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I wouldn't worry the average person waits for the alternator light to come on or car not to start lol. I do see your point but most people on here know what to do and when.
^ i thought my alt was in tiptop shape because i had a constant 13.8 to 14 under load on gauge only to find out that can be a sign of the alt failing! until mine flat gave out shortly thereafter. all my learning has been trial, more trial mixed with error i'm the guy the dash lights were invented and named for lol
I'm not trying to argue,yet I was curios to find out whether your statement makes sense. So I went ahead and checked 3 cars : 997GTS,996TT and E46 M3. AC On full blast,heated seats On,High beam On,Rear defroster On. All 3 cars at IDLE showed little over 12V. So,you think all 3 cars have a ground problem? How was your ground : very corroded,loose?
I'm sorry,but I'm not buying it...
I am not sure if I turned on the A/C. I will take another measurement.
When I removed the ground nut it felt tight, I thought it looked fine, minimal corrosion if any, the wire was also in good condition. I sanded them both and put it back together.
No worries Punko,sorry if I sometimes sound argumentative(I sometimes do),it's just that I've had different sport cars and been on different forums...and when it comes to technical advice,I have received a lot of help,but also plenty of misinformation. And I am sure I've offered my share of misinformation as well,so we're all guilty.
Don't get me wrong,I am not saying your information here is wrong,but sometimes it happens that you miss something and some will go out of their way changing parts or going on a wild goose chase based on this info.
Again...my apologies...
No worries Punko,sorry if I sometimes sound argumentative(I sometimes do),it's just that I've had different sport cars and been on different forums...and when it comes to technical advice,I have received a lot of help,but also plenty of misinformation. And I am sure I've offered my share of misinformation as well,so we're all guilty.
Don't get me wrong,I am not saying your information here is wrong,but sometimes it happens that you miss something and some will go out of their way changing parts or going on a wild goose chase based on this info.
Again...my apologies...
No apologies required, didn't come across argumentative at all. Good quality info is important.
My alternator was failing at 63k km, 11y.o.
Replaced the voltage regulator with HUCO #130570..alternative to the Bosch F00M145350, F00M144136, etc etc...there are MANY part numbers we can use...cheap and easy fix.
Tech tip: Sometimes the alternator can be hard to slide back onto its engine perch, if so, try pulling the steel bushing-threaded mounting point out a bit to provide more clearance, it will 'tighten' itself back to proper clearance when back on the perch and torqued.
Have attached pictures(sorry for crappy cell pics) of complete alternator back, with regulator removed, and new vs old regulators.
ever since i replaced my bosch i seem to run and sit at about 12.5 normally under load. whereas my old one seemed to always sit closer to 13.8-14. it's only odd relative to my previous experiences with these cars, and yet i know everything is hunky dory. this is a new bosch.
will test tomorrow, but so far am seeing 13.5+V(high of 14.0V at fire-up with moderately drained battery) which I'm happy with...will see how it is after hot/long drive(battery having achieved full charge)...using a quality Fluke multimeter to double check against dash gauge(seems to be spot-on btw)
Same story. Took it to my shop. Alternator failure at 26,900 miles. Bought a battery charger and keep it charged always. Car is running like new now! I believe everything was 1500 which appears to be fair according to other 996 owners. Good luck! This device from Amazon works amazingly well!
Last edited by lhcamacho; 05-06-2023 at 07:57 PM.
Reason: Adding pics
Same story. Took it to my shop. Alternator failure at 26,900 miles. Bought a battery charger and keep it charged always. Car is running like new now! I believe everything was 1500 which appears to be fair according to other 996 owners. Good luck!
Are saying you paid $1500 to have the alternator replaced?
08-03-2014, 05:57 PM
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i'm the guy the dash lights were invented and named for lol
