98 Malibu Alternator issue

I have a 98 malibu 3.1L w/AC and the alternator stopped working (according to schucks test). I'm having a hell of a time getting the alternator out. I took the two visible bolts off of the top, but can't get to the bolt below the pulley, and when I tried to take the bold off the front (with wires going to it) it sparked. Any and all advise would be great. I don't have a chilton's and can't find anything online. Thanks.

Edit to add: It turns out it was a 2.4L and this thread explains how to replace the alternator.

You should always start by disconnecting the negative battery terminal.
Then remove the drive belt.
Disconnect the output wire (probably that thing that sparked) and the electrical connector from the alternator.
Remove the mounting bolts and remove the alternator from the engine.

A good way to tell how many bolts is to look at the new alternator as a guide.

My Haynes manual has been a big help with my '98

Awesome. Thank you.

Can you tell me how many mounting bolts yours has. I ordered an alternator online, and am afraid it might not have the same mounting bolts. I heard there are two different alternators for 98's.

IIRC, my 01 3.1 had 3 mounting bolts, the one at the back is kind of hidden.

Yes, 3 sounds correct.

You really have to feel back there to get at it, if I remember correctly it is a long bolt.

And it all makes sense once you get it out.

Thanks for all the help everyone. It is three mounting bolts. I can't figure out how to get the belt off though. It seemed like there was a useless polley right below the alternator, that I figured was there to tension the belt, and that loosening that pulley it would let me loosen the bolt, but I couldn't get it loose (I don't have many tools). am I right, or is there another way to get the belt off?

Also, I had heard that there were two different alternators for this particular year, and I ordered one off of eBay (awesome deal) but I think it's the wrong one. It doesn't have the same bolt spot that mine has, and it has a place for some sort of 4 prong female plug. I'm wondering if anyone knows a way to splice the wires to the prongs (male side) or if they know if I can get a plug for it and splice the wires to the wires that are bolted on?

Here's a close up of the port for the plug
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/1460/closeupkk2.jpg

This is the bumper side of the alternator with an arrow pointing to where the bolt is on the one that is in the car.
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7175/bumperaq2.jpg

This would be the top view from standing at the front bumper.
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7674/topviewzd1.jpg

There are also two wires running to something right below the bolt, but I haven't been able to get the alternator out yet and can't tell if there is another bolt holding them, or some plug. There is no plug at the bottom of it though, like there is on the one I just bought.

It is the wrong alternator!!

The belt comes off by putting a 3/8 ratchet in the pulley assembly and swinging the whole assembly. Look for the squared off opening in the pulley arm and put your longest handle ratchet in the square and push very hard to swing the assembly enough to get the belt off. It's a pita & you have to really push hard and slip the belt off. It does look like that's the wrong alternator.

I'm very sure that it is the wrong alternator, but it seems like the guts are the same and I should be able to make this one work. Does anyone know where I can get the plug and more importantly, which of the four posts belong to the four wires in my car.

You cannot get this apart to change the rear frame for one, this is not going to work out.

Sorry about the delay in getting back to you, hopefully you still see this at some point. What do you mean by change the rear frame? I assume that means something about it mounting up, but the mounting holes are the exact same. Everything is the same except it is missing the bolt that I made the read arrows pointing to, and it has a four prong plug that mine doesn't have.

Methinks he means opening both alternators and switching out the guts and putting it all in the old rear frame so it mounts up. The grief you will go through putting in the wrong alternator is not worth it. IMHO the alternator that came with these cars was barely adequate. I replaced mine with beefier one (~100 amp) and noticed several improvements immediately.
Good Luck! & Happy New Year!

Madmedix,

I have had to replace my alternator twice since owning my '98 and have also come to the conclusion that this alternator is inadequate.

Do you have more info on your "beefier" 100 AMP?

Manufacturer?
Where did you purchase it?
Cost?
Was there any special notes with mounting, connecting or installing it?

Steve

Now that I think about it, I'm also curious to see if anyone thinks the issue might not be my alternator. I'm pretty sure it is though.

