replacing an alternator in your vehicle

is a relatively easy procedure many

people can do it themselves in this

video I'll show you the basic removal

and installation of an alternator if

you're not sure your alternator needs

replacing watch our video when to

replace your alternator to learn how to

diagnose alternator failure or you can

visit your local auto zone where we can

test the components of your starting and

charging system for free since we'll be

working under the hood it's important to

observe basic safety precautions set the

parking brake and be sure automatic

transmissions are in park and manual

transmissions are in neutral to avoid

burns allow your vehicle to cool before

doing any type of repair don't wear

loose clothing or jewelry that could get

caught in moving parts or might bridge

electrical connections and finally

should always wear proper eye protection

let's take a look under the hood and get

started removing the old alternator

first we'll check the battery state of

charge to do that we'll be using a basic

voltmeter you can purchase from any

autozone store the red lead is the

positive connection and the black is the

negative connection simply touch the

leads to the appropriate battery posts

if the voltage is 12 point 6 then the

battery is fully charged but if it's

below twelve point four it needs to be

charged remember that an alternators job

is to maintain the charge of the battery

not to charge the battery a drain

battery can cause a new alternator to

fail prematurely so always start with a

fully charged battery use a standard

home battery charger like this or if you

don't have one take it to autozone for

free charging and testing it could be

charging while you're replacing the

alternator next disconnect the negative

battery cable remove anything that might

interfere with getting the alternator

off like heat shields or other

components and then disconnect the

electrical cables connected to the

alternator remove the drive belt from

the alternator pulley and finally remove

the mounting bolts from the alternator

there are usually two to three and pull

the alternator off now let's take a look

at the alternator we just removed for

telltale signs of other problems that

might have caused the part to fail if

not corrected these will likely result

in a similar failure on the replacement

unit

look for contamination alternators can

easily be damaged by fluids leaking into

them typically this is caused by coolant

leaking from the water pump or from a

bad hose motor oil from a leaking gasket

or seal or possibly power steering fluid

from a leaking pump or hose now look for

burnt areas or signs of overheating this

can be caused by a charging system

strained by aftermarket radios lighting

or other electrical accessories there

could be excessive resistance in cables

or connections causing an extra burden

on the system or the battery could be

bad causing the alternator to overheat

trying to recharge it finally spin the

alternator pulley if it doesn't spin

easily there could be a bearing inside

that it's failed due to normal wear or

possibly an over tighten belt there are

any signs of these other problems that

may have caused the alternator to fail

prematurely be sure to address those

issues if they burned up your old unit

they'll burn up the new one as well to

install the new alternator we'll simply

reverse the removal process there are a

few important things to remember to make

sure the job is done right first always

check the box your new unit came in for

any technical service bulletins compare

the old unit to the new one making sure

that the mounting points pulleys and

offsets are the same take care not to

over tighten the electrical connection

terminals you can actually break

internal components the same thing goes

for the mounting bolts over tightening

can crack the housing reinstall heat

shields or anything else that you remove

to get the old alternator out you

shouldn't have any extra parts then

reinstall the belt and tension it

properly to avoid any undue strain on

the alternator and finally reconnect the

battery don't forget the battery must be

fully charged so you don't damage your

new alternator and have to do this job

again the folks at autozone are happy to

charge your battery for you for free now

it's time for a quick final inspection

make sure that any wires or cables that

you may have moved are in their proper

locations check that all the tools you

used are accounted for and finally start

the vehicle verify the repair with your

voltmeter and enjoy the rewards of your

hard work for more information regarding

alternator replacement testing you can

call our free

technical support hotline at 802 two

eight nine six seven two you can also go

to Autozone comm and find complete

repair info for your specific vehicle or

you can stop by your local autozone

remember do it yourself doesn't mean you

have to do it alone

thanks for watching