Any Place For Alternator Repairs - Not Pala Please

[MAS]

Hi Guys,

My Hyundai alternator was not charging the battery and I took it straight to Pala (never used them but read good reviews here). I asked them to check the alternator and give me a quote. I managed to go into their workshop area and was observing it being dismantled. Then before the tests were carried out, I was asked to wait at the customer area. 15 min later, the owner came up and told me that everything is busted except for the coil. He asked me if the alternator got wet cos some parts are burnt etc etc. He said the repair would cost Rps.25,000. I told him I have never washed my engine during the 6 years of ownership. I have only steamed cleaned the bay once maybe couple of years ago. I told them I will let them know what to do and keep the alternator with them.

I went back to office and was trying to sink in the cost. What options I had etc. But I felt something fishy since they asked me to leave before carrying out the tests. I called them up to not repair the alternator and collected it today. I inspected the parts (diodes, regulator etc) to see if there were any physical burn marks but I couldn't find to the naked eye.

Anyway, now I just want to take the alternator to another reputed place (around Colombo, Dehiwela, Ratmalana area) for a second opinion. Please recommend any workshop.

Thanks !

[PreseaLover]

Ok, here's an update regarding the repair of my alternator... I went to Mr. Jayantha, who is located in nawala road as suggested by Mr. Dammika... His service was pretty quick and decent... I replaced my alternator itself as it was corrupted... Charged a decent price and there were like 5 vehicles when i went there but he is well organized and got my thing repaired within 2 hours...... The other vehicle owners who were there told me too, that this guy is a genuine electrician... So he can be recommended in case ya"ll needed...

[Crosswind]

1. How do you know the alternator was 'corrupted'?... and what exactly is a corrupted alternator?

2. What is a 'decent price'?

The reason why I ask these questions is some people get ripped off to their bone and still don't know about it. If Dhammike Fernando said the regulator/rectifier was faulty, I see no reason to replace the whole alternator. If the whole alternator is faulty, you will face a whole heap of problems and your car will not be starting at all.

Edited June 22, 2015 by Crosswind

[MasterDon]

1. How do you know the alternator was 'corrupted'?... and what exactly is a corrupted alternator?

2. What is a 'decent price'?

The reason why I ask these questions is some people get ripped off to their bone and still don't know about it. If Dhammike Fernando said the regulator/rectifier was faulty, I see no reason to replace the whole alternator. If the whole alternator is faulty, you will face a whole heap of problems and your car will not be starting at all.

Yes very rarely do you see a alternator replaced.Usually it's the brushes or in extreme cases the armature is replaced or rewound.The only reason to replace the the whole thing is if the housing is cracked or warped,

[PreseaLover]

He showed me the burnt diodes and the battery was not charging from the current alternator and as you said he suggested that either we can replace the regulatar...or either install a reconditioned alternator itself... a regular was hard to find around the delkanda shops and from company it costs around 16k... therefore i bought a second hand alternator from panchi which i tested before buying and then replaced and checked and yes then the battery was charging... (he said usually when the regulator gets corrupted like these the alternator gets corrupted too so it won't be a wise idea to just replace the regulator... the decent price was 1500/-

[PreseaLover]

Have I been taken for a ride? :/

[MasterDon]

He showed me the burnt diodes and the battery was not charging from the current alternator and as you said he suggested that either we can replace the regulatar...or either install a reconditioned alternator itself... a regular was hard to find around the delkanda shops and from company it costs around 16k... therefore i bought a second hand alternator from panchi which i tested before buying and then replaced and checked and yes then the battery was charging... (he said usually when the regulator gets corrupted like these the alternator gets corrupted too so it won't be a wise idea to just replace the regulator... the decent price was 1500/-

A whole alternator unit for 1500?...dang...that is a decent price indeed.

[PreseaLover]

A whole alternator unit for 1500?...dang...that is a decent price indeed.

No no... service charge was 1500/- and the whole alternator was 9000/-

[Davy]

My opinion is that a properly serviced and repaired alternator is better than a used one. I'm a bit surprised that the genuine rectifier costs that much though. Did you personally check with the agents?

