I changed out my first alternator for my dad today. Took me all day to figure it out and do it but I’m so so proud of myself. Before this the biggest thing I did was change the spark plugs on my project. I’m excited and didn’t know where else to share it.
For the longest time I only ever changed the oil.
I can’t even imagine doing that! That’s awesome! Lucky to have all the tools I could need available, and I always have by hubs check to make sure I’ve got the car jacked up right.
My first non-oil-change was a turbo replacement. Oh boy that was... fun.
Eight months to a clutch! You done good my man, was a couple years into my apprenticeship before I was given that sorta responsibility
That’s really impressive, I’ve been working on cars for around five years now, and I’m still yet to attempt a clutch!
My curve is a little out of whack. I did an engine swap before I ever changed my own oil. In fact I still haven't changed my own oil on my daily.
Keep it up blackthumb and you'll be rebuilding engines in no time
Lol nail polish my friend. But I have lost that nail before from smashing it and it turning black! Haha.
That's awesome! You should definitely feel proud of yourself! Well done!
Thank you!
[удалено]
Hope to be up there with you next year! Planning to go to school so I figured I gotta throw myself in there sometime lol. I actually had one and did check! All good to go and my dads picking it up from me tomorrow :)
Sweet turbski, broski.
Thanks man running 100lbs of boost first ever
I think you mean brosaphene brotato chip.
AWESOME!! Keep it up, the skills you build now will only help in the future. A tip that I received was first learning is:
Thank you! I actually quit the first day I started. I was so pissed off with the clips, so I took today with some music, coffee and took my sweet time. Ended up having much more fun! Thank you for the advice!
This right here, is probably the best advice ever. It especially applies to engine and transmission work.
There's no better feeling than fixing something yourself. Cheers to you!
Thank you!
A very useful thing would be to know what failed on the alternator you replaced so you can diagnose similar issues in the future im sure you can Google or YouTube a guide on how to test the components of the faulty one to find what went wrong who knows you might even be able to repair it and sell it/keep it as a spare.
That’s good advice! My parents are returning the old one for cash back from where they bought the new one. But I’ll keep that in mind on my own project car. :)
Great job! You should be very proud of yourself, especially when you find out how much a shop would charge your dad for this.
Which is exactly why I offered to do it! I plan on going to UTI next year and finishing it with the BMW program so I figured I gotta start somewhere first!
I had my first alternator change maybe 4ish months ago when it was summer time, I noticed that something on my belt was squeaking pretty bad, so I got my moms boyfriend (pretty much my step dad since I've known him for over 10 years) to come help me figure out exactly what it was, we noticed my idler pulley was wobbling, so we replaced it hoping it would be the noise, of course it wasn't, so I went to a scrap yard and got a a replacement alternator.
Find a shop with a frame machine and see if they can find out for you, if it is damaged but not too badly you can probably keep driving it just fine
Keep going. The most satisfying thing in my life is making my broken ass car work again. Or better yet, my two hands added horsepower! My Civic can do burnouts, because of me. It's a terrific feeling.
Hell yeah! Great advice!
I've had cars where spark plugs take 3 days to do because you have to pull the motor out, don't underestimate yourself.
That sounds like an absolute nightmare lol. Thank you!
Good job... That's a bigger job than I'd do by myself.
Thank you!
Onward and upward!
Lol! Absolutely!
A few months ago, I undertook my first fuel pump change. It was in my 2002 mustang, and unlike some cars, it doesn't have an opening under the rear seat where you can access the pump, so I had to drop the tank, which was secured with some weird adhesive foam in addition to the steel straps for some reason (like double sided 3m foam mounting tape, but the size of the whole tank). It was a pain in the ass getting that tape to unstick, and the pjmp itself was tuff to remove without damaging the tank or pump housing. I felt so proud of myself after I started the car for the first time after the repair. I haven't yet performed another major repair on my stang because if haven't needed to luckily, but I feel much more confident in my abilities after that. It's awesome that you now have gotten to feel that pride in yourself and that confidence in your abilities. Keep doing you and stay dirty my man!
I’m so glad you get to share that sense of accomplishment too!!! You too!!
Good shit dude.just jump in the deep end n you’ll get through it. I went from oil changes n plugs n leads to one day I went fuck it I’m gonna rebuild the motor. N just dived in.once you’re that far in that there’s no use going you just have to fix it n forced toward more shit 👌
Heck yeah good job man! That’s what I did, I told my parents I’d fix it and it forced me to figure it out.
