Just wondering if anyone has tips and tricks for replacing the alternator.

Mine is noisy. Bearings are wearing, it's obvious. So, sooner or later, I will need to remove and replace it.

Thank you for any advise.

 

I did mine. Plenty of cussing and lots of time. But better than the $750 it would have cost at the dealership. I wrote up a step by step...I think. Let me know if you need tips.

 

Are you 100% sure it's the alternator? I've had an intermittent howl that may be the alternator, belt tensioner, or idler pulley.

I researched alternator replacement options and pricewise a new one will cost about $700 and may need to be special ordered, though I found one supplier advertising new for $422. Rebuilt can be had in the $160-$250 range but quality and lifespan is a crapshoot. The project itself has been described as tedious and difficult by other forum members so that has to be factored into the new/rebuilt decision.

Check these forum discussions:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...advice-113668/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...acement-96581/

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...t-help-111871/

 

No, I'm not 100%. I do know that it is a bearing in one of my pulleys. I was just curious in the off chance that it could be the alternator.

Next, I would never buy a oem alternator for this car. I found that my local car part stores have a direct replacement. $146.99.

I do hope that it is not the alternator thigh. That is a very tight space. I can't imagine the headache.

Why can't they put consumable parts in a way to remove location anymore? Oh yeah....$$$

 

I'm have always been up to the challenges my xj has thrown at me. she never ceases to amaze me.

 

Me too, although a little too frequently of late !!

 

Mine has right around 129000 miles on the ticker. I've had EVERY common issue go wrong :
air suspension, converted to arnott coil over in 2012.

MAF last year.

Tps failure, replaced throttle body Feb last year.

Driver side cool air from heater.... Not ready to take on this issue. Still reading up on it.


Now, my coils are failing. Been replacing them too.

My upper radiator hose ruptured last week.

At this age for any vehicle, consumables are near their end.

The alternator HAS to die sooner or later.

 

I would just go ahead and R&R the belt tensioner pulley, the idler pulley, at the same time. If it is your alt. then you will start seeing fault codes pretty soon after you hear that high pitched howling sound through the rev range. It comes out easier through the wheel well, but it can be pulled from the top. That is what I had to do because my wheel was frozen on the wheel hub. Good luck.

 

Thank you

 

The OEM alternator is pretty tough and should run about 100K miles at least. If it is going bad, look out for rebuilts, I have had terrible luck with them over the years, 100% very early failures. I suppose someone does a good one, but I sure never ran across them! You might get one with good bearings but the windings fall apart and so on. That $145 pales in comparison to the hassle of pulling it back out and fooling with it in the Walmart parking lot. If I could get a new one for $400, I would jump at it. Also look at the water pump and various idlers, the chance that the bearings are bad in those things is higher than the alternator.

 

At $146 it must be rebuilt, no? I called a few suppliers and parts stores for new alternators and was quoted $700 everywhere. I found one "new" in the $400s but suspect it's actually rebuilt.