Replacing the Alternator, Firstly this is an awfull job,originally my local fiat indie quoted £48 labour to do it. This in hindsight would have been an absolute bargain. Pay someone esle.
However, I thought, how hard can it be? so here's how I did it.
Firstly, get the correct alternator,prices from motor factors were £202 and £148 for a cross matched part number,it was for a 100amp unit. The correct one is 105amp on the aircon model.
I made inquires at my local fiat dealership,(very good service) and got exactly the right 105amp reconditioned quality unit for £123+ vat, brilliant.Motor factors are not always best or cheapest.
I also had a warm garage with a pit,very useful.
Right,Jack up car on drivers side,axle stand, remove wheel,pulley cover housing,disconnect battery.
Remove the front section of the exhaust,remove the aux belt,remove the dipstick tube completely,2 small bolts top and bottom+ 2 plastic clips.
Access for the alternator is underneath,between the driveshaft and the bulk head.Undo 2 wires from rear of alternator, undo wiring clip/harness that is at the rear of the alternator,1 small bolt, push it up out of the way.
There are 2 bolts on the alternator,using various socket wrenches,spanners undo them. Caution, the top bolt is smaller than the bottom one and crucially has a spacer washer about 8mm thick, do not lose it, it needs to go back in between the two lugs on the bracket that the alternater bolts to,failure to do so will probably break of the lugs when tightened.
On my model the old alternator, eventually came out between the driveshaft and the bulk head,it was very snug.
However,the new better quality alternator was almost identical but, heavier and slightly BIGGER and no matter how I tried it would not go back in where the old one came out.I only needed a couple more mm, so I undid the lower wishbone balljoint,and took it out. Undo 3 10mm bolts on the driveshaft bearing housing,knock the bearing out of its housing,this pulls out the driveshaft a couple of inches, not all the way. This allows the driveshaft to pushed in towards the engine giving me the couple of extra mm to weave in the new alternator. Does that make sense.Hope I remembered everything.
As they say, 'refitting is the reversal of removal' or something like that.
Don't forget the spacer washer!
Hope this helps people.But seriously pay someone esle!

again excellent write up, thank you very much great work

use in conjunction with...

https://www.fiatforum.com/doblo/130218-doblo-deisel-elx-jtd-52-plate-alternator-replacement.html

post#4 (same engine)

Sorry for bumping an old thread but I routinely search here for tech advice and this thread saved me wasting my weekend.

The alternator on my 2003 115JTD Multi failed on Friday and by the time I had taken it out it was too late to get it repaired or exchanged. I went to a breakers yard and found a 100amp unit from an Alfa Romeo (don't ask which one - it just had ALFA in white pen on the side but the mounting holes were identically positioned).

I followed the OP's advice above and aside from having to undo the rear engine mount to get the new alternator fitted, the job went fine. Very fiddly if you have big hands, and you really do need a decent set of sockets/spanners.

David.

cinqsandminis,

Just as a matter of interest, how many miles does your Multipla have? I am just wondering roughly how long the alternators last on these. Mine is also a 2003 JTD 115 and I have done 56,000 miles.

Thanks.

Mine has 117,000 miles on it - its a bit of a dog and it could do with being retired but it just keeps going. I really must change the oil in it one of these years...

D.

hi i need to remove the aux belt but dont know how
can u help
please thanks
dino

I took mine off with a Stanley knife, but then I wasn't planning on putting it back on

Remove the right-hand wheel, and then the plastic guard in front of the strut.
You'll then be able to see the tensioner pulley...

Make a rough sketch of the belt routing, or take a picture.

Take a 15mm socket with long extension, and put it on the bolt head in the middle of the pulley.
Turn anti-clockwise, and the pulley will move down against it's spring, slackening the belt, and allowing you to remove it.
Cutting it is easier if you're putting on a new one.

To refit (or fit a replacement), thread the belt around all the pulleys (except the tensioner one), then unload the tensioner again with the socket, and slip the belt into place.
It really needs two people to remove the belt (unless cutting), or to fit a new one, unless you can securely strap a spanner down to something to hold the pulley in the unloaded position.
You'd need to put the new belt in position first of course, so the spanner wasn't in the way.



Got my Alternator off today, what a pig of a job
Not really difficult as such, just long-winded.
I undid the three main engine mounts (left and right at the front, and the centre rear, plus the r/h steady next to the Diesel filter.
I also removed the front exhaust section, and unbolted the subframe from the chassis, and dropped the whole assembly down a few inches, which helped with access to the Alternator bolts.
Pulling the engine forwards allowed the Alternator to drop out fairly easily, once unbolted.

Thanks for the guide Cooky, particularly the warning about the spacer!

For the record, the upper (short) mounting bolt and nut are 15mm, the lower (long) bolt and nut are 19mm.

Edit; I didn't remove the dipstick tube, or the wiring harness clip assembly.

just to add a quick note,,,you dont need to undo the wish bone or any engine mount,,its the oil dip stick tube thats in the way and that is only a 10 mm bolt..once you have moved that out the way the alternator comes out ok...

You must have had a tiny Alternator fitted to yours then scoobie.
The gap between the driveshaft and steering rack is smaller than my Alternator...

er no normal alternator,,next time i change it i will film how i do it and then put it up on here....is yours a petrol or diesel ??

Diesel.
I'd be interested to see how it's done, as I just don't see how it can be.
Maybe I overlooked something, but I don't think so, as I had your comment in mind when I fitted it.
Did you remove the rear mount assembly?

no i didnt remove the rear mount.....

I took the alternator out of my multipla JTD 115 today and there's a big crack in the casing, I reckon that this is the fault. Taking it out wasn't too bad, just awkward, I took the front wheel off and the plastic bottom guard, then I took the auxiliary belt off and dropped the front exhaust section and tied it out of the way, I had to cut one of the nuts off on the exhaust flange. I then removed the dipstick tube and tied a rubber glove on the bulkhead drainage pipe as I was sick of it dripping on my face, the car had been covered in snow. Removing the two wires from alternator was a bit awkward so I left them on until I unbolted the alternator, this way I could nearly face them to myself and see what I was doing. As I unbolted the alternator the top spacer fell out, I heard it but didn't see it, never mind I'll make another and maybe glue it in place on refitting a new alternator. I didn't need to shift the engine on it's mounts or mess about with the drive shaft.

Found the same on mine, June 2010.

Finally failed last Nov.

It still puzzles me how you can get it out without moving the engine, the largest gap anywhere at the back on mine was only around 4"/100mm

I fitted the new alternator (recon £70 at northeast auto electrics) in today, no problem, I found the spacer washer for the top bolt, it was sitting on the wishbone, the best way to fit the spacer in is to fit the bolt through first and then slide the bolt back and slot it in. I always use mirrors in awkward spaces so I can see what I'm doing or what needs doing.

i think the trick is to move the dipstick tube out the way .....

I like having a look on this forum just for the crack.

Hi all ,I noticed this weekend whilst under the car that my alternator is cracked, I can't afford to replace it at the moment, what's the worst that can happen, ?? I had the cambelt replaced two weeks ago, wouldn't they have noticed the cracked alternator

Cracked Alternator...

Like this?
Cracked Alternator
That was June 2010, it finally failed in Nov last year.