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How to replace alternator



  200,182 Trophy, Cup
This may have been covered before but though I would share

Having had the scary experience of seeing smoke rising out of the alternator (subject of another thread) I set to on replacing it. I thought I would post a few lines on what I think is the best way of removing the unit. It does involve front bumper removal in order to access the unit.
I think it could possible be done by just removing the upper grill and other parts but I didn’t want to risk breaking the connecting clips.

1. Disconnect negative on battery
2. Remove front bumper. - a bolt at the top of each wheel arch, 2 on the undertray and half a dozen self tapping screws holding the arch liners in. Then the 2 plastic push in fasteners on the slam panel. Pull the bumper corners away from the wings an draw the whole bumper forward. Uncouple the fog lamp plug on left corner.
3. Remove the slam panel - 2 bolts either side on the top and 2 bolts into the cross member in front of the radiator. (You don’t need to fully remove these as the panel slots over them so just lifts out)
Remove the 2 bolts which hold the bonnet catch into the panel and the 2 10mm nuts which hold the radiator brackets. Draw the slam panel upwards remembering to uncouple the alarm switch connector
4. Remove alternator- if you have a tensioning tool you don’t need to do this but I made a tensioner spring holder out of a jubilee clip, this enabled me to remove the belt (and refit it) without the tool. - I got a 100mm jubilee clip and formed it into a sausage shape then slotted it over the top and bottom of the tensioner spring unit. Then tighten it up but not overtighten. This holds the tensioner under load.
Remove the red power cable and the small plug to the alternator and then slacken the bottom bolt on the unit. Remove fully the upper bolt and tip the alternator forward, this gives enough slack in the belt to ease it off the pulley.
You can then remove the long bottom bolt and with a bit of jiggling get the unit out through the air con pipes.

While I’d got the front end in pieces I cleaned various parts and also cleaned and greased the terminal on the horn which is a common failing on these.

Refitting is basically a reverse of removal, leaving the clamp on the tensioner until you have got the belt on and tightened the two bracket bolts up.

Job done

20DD3E77-194B-4A35-B959-C2A73D9C3548.jpeg
 
Thanks for the guide. I've just had smoke pouring out of the grille and when I opened the bonnet, flames coming out of the alternator. One time i was happy it was raining as it meant puddles were handy to put it out.

Just out of curiosity, where did you get a replacement alternator from?

Thanks.
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
Thanks for the guide. I've just had smoke pouring out of the grille and when I opened the bonnet, flames coming out of the alternator. One time i was happy it was raining as it meant puddles were handy to put it out.

Just out of curiosity, where did you get a replacement alternator from?

Thanks.

Not ideal putting water on an electrical fire, but i suppose it worked in the end.
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
Yeah, I agree, not ideal but by that point there were 10cm flames so I had to do something quick.

Just phoned Renault about a replacement alternator and they want £297 for a recon unit. :astonished:

Found this online at a much better price.
Would this unit be correct?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-R...479106&hash=item3f4de17cdb:g:qUQAAOSwZd1VbuNX

It's a 172 with aircon btw with A13Vi300 is written on the old unit.
Thanks.

That one is correct and it's from Renault Wolverhampton trade parts, so it's genuine.
 
That's great thankyou.
I suppose it would be a good idea to replace the belt too and they don't seem to have them.
Any idea what part I need?
I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this sort of thing. :blush:
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
That's great thankyou.
I suppose it would be a good idea to replace the belt too and they don't seem to have them.
Any idea what part I need?
I'm sorry, I'm not very good at this sort of thing. :blush:

8200226493 that's the part number for the belt. When was it last changed?
 
  200,182 Trophy, Cup
If you’re doing the job yourself and unless the car has done loads of miles I wouldn’t bother with the belt. It makes a fairly straightforward job (well sort of) far more difficult. Using the jubilee clip method saves you jacking the engine, and removing the engine mount.
Have you got a price for an alternator from Eurocarparts they will have one.
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
If you’re doing the job yourself and unless the car has done loads of miles I wouldn’t bother with the belt. It makes a fairly straightforward job (well sort of) far more difficult. Using the jubilee clip method saves you jacking the engine, and removing the engine mount.
Have you got a price for an alternator from Eurocarparts they will have one.