Kudos!
Thanks!!!
Good job
Thank you!
Good job bub! Gold stars all around!
Thank you!
It begins somewhere on the car and somewhere in the heart. Keep it up.
Thank you!!
Good job man!
Thanks!!!
Congrats. Proud of you! One step at a time!
Thanks so much :)
That's awesome! I'd say grab a box of nitrile gloves off of Amazon, but the dirt-grime and grease is kind of a badge of honor 😀
Lol!! Gonna have to. My work requires me to have presentable nails and I definitely broke a few :(
That’s so cool. No better way to learn than getting in there and doing. Just remember no one was born an expert or having experience it takes time. Awesome job.
Thanks so much! You’re absolutely right!
Well don and welcome to the club. It'll never end.
Hahaha, I’ve always been super into cars and just now learning to actually work on em myself!
Keep wrenching!
Will do captain!
Check out carkrush on IG if you’re looking for lady-car communities :)
Heck yeah! I’m part of quiet a few already but I will check that one out as well!!!
You can do anything Had to change one on a work truck with a crescent wrench hitch hike 60 miles then get a ride back from a cop. 😂 the world is filled with amazing people. Don’t forget your one of them.
Super uplifting! Glad you got her done!
One of us.
This is the way
Aye man gotta start somewhere before you know it you'll be rebuilding engines and one day doing custom work and engine swaps
I’m actually going to UTI next year and aiming for the BMW program so hopefully yes!!!
That looks like a dodge caravan, and I don't envy doing the alternator on that. Good for you. Keep doing it.
Dodge Journey but close!
Good job. Hopefully you’ll remember the process pretty well, because if that’s what I think it is, you’ll probably have to replace it again before too terribly long. Not due to any fault in your work...,just bc of the failure rate on those damn decouplers
Lol! Yeah it’s a 2017 Dodge Journey! I had a little suspicion that the alt had been changed before so I wouldn’t be surprised lol.
Mint. Good job and good luck on future projects
Thank you!!
Congratulations, good job. Now that you've done this job on that vehicle , you've got a general idea on how to do it on any vehicle. Lots of stuff is like that, so get all the experience that you can.
Thank you!
Good job :) you can do that, you can do about anything. Just remember, itz just the fear of the unknown.
Thank you!
Just rebuilt my entire cooling system on my 99 BMW. If you woulda told me I could take it all apart and remember just fine how it went back together I wouldn’t believe you. Good job homie
Hey good job to you too!!!
Haynes online manuals are awesome to guide newer people through most repairs. Also good for inquisitive minds who want to learn what makes things work. Congrats on catching the itch!
I’ll check it out! This was a little hard cause I couldn’t find anything on a 2017 but managed around it by looking at videos of older/different models.
I just changed my first alternator too! yesterday, be proud the felling is mutual
Congratulations!!!!
Replacing the alternator in my truck was one of the first things I did with my dad in terms of more than average car maintenance. Have picture for proof. Keep it up and in no time you will be as car obsessed as everyone else here 😅.
I’ve been pretty into cars for about two years now. I just never did anything other than body work on my old CF hood on them because bolts are scary :( but this year I’m tackling the mechanics side of cars!
3) call everything a dirty slut till it works
Yo! Fucking get it! Personally, if you stare at it long enough, you'll get. You got it.
I’m not even gonna lie I stared for a looooooonnnnnng minute sooon my coffee like “right. I got this. I got it. Annnnnyyy minute now I’ll have it” hahaha.
If I had gold I would give to you.
Keep ya money for car parts! Lol :)
It looks like the antifreeze might be a little low. Make sure to either use the appropriate 50/50 mix or add demineralized (aka deionized) water.
Yep, first time takes all day. The next time you'll knock it out in half an hour! Great job. Keep it up.
Thank you!
Keep up the good work
Thanks!
Awesome! No Fear! I love seeing when people fix their own stuff!
Lot and lots of fear. Also might have finger smashing ptsd lol!! But thank you!!!
Well done!
Thank you!
Did that a few months ago, still trying to figure out why it squeels now.
Wish I could help ya out there :(
Make sure the alternator isn't cockeyed in the bracket.
Bro I feel ya I did the same thing for a basic Hyundai Accent and was super excited to get it done!!
Congratulations!!!
Keep up the good work! Changing those things isn't easy
I’m sure to some people it’s a breeze! Thank you!
One of the best feelings in the world is conquering a project thought to large for yourself!
Heck yeah!
