Alternator Replacement Galant 4D68

[jake_harper]

Hello,

I had trouble in starting the car in the morning whenever I drove it the previous night. As usual the first suspect was the battery which turned out to be ok. So I took the car to the local electrician. He said the battery was discharging when AC and headlamps are on and apparently the alternator current rating is below the required level. It was rated 65A and he asked me to get one rated at least 80A.

Is it alright to go for an alternator with a higher current rating? What effect would it have on the circuitry?

Does anyone know the current rating of the factory fitted alternator of Galant diesel (full option)? I`m asking this because the car was bought recently and the previous owners might have fixed an alternator with a low rating for some reason.

[The Don]

  On 2/8/2012 at 3:51 PM, jake_harper said:

Hello,

I had trouble in starting the car in the morning whenever I drove it the previous night. As usual the first suspect was the battery which turned out to be ok. So I took the car to the local electrician. He said the battery was discharging when AC and headlamps are on and apparently the alternator current rating is below the required level. It was rated 65A and he asked me to get one rated at least 80A.

Is it alright to go for an alternator with a higher current rating? What effect would it have on the circuitry?

Does anyone know the current rating of the factory fitted alternator of Galant diesel (full option)? I`m asking this because the car was bought recently and the previous owners might have fixed an alternator with a low rating for some reason.

You are asking the right question but frankly I don't know the answer. My advice would be to however stick to the original alternator but also the original battery capacity (ampere hours). There was a good article (coincidently on Autolanka so you maybe able to find it if you search for it) on internal resistance of an electronic system and how the system is finely balanced by the manufacturer and changes to this can have an adverse impact.

[blkr6]

you are totaly fine in swaping it out with a 80 amp alternator. i have upgraded alternators upwards of 50amps above stock to help the power the demand of aftermarket audio systems.

[Sylvi]

'jake_harper',

Your problem is a very simple one you need not change the alternator the capacity is more than enough.

When you do night running what happens is when your lights are on there is not enough current is generated from the alienator to the battery to compensate the load in the night.

Please inform you have a V grove belt or Poly V grove belt. Do you have single pulley or duel pulley with two belts.

I will advice after your post for above question.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[jake_harper]

Thank you everyone for replying

@ Sylvi

single pulley,v groove

what can I do instead of replacing the alternator?

[The Don]

  On 2/9/2012 at 2:52 PM, jake_harper said:

Thank you everyone for replying

@ Sylvi

single pulley,v groove

what can I do instead of replacing the alternator?

Can I ask, what is your driving pattern? As in do you use the car for lots of short journeys or do you take the car often for journeys 1hour +

[jake_harper]

  On 2/9/2012 at 3:13 PM, The Don said:

Can I ask, what is your driving pattern? As in do you use the car for lots of short journeys or do you take the car often for journeys 1hour +

well generally short trips. say like 30 kms a time

[Sylvi]

  On 2/8/2012 at 3:51 PM, jake_harper said:

Hello,

I had trouble in starting the car in the morning whenever I drove it the previous night. As usual the first suspect was the battery which turned out to be ok. So I took the car to the local electrician. He said the battery was discharging when AC and headlamps are on and apparently the alternator current rating is below the required level. It was rated 65A and he asked me to get one rated at least 80A.

Is it alright to go for an alternator with a higher current rating? What effect would it have on the circuitry?

Does anyone know the current rating of the factory fitted alternator of Galant diesel (full option)? I`m asking this because the car was bought recently and the previous owners might have fixed an alternator with a low rating for some reason.

'jake_harper',

It is a simple modification, changes to your alternator V pulley to a smaller V pulley sometimes you will have to change the belt, because the smaller the alternator V pulley, belt will be longer so that you have to use a short belt.

With the smaller V pulley your alternator will give more amperes to compensate the draw of current from your night driving with your lights on. This modification I have done this changing to a smaller pulley for alternators for decades, to give more revolution when engine is running on slow speeds.

If you are unable to buy a small pulley you have to get one turn out in a lathe shop. Remove your alternator give your old pulley as a sample for the lathe shop to turnout v grove to be a smaller diameter to fit the existing V pulley area only.

If you want further clarification on this modification please send an Email to my address sylvest@sltnet.lk with your telephone number I will call you and explain.

Delay in reply as I was out of Colombo

Sylvi Wijesinghe..

[The Don]

  On 2/9/2012 at 3:43 PM, jake_harper said:

well generally short trips. say like 30 kms a time

I think your problem is very basic Basically Jake_Harper you don't run your car enough to keep the battery charged. So the battery is being drained due to the AC etc but you don't run the car long enough for the alternator to fully charge the battery. This is a common issue with cars used for shorter trips. Now I guess fixing a higher capacity alternator might help a bit by being able to charge the battery up a bit faster but the other option is to take a good long drive once in a while to make sure the battery is getting fully charged. This will also help your battery last longer.

[jake_harper]

@ Sylvi

thanks a lot. I would have given it a try. But I was able to get one off a reconditioned engine.

@ The Don

yeah may be. thanks for replying. will see how the new one does the job.

[The Don]

  On 2/10/2012 at 2:59 PM, jake_harper said:

@ Sylvi

thanks a lot. I would have given it a try. But I was able to get one off a reconditioned engine.

@ The Don

yeah may be. thanks for replying. will see how the new one does the job.

But the one off the used engine might be exactly the same as the one you currently have. Anyway let us know how it goes!

