NickK
New Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2017
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 2
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1998 Explorer Eddie Bauer
Hello!
So, I was on the way to the gym and I noticed a little red battery icon glowing under my RPM reader.
Knowing this meant my battery was dying, I sped up to above 2000 RPM and the icon went away. I got to a place where I couldn't go that fast and my battery started dying again.
I knew this meant the alternator was bad, so I managed to get home on an almost stone dead battery.
Well long story short, to get to my alternator I had to take off the air intake hose, move a radiator hose (complete with losing some fluids) and disconnected the battery. I was able to remove the alternator after slipping off the serpentine belt. All of this took about 30 minutes.
Then the fun began.
After a quick run to my auto parts dealer, I got a clean new alternator and put it in my Explorer. It was then that I remembered all the warnings about the serpentine belt being difficult to put back on.
Well, I spent three hours trying to slip the belt on the alternator, then put two holes in the belt trying to get it on (I wasn't careful, I admit it...)
After all of this, I got frustrated and paid my mechanic to put a new belt I had on the truck. I know about the tensioner but I had little luck with it. I'm still a novice with this kind of thing, but I had to ask...
Did anyone have similar problems when they replaced their alternator, then serpentine?
In addition to the tensioner, what do you do to make the serpentine belt less....difficult?
So, I was on the way to the gym and I noticed a little red battery icon glowing under my RPM reader.
Knowing this meant my battery was dying, I sped up to above 2000 RPM and the icon went away. I got to a place where I couldn't go that fast and my battery started dying again.
I knew this meant the alternator was bad, so I managed to get home on an almost stone dead battery.
Well long story short, to get to my alternator I had to take off the air intake hose, move a radiator hose (complete with losing some fluids) and disconnected the battery. I was able to remove the alternator after slipping off the serpentine belt. All of this took about 30 minutes.
Then the fun began.
After a quick run to my auto parts dealer, I got a clean new alternator and put it in my Explorer. It was then that I remembered all the warnings about the serpentine belt being difficult to put back on.
Well, I spent three hours trying to slip the belt on the alternator, then put two holes in the belt trying to get it on (I wasn't careful, I admit it...)
After all of this, I got frustrated and paid my mechanic to put a new belt I had on the truck. I know about the tensioner but I had little luck with it. I'm still a novice with this kind of thing, but I had to ask...
Did anyone have similar problems when they replaced their alternator, then serpentine?
In addition to the tensioner, what do you do to make the serpentine belt less....difficult?