How do you replace an alternator on a Pontiac Grand Prix?

Plug in the electrical connectors to the alternator and install the drive belt. Reposition the oil dipstick tube to its original position and tighten the bolt for the oil dipstick tube with a socket wrench. Replace the air cleaner assembly and connect the negative battery cable. Determine which alternator your Pontiac Grand Prix will need.

How do you remove an alternator from a car?

Remove the electrical leads from the alternator using a wrench to remove the nuts. Remove the bolts from the alternator with a socket and ratchet and pull it off of the engine. Put the new alternator on the engine and tighten the mounting bolts with the socket and ratchet. Connect the electrical leads and tighten the nuts with the wrench.

How do you hook up an alternator to a Pontiac Montana?

Reattach the electrical wire connector to the alternator terminal by placing the connector and the nut on the terminal and securing with a socket wrench. Connect the negative battery cable to the battery of the Pontiac Montana with an open end wrench. Determine which alternator your Pontiac Grand Am will need.

How do you put an alternator in a bracket?

Position the new alternator in the bracket and slide the bolts back into place, tightening the bolts with a socket wrench until you can just barely slide the alternator on the bracket.

What happens when an alternator has an electrical problem?

After the engine starts (thanks to the high voltage provided by the battery), the alternator provides the electricity required to power the car’s many electrical functions, including the lights and radio, the spark, charging the battery, and others. What Happens When Your Car Has an Electrical Problem?

Where is the alternator on a Pontiac Montana?

Connect the battery terminal and tighten the terminal nut with the wrench. Detach the negative battery cable from the battery of the Pontiac Montana with an open end wrench and move the cable so that it is not touching any metal objects. Locate the alternator in the front of the engine on the passenger side of the engine compartment.

How do you remove an alternator from a 3.4 L engine?

Remove the accessory drive belt and the electrical connectors from the alternator. If you have a 3.4 L engine, you will also need to disconnect the power steering-to-alternator line clip. Take the mounting bolts (and nuts for a 3.4 L engine) off of the alternator with a socket wrench and remove the alternator assembly.

What kind of alternator does a GM 3.8L have?

This article covers the majority of 3.8L Buick, Chevy, Olds, and Pontiac equipped cars and mini-vans. To see if this alternator test article covers your specific 3.8L GM vehicle and alternator, you can take a look at the list of applications on the box labeled ‘Applies To:’ on the column on the right and scroll with the prev and next links.

How to identify your GM alternator USA built high output?

This is just a quick visual identification guide for Delco type alternators. First Alternator used on GM Vehicles to replace old DC Generators. External regulator mounted on the firewall.

When did the GM 21si alternator come out?

First internally regulated alternator used by GM. Replaced the externally regulated 10DN. Again, first used on the Corvette. Wasn’t into full production until about 1962. The 21Si and 22Si are near identical cosmetically. Internal differences are…

When was the alternator first used on a corvette?

External regulator mounted on the firewall. First used in 1963 on the Corvette. First internally regulated alternator used by GM. Replaced the externally regulated 10DN. Again, first used on the Corvette. Wasn’t into full production until about 1962.

Where can I buy a new alternator for my car?

At 1A Auto, shopping for an alternator replacement for your car, truck, SUV or van is easy – we’re here to help you select the right one for your vehicle! Call our customer service toll free at 888-844-3393 if you have any questions about the product, warranty, compatibility or to purchase, or you can buy online.

What kind of engine does a Pontiac Grand Am have?

Look at more recent versions of the Grand Am. Models made from 1992 to 1998 may have a 2.3 L, 2.4 L, 3.1 L or 3.3 L engine. The latest generation of the Pontiac Grand Am was manufactured from 1999 to 2005 and may have a 2.2 L, 2.4 L or 3.4 L engine.

How do you install an alternator on a 3.4 L engine?