Also, I don't see how the alternator itself can go bad due to a faulty rectifier. If the winding is intact, then the chances are that it will continue to work fine after a new rectifier is installed.

[PreseaLover]

I did not personally check with the agent... He told me that would be the cost... I was too shocked to think that this guy must be lying or anything, so I followed his advice :/

[NRX]

Isn't 9000 bucks for a used alternator for such a common engine model a bit too much ?

Edited June 23, 2015 by NRX

[MAS]

My opinion is that a properly serviced and repaired alternator is better than a used one. I'm a bit surprised that the genuine rectifier costs that much though. Did you personally check with the agents?

Also, I don't see how the alternator itself can go bad due to a faulty rectifier. If the winding is intact, then the chances are that it will continue to work fine after a new rectifier is installed.

I agree with Davy here. I had a problem with my alternator. Due to the urgency, I bought a used one from Delkanda. It ran for a month and stopped charging. Luckily I had repaired my original one and it was a quick swap at the garage. Now I need to get the other inspected and if it is a cheap repair, will get it done as a backup

[PreseaLover]

I agree with Davy here. I had a problem with my alternator. Due to the urgency, I bought a used one from Delkanda. It ran for a month and stopped charging. Luckily I had repaired my original one and it was a quick swap at the garage. Now I need to get the other inspected and if it is a cheap repair, will get it done as a backup

Ok i called him now and asked for the old alternator... He said to come and he will give... Id have it as a backup too... Machan let me know where.to get it repaired if you do so

[NRX]

Whaaaattt! You left your old alternator there ??

[MAS]

Ok i called him now and asked for the old alternator... He said to come and he will give... Id have it as a backup too... Machan let me know where.to get it repaired if you do so

I repaired my original one at Saman's workshop. Located on Hospital Road, Dehiwela (just before Buddhagosha School - coming from Galle Road).

[Crosswind]

Have I been taken for a ride? :/

I did not personally check with the agent... He told me that would be the cost... I was too shocked to think that this guy must be lying or anything, so I followed his advice :/

Ok i called him now and asked for the old alternator... He said to come and he will give... Id have it as a backup too... Machan let me know where.to get it repaired if you do so

Congratulations on your first exposure to an incompetent technician. Mind you, there are millions of them out there... so take this as a lesson.

Incompetent technicians usually like to replace stuff. It's faster than troubleshooting and repairing. It solves the problem and leaves the customer happy (especially if the customer is someone who got money on their wallet and don't mind shelling it out).

Now if you read this thread from the beginning, you would have known where to go...

[PreseaLover]

I went to him now and got my alternator back... Checked if it was the right one... Hmmmm yeah Lesson learnt. The kalubowila guy was also recomended to me, but since he was too far, i took this guy.. 9000 rupees goes to waste... *sigh*

[MAS]

I went to him now and got my alternator back... Checked if it was the right one... Hmmmm yeah Lesson learnt. The kalubowila guy was also recomended to me, but since he was too far, i took this guy.. 9000 rupees goes to waste... *sigh*

Money not wasted as such. Keep using it. But get the other ones rectifier replaced or repaired (don't spend too much). So you have another alternator just in case. Or sell it after the repair on hurry.lk

[The Don]

I went to him now and got my alternator back... Checked if it was the right one... Hmmmm yeah Lesson learnt. The kalubowila guy was also recomended to me, but since he was too far, i took this guy.. 9000 rupees goes to waste... *sigh*

Seriously man, are you saying Kalubowila is far from Nawala? Probably only 10 minutes away in light traffic.

Its a pity you got screwed, and this happened for 2 reasons.

1. You have been on the forum for a while but clearly you have not read enough. All the information you need is in here and actually on this thread itself!

2. A fairly well known and respected technician Mr Fernando has reccomended you a dud electrician. This is sad on multiple levels. I'll have a chat with Mr Fernando if I were you and let him know what happened. He should know what people he reccomend do.

I say consider the price of a used alternator the price of the tution for learning a valuable lesson. Believe me, these things have happened to me too, so don't feel too bad.