You should be proud! Enjoy that sense of accomplishment!
Thank you!!!
Good job, chief. Keep challenging yourself.
Thank you! Will do!
Good job bud!
Thank you!
Congratulations! It always feels so satisfying to figure out how to do something yourself.
Thank you! Absolutely!!
It's a slippery slope....
Hahaha, shoot if it means free tools!! I had a ton of fun and now I’m eyeing my project car in a whole new light
Alternator Hell, everyone
Oh no oh no oh no
Are you wearing a flight suit?
Yeah a really old worn one lol works good to keep warm
Congratulations
Thank you!
That's great!
Heck yeah!!! Go you!!!
Hell yeah! It's a damn good first step to being your own mechanic. Might sounds ridiculous but youtube has helped in many a projects for me.
YouTube is a freaking life saver! I want to be a real tech one day :)
Yeah buddy, now down the rabbit hole you go. See you at engine build questions.
Hahaha I’m a few months away from it. I’ve been wanting to swap the engine in my crx for some time now so I’ll be back lol
Maybe examine the old alternator, see if you and a multimeter can determine why it failed. I went to the autostore to replace the alternator on my Jeep, $219! I took mine apart, did a few simple checks and found the problem was just dirt in the brushes. I fixed it with a toothbrush!
My parents already took it to get a credit back. I never thought of taking it apart! Maybe next time. This was my dads daily and they’re really needed it back up and running :)
Another good option if it's available is to find a good rebuild shop. I have one in my city that I use for both work and at home. The rebuilt starters and alternators last just as long as new at half the cost. But beware, in my experience like 90% of rebuild shops suck and aren't worth the effort.
That's awesome, I've never done that before! Couple of weeks ago me and my father in law were changing out some brake calipers and even though we were dumb enough to put them in the wrong way I was still proud when we redid our work and fixed it. Lol
Good job man!
Congrats! We all have to start somewhere, right? I find a good way to look at it, is alot of jobs aren't really "more difficult" than others, but some do have more steps, or things to remove to get to those parts. Remember, first you get good, then you get fast. Dont rush, and youll do fine!
Congrats, it's addictive so beware! Is that a naval aviation cold weather jacket I see? I use one of those too out working in the cold!
It’s actually a full flight suit lol! It was cold as balls yesterday and windy. I didn’t want to get my jackets dirty so it worked out perfect!
As someone who just removed the starting motor from a toyota, and has to wait for the replacement by mail: Holy shit i recognize that.
Make sure the nail polish is showing so we know you're a girl!
Might be a dude still, you never know these days
Great job! I always work on my project car in a flight suit as well. 😉
Hahaha keeps you warm that’s for sure!
Handy tip; when diagnosing and repairing alternators, try replacing the brushes first. They're cheaper to buy than an entire alternator and generally the brushes die before the rest of the unit does.
Sweet turbo bro.
now you are done.. test the system with this and a hand held multimeter..
I did the same to my car a few months ago. Feels great!
Hey there. I’m late to the party but I wanted to say “way to go”! We are not born with this knowledge so what you did was perfect! That’s how it starts.
That’s so awesome!!!! Congratulations!!!!
I also want to start a YouTube channel that documents women building cars for the first time, learning as they go. I love watching those videos but damn they need some ladies in the house!
It took me eight hours to swap my first alternator, in my Fiero. The next time, it only took an hour and a half.
That sounds about right! Now that I know the process and more importantly how to deal with the belt I’m sure I could tackle it sooner. Thank you!
My BIL and I changed an alternator in an AutoZone parking lot using a YouTube video and asking lots of questions. We finished 2 minutes before the store closed.
There you go!!! I used so many different YouTube videos as there wasn’t anything on my specific model.
Wanna rebuild my cvt for me? Lol
Hahaha I’m good lol
Congrats!
Thank you!
I like the mentality that you probably can't fuck it up more than it already is so I typically just giver and see what happens!
Lol that’s kind of my mentality too! My husband kept coming outside to second guess what I was doing and I was like it’s already broke! Lol
Nice! I just changed the power steering pump on my car for the first time this weekend. Feels pretty good to fix something.
Congratulations!!!
nice job man!
Thank you!
Everyone has to start somewhere! Good job!
Thank you!
Hell yea! My dad always says "It's just nuts and bolts". It may be more or less complex, but it's just taking things off, putting them back on the right way, and hopefully not breaking anything. I always keep that in mind, and I haven't tripped up yet. You gotta go slower on larger jobs, maybe take some photos of stuff with your phone, but it's all possible with enough time and the right tools!
