Goughary

I remember when your fan blew up...that was terrible.

70 euro sounds about right - though prices here haven't come down yet...I suppose they got expensive when the exchange was higher.

Goughary

If you need a cheep solution - check this out - I was on eBay.it - but I'm sure the original post was on eBay.co.uk...

http://tinyurl.com/z79btxb

Id be tempted to use this if I thought I might pay 70 euro just to find out I needed another rebuilt alternator...No?

or a complete unit...

http://tinyurl.com/zxpku5j

HalV

You might want to see if you can get a . They're only about $30 on Amazon and work fine for our application. I know LPMM is using one in his alternator. I bought one for my alternator when I had it rebuilt locally, but it turned out the VR was fine. BTW, my local alternator rebuild was only about ~$100 so you may want to check around if you need to go that direction.

Andy Roe

That's cheap, but I'm always concerned about how good the cheap stuff from ebay is. If it does fix it, I'd like not have to re-do it again in 6 months!!

As the alternator was replaced recently I'll get the shop to replace that under guarantee if needed, so at this point I'm not too concerned by the cost of a new core. We'll see anyway.

Andy Roe

OK, I replaced the voltage regulator at the weekend and that didn't change a thing. The whine is still there so it must be the alternator itself.

The growling noise is also still there but stops when I take of the alternator belt so my feeling it that the alternator is at fault. If it was the fan hub then I assume that the noise would still be there even with the fan belt in place since that is still being turned by the fan belt even if the alternator is not?

Either way, I've booked it in with the shop for them to fix it since they relaced the whole assembly not long ago. I'll report back again after they have done.

Andy Roe

Hi everyone -

OK, another update. The car has been with the mechanic and they thought they had found the problem. They transfered the alternator pulley wheels to another 964 (a nice wide body cab actually) and the bad bearing/grinding noise started on that car instead and they placed the pulley wheels off of that car on mine and it was fine (it still had the high pitch whine though).

Anyway, I thought all was ok until I went to start the car today and the grinding noise has come back. I'm wondering if the pulley wheels are warping - possibly due to high temps being transferred down the alternator shaft by a bad bearing? Has anyone heard of anything like this?

Either way, the car is going back in again...

canuck964

I have that same noise for 10 years now since I got the car.

Thought it was coming from the HVAC connections in the front so had them all serviced when I first got the car.

Did not solve anything so I have just lived with it for 10 years now.

-Teme-

Andy, did you ever figure out what the source of the noise was?

Andy Roe

Not yet. I've just taken the car back in to be fixed this morning. Will have to wait and see if they can fix it.

-Teme-

OK. I am following with interest as I am experiencing a similar issue.

I did have a worn fan hub bearing as well as a worn alternator (both related to the belts having been way overtight). Both items have been replaced, including the voltage regulator (a new one came with the rebuilt alternator). I also changed the belt sensor and intially thought that took away the problem, but it didn't. So I am thinking of either the power steeting pump, rear blower or a/c compressor potentially being at fault...

Andy Roe

For me it's certainly related to the alternator as if I remove the A/C belt, it's still there. If I then remove the alternator belt and leave the fan belt in place it goes away. The fact that the whine sometimes doesn't start until around 2K rpm makes me sure that it's related to the charging/voltage system, hence the alternator is somehow faulty.

Andy Roe

Just to close the subject, they have fitted a new alternator under warranty and it's all OK now. The whine has virtually gone, although still there very slightly which I think must be normal. I wonder if the current created by the new alternators is a slightly different (frequency?) than the original ones fitted 25 years ago which results in the slightly different sound when it's running? Either way, I'm happy with it now.

The grinding noise must have been a failed bearing inside the alternator and has gone completly. It was only a couple of years old - I hope this one lasts longer!