My toyota corolla (1997 1.3) sounds like it has a sewing machine under the bonnet. This additional noise goes up and down with revs, and has been increasing for the last few years. It started after driving in heavy rain, and the dealer said at the time that it is a noisey alternator bearing and not to worry. Now it is quite loud, It is reduced by wd-40 around the pulleys of the fan belt but only for a few minutes.
Can anyone advise me if it is likely to fail completely causing a breakdown, and is there anything I can do such as get some grease into the bearing without taking the belt off, or is time to part with some of the hard-earned lucre at the dealer? Any thoughts appreciated.
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My 1993 205 started screeching on a 30-mile motorway run a couple of months ago - came and went with the throttle. I guessed it might be a dry alternator bearing, and fed a drop or two of light oil behind the pulley followed by a squirt of WD40 to run it in. Hasn't made a sound since.
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The alternator in my BX TD started to get noisy at around 90,000 miles. It got steadily, worse until one weekend (at about 113k)m when I thought, hmm, it sounds really noisy now. On the Monday it seized solid - whilst my wife was driving. Becuase the alternator is so big, and driven by such a hefty belt on that engine, it stalled the engine at tick over, and it couldn't be restarted until the belt was taken off.....
You might be able to get some WD-40 in it or something, or even get it overhauled by an autoelectricican, and a new bearing fitted (cheaper than the dealer!). The risk is that the it may seize, then the belt brakes, wraps itself around the crank pulley and rips the cambelt off (if you've got one!). Then a cheap(ish) repair turns into an engine rebuild!
Richard
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Go to the scrapyard, for things such as this I only pay dealers if there's no other way. Do bare in mind that WD-40,etc. is only a temporary lubricant and protector, quite a few people forget this when they lubricate things only to find in a few weeks they're back to square one, locks especially should be treated with caution as the WD-40 will strip off any existing lubricant and so exaggerate the problem in the longer term. Does anyone else still use 3in1?
Steve.
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Does anyone else still use 3in1?
Yes. Also one of these high pressure mountain bike lubricants which contains PTFE and all sorts of fancy stuff.
In the old house a noisy extractor fan lasted about a month with WD-40 in the bearings. With 3 in 1 it was at least 3 months.
With this bike stuff it went two years then we sold the house. :-)
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Alternator bearings are very easy to change once the thing is off the car, and you have a bearing puller. You can drive the new one in using the outer of the old bearing.
Take the opportunity to clean the slip rings and change the brushes and it will be as good as new.
All bearings are standard. Just read the number from the old bearing and obtain a replacement from a bearing shop quoting the number.
Electro-diesel (not sure if they are a chain) sell bearings, brushes, regulators etc.
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Try spray grease. This is grease in a solvent carrier and is quite thin. This enables the grease to be delivered to small clearances such as this. Once the solvent has dried off, grease is left behind (unlike WD40 which only leaves a film behind).
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Read your labels-3in1 is part of WD40 group.
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Read your labels-3in1 is part of WD40 group.
But isn't wd40 a paraffin based product, whereas 3in1 isn't? That's why wd40 dries up after a while.
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Maybe a little off topic, but belts themselves can make horrible and unlikely noises - I have found Holts Rubber Lubricant applied just once or twice a year (while the engine is running, mind your fingers!) is superb for quietening and extending working life.
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Hang on a mo, I'll just fetch my nit comb. Now then WD-40 and 3in1, let's see.
I was under the impression that Ferrari is part of the Fiat group.
Can you see where this is going?
Steve.
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It sounds like you have a belt problem not a bearing, a noisey bearing wound not shut up much with WD40. Did you spray WD40 on the belt if so Change the belt. Listen to your noise with a long screw driver on the alternator casing you will soon know if it is the bearing. Peter
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Hi,
There is an easy test you can do to see if the problem is the belt being noisy. With the engine on tickover, pour some water on the belt (yes, you may get a bit splashed)- if the noise disappears ofr a short time, then its the belt. If the noise is still there, then its the alternator. You are wasting your time trying to lubricate the bearings as they are probably worn. You don't need to go to a main dealer for an exchange alternator- try your local Partco (find it in the phone book/yellow pages). Partco is owned by Unipart (where I work) and their prices are considerably lower than a main dealer and the chances are the unit you get from the main dealer will have been refurbished by the same company Partco use.
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