How do you Replace an Alternator?

There comes a time in our lives where we simply must man up and deal with our problems, and though this doesn't apply to some sectors in our life, we highly advise all our readers to make sure they try to get knowledgeable in all things mechanic, so that they can show more love to their trucks and vehicles in general.

Throughout this article we are going to go over how to replace an alternator yourself.

Disconnect the Right Battery Cable: Tip, it is RED!

There is a negative and a positive cable connected to your battery, and you will spot them as one being black and the other red.

What you need to do is to disconnect the red one in order to proceed and avoid some collateral damages on yourself.

If the colors aren't these for some reason, then check the manufacturer's manual for the positive cable.

Spot the Alternator in your Vehicle:

Secondly, you must spot where the alternator is in your vehicle. Yes, the position varies, and if you aren't sure what an alternator looks like then you should probably get your manufacturer's manual out.

Once you know where it is, see if you need to take something out in order to reach it, and once it is all clear, proceed to the next step.

Make sure to loosen the belt holding it in place:

Next thing you are going to notice is that you'll spot a belt that is holding the alternator into place. This belt is pretty important and you can't damage it or lose it, so make sure you carefully loosen it to take the alternator out of place without ruining the belt itself.

Put it in a place where it won't fall or get lost and then go to the next step – bear with us, you're almost done.

Remove the Bolts, Replace, Fit everything Back!

Finally, you're just left to remove the bolts that are bolting the alternator into place. Do so with a wrench and be extra careful when you're taking the last one out as to hold the alternator – you don't want that weight to fall on another car component or fumbling down the chassis.

Once that is done you need only to replace the alternator with the new one, and reverse the steps – fitting everything back carefully.

Well, it wasn't that hard was it? It costs nothing to know more about mechanics, and simple processes like this one are a good spot to begin with.

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