did BMA fux0r my order?!?!?!!? arrgh! or do i have a different alternator/regulator

[ryan roopnarine]

soooo p-d off right now. i overnighted a regulator from bma because my alternator was only kicking out 8.67 volts. spend several PITA hours extricating regulator with Dan in Gainesville, of this board. get back from lowes with new bolts and find.......THE HOLES AREN'T IN THE RIGHT PLACE!!!
I specifically asked BMA if there was any vehicle specific information I needed from my car....and was told that only two choices, both functionally the same for my car...bosch for 34 and generic for 12. as shown in the pics, the replacement bosch is significantly longer than the one taken off the car. in the second picture, one can see that the model numbers are different, which dan noticed while getting the original off, but i mind-scoffed at. the third pic is just of the specific failure, in which the spring is compressed too far to assure contact, and the solder has detached from the contact point and brush connector wire......do i have a nonstandard alternator in my car?????

the only thing calming me down now is that i got two bottles of cherry coke from the machine just now for my $1.......the fact that i have beer in the fridge helps too.

[winfred]

theres 115 amp and 140 amp alternators that will go on that car, i am trying to remember if that was one of the models that the ultra expensive pain in the ass valeo alternator pops up on

[ryan roopnarine]

and having developed an eye for subtlety in linedrawings in autocad class, the regulator BMA sent looks MOST like the regulator in the ETK of the valeo unit. all of the bosch units look the same (ie like mine), and none of the 105A units have the regulator in the position in my alternator.

[sbcncsu]

Ryan,

It is clear you have the wrong regulator for your application. I "think" the regulator that you need is the "standard" universal regulator like is in VW's and earlier BMW's (my 318 uses the same, i think.)


Look in your local yellow pages for alternator / generators, automotive or automotive electrical service or under starters, engine. These shops are all over the place. Take your old regulator with you, go in and ask them for one. The bosch stuff is really common, used on everything from audi to volvo. I typically walk in, ask and walk out with the part. If the shop is cool, take your alternator with you, I have had them install the part for me and test the alternator BEFORE I leave, making sure that there isn't anything else fried inside.

These shops do a good business. They cater to other repair shops but typically don't mind helping out a do-it-yourself-er.

Good Luck,

[ryan roopnarine]

one i took on the alternator, it looks like most of the generic bosch regulators will fit my application, whereas googling the number on the bma replacement returns far fewer results. i considered taking it in to a local alternator place to get new brushes.....however, the cause of failure in this case, a compressed snail spring, seems like it failed because of the fact that this isn't the first set of brushes put in to it. pulling the disconnected brush out and measuring it shows a length of more than 6/10 of an inch, very close than the length of new brushes...the solder job on the brushes looks like amateur hour, and i'd like the reassurance of a new unit. i'll get this one refurbished and carry it as a spare though. aside from this, i paid a premium from bma for both the bosch unit vs. the generic, and $18 for overnight shipping, and as I asked specifically if there was any alternator specific info I needed to provide them with, I think I am entitled to some goodwill and remuneration from bma in the form of the proper unit overnighted to me (if unit cost is the same) in exchange for the improper unit returned to them.

anyway, as it took dan and I soooo much effort to get the damn ducting off, i don't even want to think about how much effort it would take to extricate the alternator from the car....i broke off the little airbox coolant nipple gettting this thing off. ill sleep ok doing an in car voltage test, ie driving around with the VOM attached to the battery watching it like a hawk to make sure its ok, or using the OBC volt check, and having autozone use their in tact alternator testor on it.

[632 Regal]

Ryan, you just have all the luck!

2 cherry cokes for a buck...

[Jon K]

one i took on the alternator, it looks like most of the generic bosch regulators will fit my application, whereas googling the number on the bma replacement returns far fewer results. i considered taking it in to a local alternator place to get new brushes.....however, the cause of failure in this case, a compressed snail spring, seems like it failed because of the fact that this isn't the first set of brushes put in to it. pulling the disconnected brush out and measuring it shows a length of more than 6/10 of an inch, very close than the length of new brushes...the solder job on the brushes looks like amateur hour, and i'd like the reassurance of a new unit. i'll get this one refurbished and carry it as a spare though. aside from this, i paid a premium from bma for both the bosch unit vs. the generic, and $18 for overnight shipping, and as I asked specifically if there was any alternator specific info I needed to provide them with, I think I am entitled to some goodwill and remuneration from bma in the form of the proper unit overnighted to me (if unit cost is the same) in exchange for the improper unit returned to them.

anyway, as it took dan and I soooo much effort to get the damn ducting off, i don't even want to think about how much effort it would take to extricate the alternator from the car....i broke off the little airbox coolant nipple gettting this thing off. ill sleep ok doing an in car voltage test, ie driving around with the VOM attached to the battery watching it like a hawk to make sure its ok, or using the OBC volt check, and having autozone use their in tact alternator testor on it.

