Where is the alternator on a 2000 dodge Neon and could a person who has no knowlege replace or fix it?

Question

My battery light came on while driving and I read around that it is most likely that my alternator is going bad, already bad or the battery is bad. I am going to go to Auto Zone tomorrow and have them do a voltage reading, over the battery and the alternator itself and also see if they can hear if the bearings inside the alternatnor need to be fixed. (I read that if they are making a metallic noise that's what needs to be done and I think that would be cheaper than having to buy a whole new or refurbished one).
Getting on to the question. I wanted to know where abouts the alternator is located on my 2000 Plymouth Neon in order to take a look and a listen myself. Also I wanted to know if it was possible if I got a step by step instruction of how to replace the alternator if need be if I could just do it myself being a person who knows nothing about cars. Does it take special tools and a lot of work and muscle (I am a small female)?
I hope that the question made sense...

Thanks for the advice I will make sure to get the battery checked and will get a repair manual with step by step instructions if I feel I can do it when I go the the store tomorrow.
I came across a website that told me what questions to ask the mechanic if I decide to take it in and I thought I would put it up just in case someone else is as clueless as I am and doesn't want to seem that way to the auto people so they dont take advantage like they have been doing to me recently (which is why I want to do this alternator thing myself)
Well here it is...

http://misterfixit.com/alterntr.htm
it explained a lot.

Thanks for the advice and encouragement everybody!!

Answer 1

I've done a few repairs myself and did I mention
I am also a woman and I'm 5'2.
Some things may looks easier than you think but
it's not. Yes, first PLEASE get a Manual for a
2000 Dodge Neon. Your going to Auto Zone
tomorrow so make sure you pick one up.
A lot of my female friends have change the
Alternators before so it's not that hard. Try to
remember how and where the parts goes.
Better yet take pictures every parts you take out
so that way you'll know where it goes and fit.

Best wishes & Good luck

By the way, you go girl....more power to you!

Answer 2

you go girl!!! give you credit for being willing to take on a challenge like this, If indeed the alternator is the culprit you ought to replace it with a rebuilt one, available at AZ no doubt, no point in just having the bearings replaced, even if you could find someone to do it, a bad alternator may have good bearings and make no noise. The alternator is an electric motor about the size of a coconut and is usually located at the top/front of the engine, it has a pully on the front which is turned by a rubber belt which goes around a larger pully connected to the bottom front of the engine, the same belt may also turn pullys for the power steering, water pump and sometimes the AC. Just have AZ show you the rebuilt unit for your car and you will be able to recognize it when you open the hood, there will be an electrical plug (connection) on the back and possibly a seperate green ground wire connected to a screw on the alternator too. 1st Take the NEGATIVE clamp off the battery and push it out of the way, it must not touch either post on the battery while you are changing the alternator, tie it to something with a piece of string or just remove the whole battery, disconnect the electrical plug and ground wire mentioned above, the rest of the work is all mechanical, there are usually 2 bolts with nuts that have to be removed, the lowest bolt holds the alternator on the engine and the other one does this plus allows you to TENSION the belt, you must loosen both bolts to take the belt off the pully and remove both bolts to remove the alternator (probably a good idea to replace the belt too). To do this you will need 2 wrenches, put one wrench on the bolt head and the other on the nut, the idea is to turn the bolt and keep the nut from turning by holding it with the other wrench. If you are lucky (and I know you are) the nut will be welded and unable to turn anyway, thus you need only 1 wrench, this will require some brute strength on your part, the installation of the rebuilt alternator is just the reverse, you will need to tension (tighten) the belt and this is done by putting a big screwdriver or something similar between the alternator and engine then leveraging (prying) the alternator away from the engine thus tensioning the belt at which time you tighten both bolts and its in. Thank God your Mechanically Inclined or I wouldn't waste my time telling you all this. It would be so much easier if I was there beside you. I wouldn't do any work. I'm mainly interested in watching how you are going to manage this. To be perfectly honest, for someone that presently can't tell an alternator from a coconut, I wouldn't recommend trying to change one. But I'm behind you 100% if you try it. Since you are a small female. Why not get another small female to help you. 2 heads are better you know and physically it can be awkward for one small female to do alone. The alternator is a little heavy. You have my complete confidence. Don't get discouraged. OH!!!!!!!!! Make sure the rebuilt has a pully on it. If it doesn't your old pully has to be reused. You won't be able to get the pully off the old alternator. So this will mean you have to remove the alternator before you pick up the other one. So AZ can switch them for you. Some rebuilts don't come with the pully. Lastly SEARCH 4 Cylinder Alternator Replacement. You will likely get a more detailed explanation then I was able to give you and maybe some pics too. For really good instructions you can't beat the Haynes Manual for your car, AZ should have it.

Answer 3

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Answer 4

2000 Dodge Neon Alternator

Answer 5

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RE:
Where is the alternator on a 2000 dodge Neon and could a person who has no knowlege replace or fix it?
My battery light came on while driving and I read around that it is most likely that my alternator is going bad, already bad or the battery is bad. I am going to go to Auto Zone tomorrow and have them do a voltage reading, over the battery and the alternator itself and also see if they can hear if...

Answer 6

Hey there... check these things.. do you have a voltmeter? When the car is running, is the voltage over 12 volts? How is the serpantine belt tension? If you have never done a repair like this before, I wouldnt do it. If you feel up to it and have the basic tools, buy a repair manual and follow that. Hey heck if you are in California near the Bay area, lemme know I can help ya. Email is you want. Good luck!

Answer 7

If you want to do this,buy a repair manual at the auto parts store.Removing the alternator is a very basic job that is not a lot of work. You should be able to have it off in less than 15 minutes. If you need more muscle, use leverage to your benefit. No special tools are needed, just basic tool set. Good luck,you can do this.

Answer 8

You are off to a good start. Have the alternator checked as planned (they can show you where it is and tell you just how complicated it is to change, too). Have them test your battery, too. Compared to other car repairs, the alternator is a relatively easy job. It is usually accessible and only requires removal of 2 bolts. You will probably need metric sockets and something called a breaker bar (ask about it at autozone) but try to borrow one rather than buy if you know someone with tools. Check with your local library for a Chilton Manual for the car...this will give you step-by-step instructions. It's good to see females getting involved in taking care of their cars! Good luck!

Answer 9

i looked at my friends Neon on her car it is in the front of the motor at the bottom it looks kinda easy to get to you will need to put the car up on ramps to get it out unhook the battery then get under the car undo the belt then the wires if you can get to them if not unbolt the alternator then wires slide it out towards the center of the car and down "but be careful not to hit the radiator" and do everything in reverse order to put back together