[VVTi]

  On 2/10/2012 at 11:58 AM, The Don said:

I think your problem is very basic Basically Jake_Harper you don't run your car enough to keep the battery charged. So the battery is being drained due to the AC etc but you don't run the car long enough for the alternator to fully charge the battery. This is a common issue with cars used for shorter trips. Now I guess fixing a higher capacity alternator might help a bit by being able to charge the battery up a bit faster but the other option is to take a good long drive once in a while to make sure the battery is getting fully charged. This will also help your battery last longer.

This by far is the cheapest solution to your problem. Swapping alternators is a waste of time and money if you will still maintain your driving habits.

[jake_harper]

  On 2/10/2012 at 3:18 PM, The Don said:

But the one off the used engine might be exactly the same as the one you currently have. Anyway let us know how it goes!

it had the tag with its rating. Hope things will go well

[jake_harper]

  On 2/10/2012 at 3:18 PM, VVTi said:

This by far is the cheapest solution to your problem. Swapping alternators is a waste of time and money if you will still maintain your driving habits.

Yeah cant say no. But in my case I think the alternator too was at fault. Though it is 30kms a day the engine runs for at least 2 hours in the traffic.

[VVTi]

Get the alternator serviced by an auto electrician. get the bearing changed and the belt changed and the carbon brushes changed as well. That will do the trick instead of you swapping the alternator.

[Sylvi]

Members,

Alternator must generate enough amperage at low RPM if not problem will not be solved. When the driver drive on top gear engine RPM is low, so alternator do not give enough current to compensate the draw of the full load during the night. This is the main problem most Vehicles have when they add more electrical units to the vehicle.

I had this problem in my new vehicle after fitting a new A/C when I drive with all electrical units on during the night next morning I can’t start the car, has to use my battery charger for some time to charge the battery. So I did a test with a Ampere meter connected. Did a drive in the night with all electrical units on I found that on low gears battery is charging ok, due to High RPM on the engine and alternator too run at high RPM. As soon as I changed to top gear engine RPM drops at 30 KM then battery do not get enough current from the alternator due to low RPM.

Changed the pulley to a smaller pulley on the alternator to give more RPM at top gear the entire problem was solved.

This problem was there long time before alternators arrived to Ceylon on dynamos. Even after alternators came in early 1970s when motorists use to add additional load to their automobiles problem starts then what I do is to change the pulley to a smaller diameter one to solve the problem,

If any motorist wants to find out this above test I am ready to perform at any time with my meters connected and do a road test to prove the modification is satisfactory. Free of charge.

When I do a post about electrical system of generating current I don’t post without facts. Auto and Industrial electrical generation and maintaining the units were my subject for many years before I changed my automobile service to another.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[VVTi]

That's very nice Sylvi.. But I still think he should service his alterantor before embarking on a swap. Also had an issue with my Alfa where it was straining to start at tiimes, on a hunch we removed and checked the starter motor to see the carbon brushes were on their last stages. Hence the straining to crank. After a good cleanup and briush replacement, no more issues. Cost only the brishes, servicing and the removal and installation charges. Its the small stuff you need to check and recheck before you do a part replacement. At least that is what my not so 50 year experience in vehilces have taught me.

Hence my suggestion to the OP to check his alternator throughly and if he can clean out his starter motor too.

Hope you will not get offended by my counter suggestions to your valuable input.

Edited February 11, 2012 by VVTi

[terrabytetango]

I'm kind of facing the same issue myself. During the recent long weekend, my car rarely saw any long distance action, but did take several trips of 1-2km back and forth throughout the 4 days. The result of which was I had trouble starting on Wednesday morning and had to use a spare battery in parallel with jumper cables.

[harshansenadhir]

  On 2/11/2012 at 9:27 AM, terrabytetango said:

I'm kind of facing the same issue myself. During the recent long weekend, my car rarely saw any long distance action, but did take several trips of 1-2km back and forth throughout the 4 days. The result of which was I had trouble starting on Wednesday morning and had to use a spare battery in parallel with jumper cables.

Signs of Battery weakening ?

[Sylvi]

  On 2/11/2012 at 2:35 AM, VVTi said:

That's very nice Sylvi.. But I still think he should service his alterantor before embarking on a swap. Also had an issue with my Alfa where it was straining to start at tiimes, on a hunch we removed and checked the starter motor to see the carbon brushes were on their last stages. Hence the straining to crank. After a good cleanup and briush replacement, no more issues. Cost only the brishes, servicing and the removal and installation charges. Its the small stuff you need to check and recheck before you do a part replacement. At least that is what my not so 50 year experience in vehilces have taught me.

Hence my suggestion to the OP to check his alternator throughly and if he can clean out his starter motor too.

Hope you will not get offended by my counter suggestions to your valuable input.

'VVTi',

I get your point have to service the starter motor alternator regularly after 50000 KMs. Then at least every year after that, normally this is done when you remove the alternator for any changes on the alternator. I did not mention on that because the trouble was not in the alternator it is the RPM problem on top gear running slow with all Electrical equipment switched on.

Your post will be helpful and educate members to do it before they fail so that servicing the electrical units are necessary on regular intervals.

I will never get offended for a additional suggestions for my posts.This automobile forum is there to exchange members past experiences for automobile users for their beneficent.

Thank you for your post.

Sylvi Wijesinghe.

[jake_harper]

Thanks everyone for the help.

alternator swap solved the problem. So far no issues. thanks again