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Hot Alternator!

2.4_Roar

2.4_Roar

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Messages
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4
Location
England
Car
Accord MKVIII 2.4
I was driving my accord on a 100ish mile trip and I was traveling at 70-90 for most of the way.

When I finished the trip I heard the engine making a wierd whining noise. Opened the bonnet with the engine running and could smell burning. My first thought was power steering pump but then I plugged in a diagnostic kit and it was giving 11.4 volts which I know is miles off where it should be. I could feel a crazy amount of heat coming off the alternator so I spat on it and it evaporated it in less than a second. So yeah... very very hot. Managed to turn the car around and do another 100 miles back home.

Taken the belt off today and the alternator spins smoothly and freely???

Anybody got any ideas?

Cheers
 
Not 100% but it could be the Alternator bearings shot
 
My alternator is whining like a ***** and only puts out 12 volts..... i just haven't gotten round to replacing it yet


Paul
 
brett said:
Not 100% but it could be the Alternator bearings shot
Click to expand...

Yeah my first thought was bearings but isn't it weird that the battery light didn't come on. Engine management didn't come on either. But the car dropped all the way down to 10.4 volts with high beam on. I've removed the alternator from the car now and the pully spins free and smooth. So I'm totally confused on this one.

If it spins free and smooth why the hell would it get so hot. I did think that there could be a positive lead shorting onto the body somewhere and making it work very hard but then if the alternator was getting hot enough to boil anything that touches it then the short circuit surely would have cause a fire after the 4hr round trip!?

Got a new one on order from Euro car parts for 150+vat so will try and bung that on the car today and see if the problems go away.
 
As an update got a brand new one - Denso as original. £180 for the part and got it fitted without too much trouble. Hardest bit was getting the damn belt back on. Car is now making 14+ volts so everything seems to be fine now. Still can't believe that I only got 76K miles out of an alternator. I'd expect that kind of ***** on french cars but not an accord.
 
Good feedback fella and glad you have sorted the problem
 
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