The car runs fine when the battery has a fresh charge, but after a while the battery light will come on, then the dash lights and head lights will flicker a bit and the gauges drop in a flickering way. After a while of that, the dash and headlights go out completely and then after a while the car just stops running all togethor. If I charge the battery again, it runs fine for a while. Is there any way this could be something other than the alternator? I'm gonna be real pissed if I drop the money for a new alternator and it doesn't work. Or that alternator gets fried somehow?

Now that I think about it, I'm also curious to see if anyone thinks the issue might not be my alternator. I'm pretty sure it is though.

The car runs fine when the battery has a fresh charge, but after a while the battery light will come on, then the dash lights and head lights will flicker a bit and the gauges drop in a flickering way. After a while of that, the dash and headlights go out completely and then after a while the car just stops running all togethor. If I charge the battery again, it runs fine for a while. Is there any way this could be something other than the alternator? I'm gonna be real pissed if I drop the money for a new alternator and it doesn't work. Or that alternator gets fried somehow?

1) I'd have to check with my mechanic and where he got it. It's a "clean" casing, meaning no stampings on it etc., so I'm thinking a generic 3rd party item. It fit right in and everything looks the same as the old one, but it is marginally larger. But I haven't had a problem since, I run a lot of toys on her that draw quite a load and my fan/headlamps do not slow down/dim when I pull up to a stop sign anymore...

2) Sounds like you may have something drawing serious current off your battery even when your car is off. This pesky problem is compounded by the need for anti-theft, clock etc that require power 24/7. I'd imagine the power drain for these is in the low milliamp range. I wonder what the amperage reading right off your battery with the car off is? If the reading is high, I'd start pulling a fuse at a time until the reading drops, at least giving you a general idea where the draw is coming from ? This is all assuming your alternator is even producing power (how much does it put out when the engine is running?). If it's not producing voltage or is quite low; the regulator is gone?

Originally I figured the battery was just toast, that was before I tried charging at all. I took the battery to schucks and they said that it was toast, I have a feeling they just saw that it was dead, and not necessarily that it wouldn't take a charge, and they just wanted me to buy the battery.

After putting in the new battery it ran fine for a while and then the battery light came on and it died like I described. I charged it and took the car to schucks to have them test the alternator and they said it wasn't putting out any charge, but I don't really trust them anymore.

The one that I took the pictures of is one that I got on eBay. I also have the one that is in the car, I wonder if somehow between the two I can make a working alternator for it, and I also hope that the alternator is the only problem.

d_goldsmith, if you start your car(w/ possibly bad alternator) and test the battery you should get about 14volts or more, if you do not then your alternator is toast.

IF you dont get an alternator that works(preferably new) then you are going to kill your new battery by burning out the cells inside.

IMO Why even mess with trying to "jerry rig" something, that never a good idea.
Thats Just my :2cents:

I got the exact same alternator. Paid $175 for it. This is my brothers car and I need to get it running before March 6th because I have to leave for basic combat training (bootcamp).

I still can't figure out how to get the belt off. Someone said to use a 3/8 ratchet in the square on the pulley arm, but none of the four pulley's seem to have arms. There are four total. The one on the alternator and then three more. The belt runs around the alternator and two others, and the 4th pulley is on the outside of the belt, tensioning the belt in place I think. Andyone know how to get the belt off? I'm pretty sure that's all I need to do to put in the new alternator. Any adivse would be great and thanks for all the help I have already gotten also.

It's the belt tensioner arm down along side the passenger shock tower. You have to push very hard to get the tensioner to move to release the belt.

http://cgi.ebay.com/00-02-Chevrolet-Malibu-3-1L-V6-Engine-Motor-L-K_W0QQitemZ170079790950QQihZ007QQcategoryZ33615QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Look at the picture in this auction. The tensioner is to the left of the tag hanging down, the silver metal braket to the left of the tag is pointing right at the tensioner you need to move.

Instead of it needing a 3/8 drive its an outty and needs a socket, probly 15mm .

In that pic its on the left :thumbsup:

Instead of it needing a 3/8 drive its an outty and needs a socket, probly 15mm .

In that pic its on the left :thumbsup:

No, it's not a socket. Look at the silver arm that extends down, there's a square opening for a just the 3/8" drive part of the ratchet. I've had my alternator off twice and all you need is a long handle 3/8' ratchet to move that arm and release tension on the belt.