You’re right! I learned that during this where I was like “okay so.. I bolt it all back and I’m done!?!” and taking my time helped! Also taking photos of how the belt was lined up helped too lol
Heeeeey Mama!!!! That’s excellent! I am too a female that works on my own cars. I have a project Jeep and have done the fuel pump , fuel filter , radiator clutch fans , fuel injectors , coil packs , spark plugs, coolant reservoir, charcoal canister , brakes , pcv valve and other miscellaneous things! I love working on my Jeep and like you said the feeling is so gratifying. Something about putting time and effort into making something work is such a great feeling. I’m so proud of you!!! Keep up the good work and keep posting your successes! I’m cheering you on !!!
That’s awesome!!! I used to have a 370z and the only thing I did in that was restore my carbon fiber hood but the hubby did everything else for me like lowering it and putting my lip in, instake and exhaust. I bought a new project car and made it a vow I’d do most of the work but I’ve been too intimidated to start it! So being sorta forced to do work on my dads daily helped a lot.
Are you wearing a flight suit?
Yup yup I’m laughing at how many people recognize it from just the sleeve. Old flight suits make great work suits in the winter.
Nice job! 2012< Dodge Caravan?
2017 Dodge Journey :)
We had a great couple (Ladies) living in a cottage on the ranch with us. They did all their own oil changes and brakes themselves, using YouTube as a guide, and were welcome to use our built in mechanics pit and tools in the back garage. The best was when Janelle was facetiming with her Dad (the car guy in the family) doing a Mazda Tranny Modulator due to how far away he lived. I miss those two. Bought their own Townhouse and moved out.
Awwww that’s so awesome!!!
Mate, that’s the turbocharger...
I read turboburger
It’s actually a turbonater. Two in one for more boost
I remember the first time I did anything besides oil, it was spark plugs and power steering fluid on my old accord. Starting it up after had me nervous, second guessing everything I did. Now I feel confident fixing most things that can be done with common tools. I just did an alternator recently and am doing an intake and throttle body swap on my own car soon.
That’s awesome! Definitely true as well. I saved my dad about a grand on this lol.
Changing the electricity pump has always been nerve wracking for me because the bolts were usually super corroded and felt like they'd snap. Good job on yanking that out!
Bolts are just scary in general! You’re pushing and you knoooooowww it’s gonna come loose suddenly and you’re gonna lose some skin lol
It is such a rewarding feeling to take a chance on doing something like this and sticking to it until the job is complete. I love that feeling of accomplishment and the knowledge that I can try something a little more complicated the next time.
Exactly! The cars been at my house for about a week and I’ve just been staring at it like, fuck what did I get myself into. But I’m glad I got er done!
Looks like a 2.4L GEMA engine out of maybe a dodge Journey? Are you sure it was the alternator itself and not just the clutch pulley? I've had two of em blow out. Nice work though. Always feels good to do your own wrenching.
You know I’m gonna be honest, I’ve got noooo idea. They told my dad it was the alt and to replace it so I just took a shot at it myself. It definitely fixed the problem after!
Awesome job! Self taught along with most of my friends, went from oil and brakes and now the occasional full blown engine swap. Keep it up!! And when you get frustrated remember it's better to take your time then to turn a 4 hour problem into a 2 day project lol.
Epic!
DONT SET TOOLS DOWN ON THE CAR !!!! Tools have a home ! If you don’t ALWAYS put them in their home they’ll quickly become homeless
I’ve always been really good at grabbing all my tools on the car. :)
Great job! And on a transverse motor too!
Which I’ve learned sucks! Everything’s so close to the frame! Lol.
Good job, OP! Now you're ready to do a full 2JZ swap. Kidding, but seriously good job!
Don’t test me, I wanted to do it to my z and a year ago that seemed far fetch. Who knows what’s in store for my CRX! Hahaha
Good job. Nice of you to help your dad out! Cute nail polish btw.
Exactly where I started when I stepped up from oil changes and brake jobs however many years back. It's an explicit language filled climb from here lol
Alternators can either be relatively easy to swap out, or the worst thing ever, depending on the model and its location in the engine. I've done a few now of a certain make/model, and it's gotten easier each time because I know what I have to do, but involves removing a lot of the front area and moving the radiator to do it, all because of the lack of a few millimeters more space to drop it out anywhere. Other cars I've worked on, it was right there on top, so remove the belt and a few bolts, and it's done.