That's true but I wouldn't fancy reusing a 4 year old belt really.

Are the alternators from euro Valeo items? I wouldn't bother if they aren't. The amount that fail weeks after fitting is shocking.
 
If you’re doing the job yourself and unless the car has done loads of miles I wouldn’t bother with the belt. It makes a fairly straightforward job (well sort of) far more difficult. Using the jubilee clip method saves you jacking the engine, and removing the engine mount.
Have you got a price for an alternator from Eurocarparts they will have one.
Jacking the engine? Now I'm scared.
 
  200,182 Trophy, Cup
Well I may be wrong but as I understood it in order to change the belt you need to be able to access the drive side of the engine and the pulleys. In order to do that you need to lift that side of the engine, trolley jack and board under sump and take weight then unbolt drivers side engine mount, that will allow you to jack the engine up on that side to get to the belt off and the new one over the pulleys. You will also need a belt tensioner tool to reset the belt tensioner.
I know what Bryan is saying but modern belts will last miles, I wouldn’t be the same with a cam Belt
 
I must admit after watching this I am tempted to leave the belt alone for now.
It looks horrendous.
Could be a job for the warmer months.
 

JamesBryan

ClioSport Club Member
  Titanium 182
The only tensioner on the aux belt is the spring one you put the jubilee clip round to compress.
 
  200,182 Trophy, Cup
It’s your call, the interval for the aux is 36k Miles. Maybe make a judgement based on that. There is a school of thought that suggests if you are going to all of the work that involves changing the aux belt you may as well do the tensioner, the water pump, even cam belt, tensioner and dephaser !
 
It’s your call, the interval for the aux is 36k Miles. Maybe make a judgement based on that. There is a school of thought that suggests if you are going to all of the work that involves changing the aux belt you may as well do the tensioner, the water pump, even cam belt, tensioner and dephaser !
Hopefully by the time the parts arrive I'll be feeling braver.
It does make sense to change the belt.
The other parts you mention can wait I think.
That's way to technical and beyond my abilities.

Thanks all for your help. I would have been screwed without it.
 

leedsboy

ClioSport Club Member
  Bean 182 + E70 X5
This is a job I've got to do, and to be honest, if you're just changing the alternator and belt it doesn't seem too difficult, more fiddly due to limited room within the engine bay.
 

oreA

ClioSport Club Member
  BMW M135i; Clio 172
When I replaced my alternator for the second time in as many weeks (boring story :rage::smile:), because the tensioner and belt were new, I didn’t bother with the jubilee clip trick, I just undid the bolts on the alternator to release the tension on the belt, and then levered the new alternator back into place to re-tension. Seemed to work ok 🙈:cool:!
 
  Westfield, 182, 200
I've just done the aux belt on the wife's 182, with idler and tensioner.
I was shocked how bad the belt was considering it was only a few months over the 36 month recommended change.
I'd noticed the power steering was starting to slip-the tensioner had seized and the belt was slack. When I undid the tensioner it sprang and tensioned the belt?!
 
  Clio ph2 1.6 16V Sp
When I replaced my alternator for the second time in as many weeks (boring story ??), because the tensioner and belt were new, I didn’t bother with the jubilee clip trick, I just undid the bolts on the alternator to release the tension on the belt, and then levered the new alternator back into place to re-tension. Seemed to work ok ?:cool:!
I can confirm that it is possible to remove the alternator (pulley first) through the aperture created by simply removing the black portion of the grille. No bumper, no slam panel. And yes, because I had removed my alternator before reading these posts and hadn't used a hose clamp, it is quite straightforward to lever the alternator into position and restore tension on the belt. My procedure was bottom right mounting bolt first, just a few turns with the alternator out of alignment. Then a hefty screwdriver to lever the alternator into alignment and insert the top mounting bolt a few turns, followed by the bottom left bolt. One hour, job done!!
 


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