I'm assuming i just got some mud in the alternator. i was thinking about going to the car wash and lightly pressure washing my alternator while the jeep is running. i also considered taking it off if that didn't work and running water through it in my kitchen sink to clean it. worse comes to worse i can buy a new one but I'd rather not. any thoughts??

 

first reason i don't go mudding.

yeah, she's probably caked solid. i would remove it and pull the casing apart to clean it all out inside. spray clean with wd-40, then maybe spray some lithium grease on the brushes.

 

I have crapped out several alternators that way in my other XJ's. But the one I currently have has never seen the mud, at least as long as I have owned her. The best thing to do is like you are thinking. Take it apart and clean it. Then see if it still work. If the mud was really wet more then likely it wont work. Good luck.
Robert

 

X2.... While its apart, why not buy a overhaul kit for it.

 

while its out you can also just get it tested.

 

well i just bought a new alt at auto zone. $100 + $25 core. easiest way i fould was to take out battery and battery holder. pull out electric fan. then you can easily loosen up the serpent belt and unbolt everything on the alt and pull it out the top. no problems. did it at auto zone with free, borrowed tools and got my core $25 right back. first time doing it without really knowing much about it and it took me about an hour

 

I'm gonna be the one to suggest AVOIDING autozone alts. Especially avoid Advance alts like the plague. I have gone threw 2 alternators from AutoZone so far for my '07 Focus, and have had friends who had new alts from Autozone crap out. Advance has some of the worst ratings on Alts I have ever seen.

When my alt finally died (after 22 years and 205k miles of faithful service), I bought a reman unit from O'Reilly auto parts. Cost maybe a tad more than Autozone, but WELL worth it. Replaced over a year ago, and not a single hiccup, and thats with the cheap Valucraft (dumpcraft) battery from Autozone that holds a charge about as well as a worm holds it's own *****.

Cliff notes:

Autozone/Advance bad

Napa/O'Reilly good

 

i just put in a 100 amp reman ac delco today. my cost was 100 bux with 10 bux core.

 

X2. and don't hit with water. Water and electricity don't play well together

 

Ya I only used autozone because I'm away at college and they had the lifetime warranty and tools and I wasn't gonna pay anyone to do work on my car. Plus for a lifetime warranty I figured I would take my chances. Well see how it holds up

 

When mine went out I bought one from oreillys. So far so good and I hit alot of mud. One year strong and going seems to be a good alternator. Id say if your worried about getting stranded for it keep an extra one on hand. Overkill never hurt anyone.

 

I have actually thought about designing a splash gaurd for the XJ alternator. Uses existing bolt hole locations and what not, and keeps the alt dry except when submerged in water, like when crossing a river.

 

I recently bought a 2001 XJ and it has a big rubber mat looking splash guard under the engine which I had never seen on an XJ before.

 

This is where I'd go OEM replacement. I know they're twice the price but no parts store brand compares to the quality. My dad's '04 explorer just had its second alternator put in last spring. And battery not too long before that either.

I understand the cost being the main factor though. I've got a rebuilt one right now