alternator part problem

D

d4v1d sm4rt

A2OC Donor
I think i need an alternator for my 2003 1.4tdi with aircon. The alternator is a 120A unit,

The part number is 045 903 023F.(laser etched on the black cover in tiny letters)

Can you get just brushes for it?

My local parts company have quoted £235.88 + vat. I have tried a breakers who have quoted £50 - £60 but say that that part number is very rare and 'not' interchangeable. Does anyone know the actual differences between the alternator types available, or even have a spare one hanging around. I am going to strip it down later to see what is wrong as it is making a strange scraping sound and the light is flashing on. Thanks in anticipation...
 
Always get a second opinion. As far as i can see you have a real problem with english Stealers ripping you off. Asking around is a good way of spending less cash. I managed to spare 30E when changing all my filters and oil 2 weeks ago, after visiting 3 local part dealers and getting quoted on the same parts, and the whole thing was only 100E including labour.:D
 
maybe, but half the problem is that they are either stupid or just dont care enough to research it for you. When calling them you just get the impression that you are interrupting their day and the thing that they can say to get rid of you the quickest is the easy option...
 
the noise has gone away

and the light is off now
very strange
i hope it was just a stone in the housing or something similar...
 
two years later...

just driving down the M25 and the battery light comes on. so i manage to switch everything off and egt home to find no alternator belt and just a worn metal stub where the alternator pulley would have been!! the alternator runs freely but presumably there was some freewheeling pulley there?

need some parts, any ideas? is the pulley easy to get off and replace?
 
d4v1d sm4rt said:
just driving down the M25 and the battery light comes on. so i manage to switch everything off and egt home to find no alternator belt and just a worn metal stub where the alternator pulley would have been!! the alternator runs freely but presumably there was some freewheeling pulley there?

need some parts, any ideas? is the pulley easy to get off and replace?
Click to expand...

Yes - the pulley has a ratchet mechanism and cost around £60. Only snag is you need a special tool to hold the aternator shaft from turning while the pulley is tightened - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=8631&highlight=alternator+pulley+tool

Cheers Spike

PS - even more info in this thread, and if you'r lucky, Grim Reaper may still have the tool - http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11167&highlight=alternator+pulley
 
Last edited:
deciding how to tackle it

Just pulled the alternator off and god does it stink of burned metal!
just looked down the end and i can see the E10 spline. To get it off presumably i can just hold the stub in the vice and gun it off. do we know the torque to put it back on as i am just thinking of gunning it back on if i can as the tool looks like its in grimsby. Thanks for the links to the posts. very helpful. does this pulley fit anything other car?
 
found a new pulley locally

have seen that the actual pulley problem affects other VW family cars too and so the pulley is quite a common part and my local factors (allparts) have one in stock for £25 and a pulley tool set for £28 so i will be heading down there shortly...
 
jobs all done, here is how it went

i am pleased to report that the job is all done now and it seems to be fine. Just a few tips to anyone else who is doing the job.
the pulleys are available as an after market part so why buy original?
after all if o.e. was so good them why do they break?! save yourself £25 part number 535001210
the tool to kit is is available from Seely. seems like a good quality kit to me part number SX400 about £30.

when you are disassembling the pulley it will not be apparent to you that the actual bearing stub that is left on the shaft is threaded onto the alternator shaft so:
YOU WILL HAVE TO UNDO IT ANTICLOCKWISE to get it off if you are holding the stub in the vice.
putting it back without the locking tool will be really difficult so i would advise to get the tool if you can.
take the tensioner off and pre tension it and put a small bar through the holes that line up when it is tensionede then refit it.
get a 15mm cranked ring spanner on the tensioner and untension the spring so you can withdraw the pin or screwdriver you have put in the hole (dont do what i did and put an electrical screwdriver in it and find that you cant pull it out because if fouls on the intake pipe and you have to take the headlight out to remove the intake pipe so you can withdraw the screwdriver.

After driving it back about 30 miles home the battery still had 12.22volts in it and amazingly started the car even though it had not been charged all that time. so if your belt pulley falls off DONT PANIC as you will probably make it home as long as you just turn everything off in the car. I also found the fried pulley wedged down by the subframe arm. that will go on the shelf the the smart car burned out valve and other mechanical momentoes to confuse my grandchildren some day.
belt £8.49
pulley £24.63
tools £27.96

experience £priceless
I hope someone reads this and finds it useful one day.
 
The locking tool is only about £10 from Audi and mine i let Mike have it as he may need it more than me. As for parts brushes etc.... i went to a Bosch dealer (auto electrican) and they did mine

Phil
 
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