

Lucifer

Almax in Walkinstown are also good. I have used them a few times and found them reasonable. There address is 81 Cromwellsfort Road, Dublin and phone number is 014506216.

Fishtits

t's squealing a bit at certain revs

Is your battery/charging light coming on/glowing?

It doesn't sound like an alternator problem to me.

shamwari

milltown wrote: »

It's squealing a bit at certain revs. I've done all the cheap stuff like belts, tensioner and idler pulley so it's all that's left that feels less than buttery smooth.

Does that alternator have a floating (also know as a clutch or overrun) pulley? If so, I have found that those pulleys cause all sorts of grief. The mechanism inside can break up, causing all sorts of noises, or they can slip causing either poor or no charge at all. The pulleys can usually be replaced with the alternator in situ with the belt off. A simple tool us used to remove it.

Bearings inside the alternator tend to get very noisy at nearly every rev if they are worn, so if it is a slight squeal you have, I doubt if it is the bearings responsible. You could try a small bit of WD40 through its straw into the alternator casing.

Some alternators also make a squeal when there is a high electrical load on them. For example, if it is a cold morning and heater / rear window heater and head lights are on, I've seen some make a squeal or chiriping noise like a slightly loose belt.

Also, I take it that you ran the engine with the alternator belt removed to make sure it isn't something else at fault? Some crank pulleys can make noises too!

Finally, back to the alternator, do this look like what you need?

milltown

Lucifer wrote: »

Almax in Walkinstown are also good. I have used them a few times and found them reasonable. There address is 81 Cromwellsfort Road, Dublin and phone number is 014506216.

Thanks, I couldn't remember their name but my brother reminded me last night.

Fishtits wrote: »

Is your battery/charging light coming on/glowing?

It doesn't sound like an alternator problem to me.

No, electrically the alternator is fine.

shamwari wrote: »

Does that alternator have a floating (also know as a clutch or overrun) pulley? If so, I have found that those pulleys cause all sorts of grief. The mechanism inside can break up, causing all sorts of noises, or they can slip causing either poor or no charge at all. The pulleys can usually be replaced with the alternator in situ with the belt off. A simple tool us used to remove it.

Not sure about the pulley mechanism tbh although Myles Balfe did mention that when I spoke to him.

shamwari wrote:

Bearings inside the alternator tend to get very noisy at nearly every rev if they are worn, so if it is a slight squeal you have, I doubt if it is the bearings responsible. You could try a small bit of WD40 through its straw into the alternator casing.

Some alternators also make a squeal when there is a high electrical load on them. For example, if it is a cold morning and heater / rear window heater and head lights are on, I've seen some make a squeal or chiriping noise like a slightly loose belt.

The noise is more speed dependant, and seems unaffected by load. Haven't tried squirting it yet. Last thing I did was the idler pulley and I haven't done any further investigation since putting it all back together.

shamwari wrote:

Also, I take it that you ran the engine with the alternator belt removed to make sure it isn't something else at fault? Some crank pulleys can make noises too!

No, I haven't done that for two reasons. Firstly the same belt runs the water pump and fan, and secondly the noise is only under a very light load on a trailing throttle and the car is an auto. I haven't been able to replicate it on the driveway with the bonnet up unfortunately.

shamwari wrote:

Finally, back to the alternator, do this look like what you need?

Yep, that looks like the one, thanks.

Thanks for all the responses guys!

shamwari

milltown wrote: »

the noise is only under a very light load on a trailing throttle and the car is an auto. I haven't been able to replicate it on the driveway with the bonnet up unfortunately.

If you've got one of those floating pulleys then based on your observation re it occuring on trailing, I would wager that it is the cause of your problem.

If you remove the belt (yet!) again, and spin the pulley by hand and then grab and stop it suddenly, the centre of the alternator will still spin on for a bit after the pulley is stopped. If the pulley is fixed, you won't be able to do this as the pulley cannot spin independent of the shaft.

milltown

shamwari wrote: »

If you've got one of those floating pulleys then based on your observation re it occuring on trailing, I would wager that it is the cause of your problem.

If you remove the belt (yet!) again, and spin the pulley by hand and then grab and stop it suddenly, the centre of the alternator will still spin on for a bit after the pulley is stopped. If the pulley is fixed, you won't be able to do this as the pulley cannot spin independent of the shaft.

The pulley is listed here as a seperate part:


...but it looks like any freewheeling clutch stays with the alternator, no? Looks like the pulley is literally just the pulley.

What would be the chances of the likes of Almax being able to change the clutch/pulley in situ would you think? I could throw the tools in the boot and whip off the fan, shrouds and belt when I get there.

Thanks again.

shamwari

Why not ring them or bring the car up to them, and explain to them your story. From catalogues or manufacturer specific information they may have, they may be able to tell you one way or another whether its a fixed or floating pulley. Ditto if you ring BMW with your chassis number, and ask them to tell you what type it is. I can't tell from that exploded diagram just what type you have

Any floating pulleys I've swapped was using a tool like a hollow spline bit which locked the pulley itself, and I then passed a large allen key (usually 8 or 10mm) through this bit into the alternators centre shaft and locked it whilst I used the spline bit to then loosen the pulley.

shamwari

FOund this detailing pulley replacement : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p52VTAnLptI