On another note, can somebody reccomend a good auto electrician to sort out some wiring issues please. The issues are numerous and will require some patience and understanding to sort out (the result of various maka bass activity over the years).

[PreseaLover]

Seriously man, are you saying Kalubowila is far from Nawala? Probably only 10 minutes away in light traffic.

Its a pity you got screwed, and this happened for 2 reasons.

1. You have been on the forum for a while but clearly you have not read enough. All the information you need is in here and actually on this thread itself!

2. A fairly well known and respected technician Mr Fernando has reccomended you a dud electrician. This is sad on multiple levels. I'll have a chat with Mr Fernando if I were you and let him know what happened. He should know what people he reccomend do.

I say consider the price of a used alternator the price of the tution for learning a valuable lesson. Believe me, these things have happened to me too, so don't feel too bad.

On another note, can somebody reccomend a good auto electrician to sort out some wiring issues please. The issues are numerous and will require some patience and understanding to sort out (the result of various maka bass activity over the years).

Nah he is in nawala road not nawala...when you go along baseline road and turn towards nawala road, its just 50 meters away from baseline road... Yeah true, lesson learnt...

[MAS]

On another note, can somebody reccomend a good auto electrician to sort out some wiring issues please. The issues are numerous and will require some patience and understanding to sort out (the result of various maka bass activity over the years).

The Don, When I was there, Saman was rewiring an entire Hiace. The front end of it had been replaced due to an accident. So maybe you could check him out.

[The Don]

Nah he is in nawala road not nawala...when you go along baseline road and turn towards nawala road, its just 50 meters away from baseline road... Yeah true, lesson learnt...

Nawala, not Nawala? Well if you don't turn off, keep going on Baseline Road, cross High Level Road, go into Balapokuna Road, Fall into Horna Road and then there is a short cut that takes you close to Kalubowila Hospital. Think Saman is not too far from there. 10 minutes

[The Don]

The Don, When I was there, Saman was rewiring an entire Hiace. The front end of it had been replaced due to an accident. So maybe you could check him out.

Thanks MAS. I will visit Saman next time I'm in Sri Lanka. The wiring in the cooling circuit is a bit messed up, due to a modification done when one of the original relays failed. And since then I've uncovered various signs of Maka bass activity with regards to headlight wiring. The loom to the ECU has been modified due to a slightly different ECU being fitted (correct for the engine but not for the loom). I have an original replacement so the modifications need to be undone. And to top it off a lot of the interior lights no longer work after the recent round of body work So quite a bit of work.

[PreseaLover]

Guys,

After 5 days i started the car today just to go to the junction.... The first time I started, it didnt start... the second time, it didnt start too (and gave me that battery dead noise when starting), the third time it started very well as usual and everything was normal.... so I went a good 3km and stopped at the junction and after 5 minutes I started the engine too and it started the first time itself.... I put to the 1st gear and when trying to accelerate I felt that the car is slowing down/ not moving forward for my acceleration kinda thing... then i raised again a bit and then it was alright... put to the second and I felt the same for around 3,4 seconds and then after that it was back to normal with good pickup as usual....

So my concern is, should I be worried over this or should this be a result of replacing the alternator that day? or is this normal?

And should I be worried over it not starting up initially when I start the car after 4,5 days...

PS: I travelled around 30km after replacing the alternator in the night with headlights on, 5 days back and everything was perfect

Oh Just to add something that Mr. Dhammika stated... He said my oxygen sensor is weak when idling but is very good when running....He said it's alright to ride like this for sometime..... Anyway Does this have an impact on my previous comment above this?.. I don't understand what he meant by 'weak when idling'...

Edited June 27, 2015 by PreseaLover

[Crosswind]

Go to a reliable battery shop and get your battery and the charging system checked. Maybe your starter motor needs service.

[PreseaLover]

Go to a reliable battery shop and get your battery and the charging system checked. Maybe your starter motor needs service.

I replaced a new exide battery last month.... At the tuneup I guess Mr. Dhammika checked the battery..... Isn't the charging system too being checked at the tuneup by Mr. Dhammika?