Good morning all! Looking for suggestions as to what my problem may be? Last night I began to hear a ticking noise on my way home, could only hear it at idle at first, by the time I made it home (5 miles)it had progressed into quite a loud tick! Sounded like huge troubles approaching! I parked it and decided to take a look this morning. Checked all fluids, all was fine. I started it and the ticking was gone, but there was a loud squeal and the voltage meter was not active. I am pretty sure the alt is dead... Just wonder if the ticking noise is a precursor to the alt giving up? Alt replacement I can handle, don't even want to think about the other! Ideas? my daily driver is currently sidelined <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

 

replace the alt and see what happens. that's all you can do.

 

Start the car; look at the alternator pulley, see if it's turning. If not, the bearings are likely frozen. Grab the pulley (shut it off! (8) and wiggle back & forth and side to side... see if there's play. Pull the alternator out, spin it by hand, see how the bearings feel...

Dead voltmeter suggests that it could be the brushes on the voltage regulator brushes, so pull it out (plastic housing on the back of the alternator, held on by two screws) and inspect visually. I think there's a picture of a good on in the parts listing at Paragon's web site for comparison of brush length.

Jim, waging war with the power company... <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" /> <img src="graemlins/nono.gif" border="0" alt="[nono]" /> (dang, wrong finger again!)