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Alternator Failures
This was brought up briefly in another thread, but I feel it may deserve its own.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1986nate
Sadly, these seem to be popping up a bit more often the past couple years. Harvey, is it just a matter of the alternators and regulators nearing 20 years old or is there something more than that?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oab_au
Well that, and the fact that the alternator is mounted at the top of the engine, shrouded by the hood padding that covers the vents to cool it. When you turn the engine off, it gets a big heat soak into it, cooking the wiring and the regulator.
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Heat is the enemy here. You have two sources, the internal heat produced by the alternator AND the external heat produced by the engine. The alternator basically sits next to the engine and, for reasons mentioned above, problems may arise.
POSSIBLE SUGGESTIONS:
Reduce external heat by cutting away that portion of the hood insulation that covers the vents on the alternator. a little breathing room may allow for alternator cooling when engine is off (or running), offering a path for heat to escape.
Removing the underbelly pan to reduce trapped heat and underhood temperatures.
Find a way to keep our cooling fans running for a bit, after the ignition is turned off, to help cool down underhood temps. There are many cars that use this circuitry.
Reduce internal alternator heat by replacing Normal alternators with high-output units. A high-output unit works more efficiently and produces amps more easily so it doesn't have to work as hard. A more efficient unit generates less internal heat to begin with.
Upgrade alternator wires to a larger gauge to reduce resistance (heat) and improve current flow, making the work of the alternator easier.
THOUGHTS?
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Last edited by svxcess; 03-13-2013 at 04:30 PM.
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