Alternator Replacement Experience

[loveless]

Hi all!

I am just on here because I do some work on my fiances Turbo S.I use this forum and others to help work on her car as I am a WRX guy myself and VW's are weird to me.I just wanted to share my experience replacing the alternator to help others out.

1. Remove the battery negative. You don't want sparks flying.

2. Disconnect wires to alternator. There is one plug to undo and the power wire to remove.

3. Remove the tensioner pulley. Before you go unbolting it you need to release tension by pulling the tab towards you with a wrench then placing a nail or something to hold it open.
Just remove the 3 bolts.

4. Detach the alternator. Its just 2 bolts that hold it in place. It may take some wiggling to get it out though.

5. Getting it out of the engine bay. This is the part that had me cursing the "German Engineering in da Haus" Guy. Because of the NB tight engine bay there isn't enough room to pull it out. This is how I did it.
a. First remove the throttle body. Unplug it. remove air intake hose and vacuum line. then remove 4 allen wrench bolts. The openning is still not big enough so...........
b. Remove Bolts from the Passenger side motor mount.
c. Place jack under tranny and lift the engine until enough room is available to lift the alternator out. About 5-6 inches.

6. Installation is the reverse of removal.
7. When everything is back together do a Throttle Body Adjustment.

When I first started it up it made a loud banging or knocking noise at idle. It had trouble idling steady but revved just fine. Doing a little research found that a T.B.A. would fix it and should be done whenever the Battery is disconnected.

TBA procedure....

a. Pop the hood so you hear it working and know im not blowing smoke up your butt.
b. Open the driver side Door and don't touch any pedals.
c. Turn the key into the on position DO NOT START!!!!!
d. Go around to the front and hear the throttle body motor humming and clicking and be amazed at whats going on.
e. Take the key out of the ignition.
f. Your throttle body is adjusted and ready to go.

I know i had heard this type of noise before just not this bad. It is probably a good idea to do this every once in a while to keep running in tip top shape.I am not sure what models this works on I assume any Drive by wire 1.8T motor this case was a 2003 Turbo S

8. Enjoy your now running NB

[Billsbug]

Nice How-To, thanks!

Next time however, TAKE PICS!

[loveless]

Originally Posted by Billsbug

Nice How-To, thanks!

Next time however, TAKE PICS!

I just wanted to give back a little. I would have taken Pictures if I knew it was such a pain in the arse to do

[Billsbug]

Hey, PITA is the New Beetle's middle name!

[nickthehick78]

hey i just changed my alt, what a pain. i dident remove the motor mount. did everything you said but after i removed my throttle body i took the 2 bolts off my fuel rail and pulled it and all 4 injectors out, had just enguff room to get the alt out. just my 2 cents incase someone wants to try it this way.

[scarabY2k]

Old post resurrection

So it there a trick to loosing the alternator once the bolts are removed? it is a pain

[nickthehick78]

wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. back and fourth, up and down. i belive i used a big screw driver or a pry bar to help me. it was very tight. be carefull what you pry on! putting the new one on is tight also, once you get mad and call it names and pull as hard as you can, then give up. it will fall right off. haha. goodluck!

[scarabY2k]

Originally Posted by nickthehick78

wiggle, wiggle, wiggle. back and fourth, up and down. i belive i used a big screw driver or a pry bar to help me. it was very tight. be carefull what you pry on! putting the new one on is tight also, once you get mad and call it names and pull as hard as you can, then give up. it will fall right off. haha. goodluck!

of to a-wigglin I go!

Thanks for the quick response.

[FastAndFurious]

You dont need to remove the throttle body or the motor mount to get the alternator in and out on a 1.8T.

I've done it several times through the headlight.
Just remove passanger headlight and headlight cup, and disconnect the throttle body hose, plenty of room to get it out.

Reason i do it this way because when you remove the throttle body, you need to change the gasket and do TBA.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3914840

[deandp371]

Thanks, I'm struggling with this one too! I have the bolts removed holding the alternator on but cant seem to budge it. The bolts are attached to sleeves that seem to be holding the alternator in. Can the sleeves be driven out? Or should I just keep wiggling?



And I was wondering how to get it out of the car! I'll see if I can remove the passenger headlight but that's probably shot. Maybe if I remove the whole passenger fender?

[FastAndFurious]

you dont need to remove the passanger fender, it will not help at all.

just remove the headlight and headlight cup thats holds the headlight in place. then you have plenty of room to get it out

[deandp371]

Thanks, I'll give that a try if I can work the part loose. Sounds better than taking the whole nose off!

[scarabY2k]

I used a some PB blaster, squirted some in the bolt holes then gingerly pryed the alternator loose with a screwdriver. A little prying, a little wiggling by hand and it FINALLY came free.

[deandp371]

OK, I got the alternator free. The picture above shows where the top bolt threads in. I was able to take a tire iron and pry the top of the alt forward off of that mount. Then I could wiggle and twist it to get the bottom part of the bracket free.

Looks like my passenger headlight is in OK shape, so I'll see if I can get that off and remove the alternator that way.

Thanks all!

[deandp371]

Originally Posted by FastAndFurious;635907
I've done it several times through the headlight.
Just remove passanger headlight and headlight cup, and disconnect the throttle body hose, plenty of room to get it out.

[url=http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3914840

vortex media group[/url]

Yes, that does work well! I vote we call this maneuver the "F-and-F-Section"

[FastAndFurious]

Well thanks for clarifying that! A lot of people dont belive it could be taken out the headlight and much easier too.

[deandp371]

It also helps to get at the belt and all - it was certainly easier to put all that back together with the headlight out!

[ljackson]

Thanks for the "through the headlight hole" info. Also wanted to add I had to remove the screws holding the front of the innner fender to get to the 10mm (socket size)nut on one of the headlight bucket screws and that you do not have to remove the 8mm headed screws that hold the headlight lock in the bucket. I did have to compress the top of the bucket a little to get it out. I turned the alt where the mounting holes are up to get it out. The shop where I took it is charging me $100.00 to rebuild. It would have been another 100.00 to Remove & Reinstall it. His book allowed 1.6 hrs. It took me 1.5hrs to get it out. That includes cussing and 15 trips to my tool box. I still made about $65.00/hr.