If you are having alternator problems I really advise of replacement. I have a Valeo with a failed regulator, I could have just replaced the regulator, but why bother, yes the Bosch is more $ but it's going to last a hell of a lot longer. Plus my alternator now makes about 13.96 - 14.09 volts continuously (except for when my xbox/stereo are kicking)

[ryan roopnarine]

the thing developing a failure over time i might be inclined to replace it...however, if you take a look at the pic, my alternator problems were the result of a sudden spring failure, not of a regulator failure, or of irreperable scratches created in the rotor pole...the first pic shows why i suddenly started producing only 8.6 volts, the snail spring collapsed on one of the brushes, causing it to become an intermittent contact.....when retrieved, as in the second pic, i measure almost 1/2 inch of usable brush on there. i don't think that i would have a problem if that spring didn't crap out.


If you are having alternator problems I really advise of replacement. I have a Valeo with a failed regulator, I could have just replaced the regulator, but why bother, yes the Bosch is more $ but it's going to last a hell of a lot longer. Plus my alternator now makes about 13.96 - 14.09 volts continuously (except for when my xbox/stereo are kicking)

[ryan roopnarine]

had sent them an email with the pics i posted here.... patrick said that based upon the number on the old one, which, AFIAK matches the line drawing of the bosches in the ETK, it was an extra expensive bosch regulator unit, with no generic alternative.....said that all but one of the catalogs that he had said that the extra large one WAS supposed to fit my alternator. cost of it=$53, with no generic available....if i could believe that the mechanicals and plastics in the old one would hold up to its third set of brushes, i'd just get it refurbished. damage to me=53-34 (incorrect unit)+9(for overnight shipping this time)+$3 for shipping to return the incorrect unit to them+too much in dan and my time to extricate the regulator duct in the nasty small space+ 2.42 in bolts and washers from the lowes to replace the f'ing genius time aluminum foil bolts holding the regulator on+ i dunno how much for the little coolant thing going into the airbox that I broke(of which i can't find in the etk, so i can't get a quote for it)= high $69 plus unknown part, and i'm not even getting damn new bearings for the alternator like you can get for a ford or other domestic for $29 including the reg/brushes.......i sincerely hope this thing is running by wednesday so i can take it to gatorspeedway and get some timeslip quantification of mark's chip (thx mark).....or im going to take the car mudding on thursday and give it something to be upset over.....

[Bill R.]

autozone,pepboys,checkers or any local import stores and see what they can match up physically? I have always been able to find one locally in a pinch and the cost hasn't been that much different..... Aside from that since I'm an old guy and not up on this new terminology what does fuxor mean and why the cap on the o?









had sent them an email with the pics i posted here.... patrick said that based upon the number on the old one, which, AFIAK matches the line drawing of the bosches in the ETK, it was an extra expensive bosch regulator unit, with no generic alternative.....said that all but one of the catalogs that he had said that the extra large one WAS supposed to fit my alternator. cost of it=$53, with no generic available....if i could believe that the mechanicals and plastics in the old one would hold up to its third set of brushes, i'd just get it refurbished. damage to me=53-34 (incorrect unit)+9(for overnight shipping this time)+$3 for shipping to return the incorrect unit to them+too much in dan and my time to extricate the regulator duct in the nasty small space+ 2.42 in bolts and washers from the lowes to replace the f'ing genius time aluminum foil bolts holding the regulator on+ i dunno how much for the little coolant thing going into the airbox that I broke(of which i can't find in the etk, so i can't get a quote for it)= high $69 plus unknown part, and i'm not even getting damn new bearings for the alternator like you can get for a ford or other domestic for $29 including the reg/brushes.......i sincerely hope this thing is running by wednesday so i can take it to gatorspeedway and get some timeslip quantification of mark's chip (thx mark).....or im going to take the car mudding on thursday and give it something to be upset over.....

[ryan roopnarine]

i've called every auto electrician, rebuilder, pepbz, autozone, jap import (there are no german import except for one) around here.........nobody i call say they stock a bosch of that number or for that application.....most say they only have common VW stuff. one said that he could get it, but that it would be at least a week. none of these places are open on sunday or I'd have fleshed the problem out yesterday. brushes are another story, but like i said, it looks like this reg has already had a pair put in it....the spring in it is what killed it, and i wouldn't like to ride around on it unless it was a spare put in to replace a new unit, not pressed back into service. fuxor is supposed to be l33t speak for the f word but i probably didn't write it right... that isnt a capitol letter O, its the number 0.

here's a guide
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A787917

here's a generator, which produced the proper PHuXoR3D

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:Ftu_t8JzoXIJ:www.geocities.com/mnstr_2000/translate.html+l33t+speak+generator&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

[Unregistered]

NAPA stores have ALWAYS gotten me parts overnight (the next morning). I've had local auto electrical shops give me parts at cost or no charge even. It's an alternator, not rocket science. Sounds like the job's getting to you and that only makes it worse. BMA did their part in trying to help you but sometimes that's the way it goes. Regain your perspective and you'll get through it. "When the student is ready, the teacher appears". All the best,

Paul

[Unregistered]

NAPA stores have ALWAYS gotten me parts overnight (the next morning). I've had local auto electrical shops give me parts at cost or no charge even. It's an alternator, not rocket science. Sounds like the job's getting to you and that only makes it worse. BMA did their part in trying to help you but sometimes that's the way it goes. Regain your perspective and you'll get through it. "When the student is ready, the teacher appears". All the best,

Paul

Hehe you'll figure it out ryan, now you see why i said f-it and bought the new Bosch 140a