Is it possible to "repair" an alternator?

Question

I have a 1994 Toyota Celica ST. I've experienced some steering resistance and squeaking when it starts. It recently stalled on the road. I know for a fact the serpentine belt needs to be replaced and believe this was what happened. The car was towed to my mechanic and I didn't get a chance to take a look (it was lent to a friend when it broke down). Now my mechanic said the alternator is no good and offered $230 to replace it (with a rebuilt one, when I asked), on top of the serpentine belt. I asked if it might run for a while without replacement and he doubted it and it doesn't sound good. He said he might be able to take it apart and "repair" it, something about the bearings.

He later said $125 for the "repair". I've been doing some research online and have not come across any instances of "alternator repair". Is this at all possible? Or am I being scammed (you either replace alternator or don't)? What Qs should I ask him?

I changed my battery and starter less than a year ago.

The $125 he quoted was for the parts ONLY. The labor (including replacing the serpentine belt) will cost $96 for 1.5 hours. I am now wondering how much the individual components in an alternator should cost... I would have done the work myself if I had the tools or a garage. An apartment complex parking lot isn't the most conducive place to work on a car, especially since it's 40s outside.

Answer 1

i own a repair shop,and it can be rebuilt but for that price i don't think that is what he,s going to do,id tell him to just replace It,because if he just puts bearings in it,it wont be long before the regulator assembly will go bad in it also,he might be telling you the truth,but that's too much for just bearings in it,id tell him either replace it or i was going to take it somewhere else,,which i think id do any way,if you don't trust him,then he don't need to be working on your car,if you trust a mechanic then that means your sure he,s going to do right,this is something to think about,,good luck i hope this help,s.

Answer 2

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Absolutely you can repair an alternator. There are many components inside that can fail and be replaced separately and a lot cheaper than replacing. Bearings should be cheap to replace as long as all other parts are good like the rectifier, brushes, etc... . In fact, in my town of 50,000 people, we have 3 shops that specialize in starter, generator, and alternator repairs. Usually taking them an alternator, you can get out with a bill of less than $100, so with the labor of removal and installation, $125 sounds about right. :Addition: Since I really only addressed your question as to whether or not an alternator can be repaired, I suppose I should mention that, in my experience, bearing failures in alternators are fairly uncommon. Especially what your describing, where the bearing is temporarily seizing and stopping movement of the pulley, causing the drive belt to slip and not turn the power steering pump. But stranger things have happened. The other thing I wanted to mention, is that when someone repairs the alternator, there is probably not going to be much of a warranty, if any at all. A lot of manufacturers of new and rebuilt units will have at least a 1 year limited warranty, and some even have a limited lifetime warranty. So a replacement might cost a little more now, but can save you money in the long run, as long as it is installed properly and you can save some sort of proof of purchase. Just some things to think about, and good luck to ya.

Answer 3

1

Answer 4

Rebuild Alternator

Answer 5

yes its possible to repair an alternator if you know what you're doing. why don't you call a few auto parts stores and get a price on a rebuilt alternator. then look for a starter and alternator repair shop and see how much they charge for repairing your old one. you may be able to save your self a hundred and fifty bucks that way
just look in the yellow pages of the book and locate an alternator repair shop. they do have them in most any city you go to.

Answer 6

Alternator Rebuild

Answer 7

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RE:
Is it possible to "repair" an alternator?
I have a 1994 Toyota Celica ST. I've experienced some steering resistance and squeaking when it starts. It recently stalled on the road. I know for a fact the serpentine belt needs to be replaced and believe this was what happened. The car was towed to my mechanic and I didn't get a chance...

Answer 8

You can have them check the brushes (copper brushes) that's what rotates with the belt to regenerate the current for the alternator. Brushes replacement usually cost 10 bucks. If the serp belt broke that would cause the alternator to not recharge back to the battery, since this happened I would also be careful that the battery starts to die out as it hasn't been getting recharged.
if the alternator is original, bearings can go.
Rebuilding an alternator is not uncommon.

$125 sounds ok, he probably is replacing the serp and brushes or bearings with labour costs. I would go for it. The cost in the end will be much more anyway.

Answer 9

Bearings and brushes will fix it up.

Usually like others said, the old unit is swapped for the re-manufactured one and that old one goes through the re-build process.

If you are interested in saving money, replacing a serpentine belt and alternator are not that hard if you feel like digging in and getting dirty for a couple of hours.

The alternator re-build is something most people leave to a factory, but not at all a thing mechanics and skilled amateurs should avoid.

Answer 10

Sure this repair is possible. I've done it myself. Not a bad price either. However this is assuming that the bearings are the only problem (which is common). But will your mechanic warrent the repair? Remember new altenators have a warrenty. Might be worth the extra dollars for a piece of mind. Good luck!!