From looking at that picture, does it need to rotate clockwise or counter clockwise. I don't see how pushing on it is going to rotate it either direction? Maybe clockwise, but it would be a pain in the ass it seems like?

I am looking at the picture and wymi is right on. The 3/8" square is at the bottom of the elongated "X" on the left almost off the photo.

Put a 3/8" square of a rachet or breaker bar and push it towards the firewall (away from the front bumper). The top of that "X" is the spring loaded tensioner.

I used a 3/8" breaker bar with a pipe slipped over the handle. That allowed me to extend it to reach down and shorten it to clear the firewall.

Not suggesting this exectly but it is what I had in the garage.

I do know Autozone rents a flat 3/8" tools to do this.

I'm an idiot. I used to do tech uspport where I had to deal with peoples really stupid mistakes like this. My brother told me it was a 3.1, and I didn't even check. It is a 2.4L I looked at the ebay pic and started comparing to the pulleys on mine and it wasn't matching up. I realized it had to be a different engine and looked at the intake and 2.4L right on it. Hopefully this doesn't discourage everyone from helping me :(

I have one visible belt on the passenger side of the motor. It comes in contact with 4 pulleys total. The alternator, and then 3 that are in a line below it.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6849/untitledxo3.jpg

Sorry for wasting your time and thanks for all the help I have already gotten.

Sorry I meant to say "some" 3.1s use the socket.

And Autozone sells rents the long thin tool thats best for these tight working areas, like $25 with some shallow sockets :thumbsup:

AND I'm pretty sureit turns clockwise, that picture looks different because the alternator and ac are not on it. It will only push oneway, the other direction would pull the belt tighter.

Cant believe its taken 25 posts to get an alternator off :lol:

hope that helps!

Cant believe its taken 25 posts to get an alternator off


:werd:

I'm staying tuned..

:popcorn:

..waiting for the suprise ending!

-Mark T.

:werd:

I'm staying tuned..

:popcorn:

..waiting for the suprise ending!

-Mark T.

I already posted the suprise, but not quite the ending. It's a 2.4L. I was told it was a 3.1 by my brother (it's his car) and I never even checked until I noticed the engine block and pulleys weren't the same as the eBay picture I got of a 3.1. I looked at the intake and it is a 2.4 :( I'm sorry for wasting people's time. I have the correct alternator now though and just need to know how to get that belt loose so I can get the alternator off and put the new one in.

Thanks to anyone that can help and everyone that already tried.

Just a little sarcasm, sorry.

Try this. (http://www.automotiveforums.com/t309192.html)

The link is for a gm 2.2l belt changing tutorial.

Hopefully the illustration helps you.

-Mark T.

I'm still not sure how to loosen the tension on my belt? I think the idler pulley (the center pulley on the picture I put in above) might be it? It has a nut on it that is 1/2 or a bit smaller, and I'm thinking that maybe if I get a bar on a wrench that fits that nut, and push it toward the fire wall it might move that pulley toward the firewall and loosen the tension. But I'm afraid it will just undo the nut a bit and maybe break what ever is holding the pulley on (because there's a bunch of tension on it). I'm going to make a new thread since this one has so much confusion in it.

I just realized that maybe I shouldn't make a new thread since everything is here already it might be seen as rude.

I have a finale....finally. I couldn't get the pulley that's on the outside of the belt to move, so I figured there was no tensioner. I peeled the belt off like a bike tire, took the alternator out, and then realized I couldn't get the tensioner to move because I couldn't get a good enough torque on it.

The pulley on the outside of the belt
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6849/untitledxo3.jpg
is the tension. I put the new one back in after figuring out how to manipulate the tensioner, and then put the belt back on using the tensioner. Luckily the belt is still plenty tight and it should work, I hope. I'm putting a charge back in the battery now to make sure it's all charged up and I'll take it for a test drive here in a bit. Thanks for all the help.

Look what I found! Thanks to AutoZone..

http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/gif/medium/0900823d80191248.gif


I guess this came a bit late.
Glad to hear that you got it figured out.

-Mark T.

It's the thought that counts ;)

That's a much nicer picture for the thread in case anyone else runs in to the same problem with this engine.