Technical Alternator replacement

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Technical Alternator replacement

Paddywack41

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Alternator

I have a 2006 1.9 Croma. No real issues until this weekend when the alternator went on it.

As it happens once the alternator went the AVS and ABS and more importantly the Power Steering lights came on which meant that she was a bugger to steer. Not wanting to drive with no power steering I turned her into the nearest garage which happens to be a Hyundai dealership.

Thankfully they service other makes and were happy to do the work for me. The car is out of warranty to so no loss there. The problem is that they are having problems sourcing an alternator from anywhere other than the main fiat dealer who are looking for £200. I would have thought that if the Croma is based on the Vectra that there should be some standard part that I could get for her without having to spend £200. Has anyone any ideas?

Also the fiat dealer is playing a bit of a silly game in that it wont tell the hyundai dealership if there is any special tools needed for the job or the length of time to allocate to it. So again anyone with any experience in this field it would be a great help.
 
Re: Alternator

Lets turn it around for a minute...would the hyundai garage help a Fiat garage out? Maybe/maybe not however in these days of little work you have to look after your own staff.......but this is not helping you at all.

Its a akward job as there isn't alot of room (I have done 2) also £200 for a alternator is a not bad price to be honest + diag/fitting say 2 hours (£80-90 labour)
 
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Re: Alternator

Whilst not wishing to provoke inter dealer wars etc. I would say that dealer cooperation is GOOD for all concerned.

Stranded Fiat motorist turns into nearest garage, this case Hyundai. Hyundai try to help but get less than satisfactory help from Fiat/Ford/etc dealer. Fiat car owner just wants his Fiat back on the road. Who loses out. The car owner and FIAT!

A little cooperation from Fiat/Fiat Dealer would have built a mutually beneficial partnership with the local Hyundai dealer, the Fiat car owner would have been appriciative to both dealers and everybody gains.

Closed ranks pisses everybody off and loses customers. This poor Fiat driver seeked refuge at the first garage he could, only to find that one or more of the Fiat dealership chains were not prepared to help him get his Fiat back on the road by helping another garage out. Why should he ever buy a FIAT again! ?
 
Re: Alternator

I wish I could say I'm surprised, but...anyway, getting back on the subject; after looking on www.vectra-c.com it would appear the 1.9 JTD engine in the Vectra/Signum is also prone to alternator failure. From what I can make out, I believe Vauxhall did a recall of a certain batch. Might be worth looking into?
 
Re: Alternator

Personally I wish Fiat never ever got into bed with GM. Seems to me the much appraised, loved, reliable etc. GM DNA is nothing but a myth. About the only good thing to come out of this collaboration is the 1.3 diesel engine and something tells me that over 90% of it is down to Fiat and GM provided the "chain drive".

Such is life. Am really please GM has gone to that Canadian company Magna. Hopefully the Fiat/Alfa/Lancia/Ferrari breed can purify themselves again.
 
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Re: Alternator

But this isn't a perfect world, garages are allowed (for a fee) to see any other manufactuers information. Fiat provide this service.

I do agree with what has been said though but information costs money to us all, there is always autodata...why didn't the hyundai garage refer to that?
 
Re: Alternator

Personally I wish Fiat never ever got into bed with GM. Seems to me the much appraised, loved, reliable etc. GM DNA is nothing but a myth. About the only good thing to come out of this collaboration is the 1.3 diesel engine and something tells me that over 90% of it is down to Fiat and GM provided the "chain drive".

Such is life. Am really please GM has gone to that Canadian company Magna. Hopefully the Fiat/Alfa/Lancia/Ferrari breed can purify themselves again.

That was till Fiat got into bed with Chrysler last week, hence all Fiats and Alfa Romeo's in the future will be built on a Chrysler platform. This concern was raised by Auto Express:(
 
Re: Alternator

Hear what you say but Chrysler have never in recent times, and only in their past UK DNA strain of Hilman/Singer & Imp/Chamois/Hunter/Gazelle etc. ever shown their skills at a "UK/European" car.

God forbid if Fiat (Fiat/Lancia/Alfa Romeo and all the rest) were to abandon their roots to goodness knows what, then we are all doomed......
 
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Re: Alternator

Hear what you say but Chrysler have never in recent times, and only in their past UK DNA strain of Hilman/Singer & Imp/Chamois/Hunter/Gazelle etc. ever shown their skills at a "UK/European" car.

God forbid if Fiat (Fiat/Lancia/Alfa Romeo and all the rest) were to abandon their roots to goodness knows what, then we are all doomed......

It has started already....

The new Alfa 169 Flagship is to be made in Canada using a Chrysler 300c Chassis. Only thing is petrol versions will be Chrysler and diesel versions will be from Fiat & Alfa Romeo.
 
Re: Alternator

Have had the same problem this week,managed to get mine to my local Fiat garage,also needed 2 new front springs,now £400 lighter in the wallet.
 
Re: Alternator

Have had the same problem this week,managed to get mine to my local Fiat garage,also needed 2 new front springs,now £400 lighter in the wallet.

We've just had the alternator go on ours which meant a trip home down the M4 on the back of a recovery truck yesterday.
This follows in the last two months two new springs (rear ones rather than front) and a new EGR valve- all separate incidents and dealer visits (on top of the MOT and new front brake pads although after 48000 miles that's pretty good going to my mind)

Nice as it is to drive Croma ownership is starting to become a bit expensive in both time and money
 
Re: Alternator

Hi,

If you are still looking for an alternator somewhere else than an official fiat dealer, you can also look for an alternator of a fiat doblo.

I work at a fiat dealer here in belgium and yesterday I had to replace an alternator of a fiat doblo, there was no such alternator on stock so I placed an alternator of a fiat croma instead, he is a little bigger but he'll fit.

The croma's alternator is in the back of the engine, wich makes it hard. I can say, it's best to get the alternator out from the top. When he is put back in place, be sure to connect the 2 wires before setting him into place, this can save you a lot of time.

No special tools needed for this job. If you want to get the job done quickly (and for less money) see that youre engine is COLD.

This would take me about 1 hour and half. So if they charge you 3 or 4 ours, go elsewere :p

Greets,

Vcelis
 
Re: Alternator

Sorry, only visit here when I've got problems (so that's not often) and I've just had the alternator light come on with mine.
When I had this happen on a Tempra I was able to just replace the brushes and did that with the alternator in place - anybody know if this is possible with a Croma?
 
Re: Alternator

Does anyone know if you can remove the alternator from the car without disturbing the drive shaft ?????
 
Has anyone replaced an alternator on a 150 multijet. I am desperate to find out if you need to remove partially or completely the offside transmission driveshaft for access. :confused:
 
Does this not answer the question:

https://www.fiatforum.com/croma/197889-alternator-2.html?p=2313839

I know it is a little cryptic but he is I believe a Fiat technician and it sounds like he removes and replaces them via top access.

Of course that does mean that whoever replaced your alternator did it via top access.

To remove the N/S drive shaft requires the car to be lifted, wheel removed, hub nut taken off and the steering/hub lower swivel joint undone. Suggest you poke your head underneath the car and inside the front N/S wheel arch with the steering on full left hand lock an see if you can see any evidence of nuts or bolts having been removed.

The way the suspension and hub parts get cakes up in fine dust/dirt then the use of spanners and sockets will disturb the dirt.
 
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