Take the mounting bolts (and nuts for a 3.4 L engine) off of the alternator with a socket wrench and remove the alternator assembly. Install the new alternator assembly and tighten the mounting bolts to 15 foot pounds with a torque wrench for most models.

What’s the best way to loosen an alternator belt?

Use a breaker bar or socket wrench to loosen the auto-tensioner. Many newer model vehicles come equipped with an auto-tensioner pulley. The pulley presses upward as the belt wraps around it so the belt remains under constant, steady tension.

Where does the serpentine belt go on an alternator?

If you do not have a diagram on the vehicle or in your service manual laying out the direction your serpentine belt travels through the pulleys, take a picture of it with your phone to refer to when installing the new belt. A strictly alternator belt will likely only go around an alternator pulley and the crank pulley at the bottom of the engine.

How do you check the seat of an alternator?

Place the alternator belt around the alternator pulley and check the position of the belt around both the crankshaft and alternator pulleys to verify that it is seated properly. Place a crow bar between the alternator and engine block and pull back on the alternator with the bar to add tension to the belt.

How do you tighten the bolts on an alternator?

Tighten the bolts on the alternator with a socket wrench while you keep the tension on the alternator belt. Reattach the electrical wire connector to the alternator terminal by placing the connector and the nut on the terminal and securing with a socket wrench.

How do you change the alternator on a car?

Changing the alternator on most cars is generally the same. Find the alternator (has to be connected to the serpentine belt), and then look up steps to replace it. The main difference in cars is where the alternator is and how it’s mounted.

Where is the alternator located on a Pontiac?

The alternator is mounted in the engine and naturally connected to the battery in all models, but other components could be in its way depending on the type of Pontiac you own. This will determine how difficult such a replacement will be. Open the hood and disconnect the negative cable from the car battery.

How do you install a new alternator on a car?

Take the two mounting bolts off of the alternator with a socket wrench and remove the alternator assembly. Install the new alternator assembly and tighten the mounting bolts to 37 foot pounds with a torque wrench. Connect the wiring to the alternator and torque its retaining nut to 111 inch pounds.

How to replace an alternator on a 1995 GMC?

Somewhere on your vehicle there is a tensioner pulley. You’ll need to move it enough to slip the belt off the pulley. Our ’95 GMC has a standard spring-loaded GM tensioner that required us to pull it back with a wrench.

How do you install a new alternator in a car?

Installing the New Alternator Slide the new alternator into place. You might have to wiggle the alternator around to squeeze it back into place in a crowded engine bay. Insert the mounting bolts. Slide the mounting bolts through the alternator and into the mounting bracket. Run the belt over the new alternator pulley.

Where is the alternator in the front of the car?

Locate the alternator in the front of the engine on the passenger side of the engine compartment. The alternator will be on the top, side of the engine with a belt running to the crankshaft pulley.

How to test the alternator in a mini van?

So these are the steps: Start the car or mini-van and test the battery voltage with your multimeter by placing the RED multimeter’s test lead on the positive battery terminal and the BLACK test lead on the negative battery terminal. Your multimeter should read 13.5 to 14.5 Volts. If it doesn’t, don’t worry about this just yet.

How do you change the alternator in a Grand Caravan?

Remove the alternator’s drive belt by rotating the tensioner with a wrench on the tensioner pulley leg — the direction you need to turn it will vary depending on the engine type — and slipping the belt off the loosened tensioner. You may need to remove the power steering drive belt first.

How can I get an alternator out of my car?

With the belt pulled off of the alternator pulley and the wires disconnected, the alternator should come out freely. You may need to wiggle the alternator around some things in order to remove it. Keep track of how you worm the alternator out of the engine bay to help squeeze the new one in. Compare the new alternator to the old one.

Where is the supercharger belt on a Pontiac Grand Prix?

Route the supercharger belt over or around the outer part of the crankshaft pulley, the two idler pulleys and the tensioner pulley. Hold the supercharger belt near the supercharger pulley with one hand.

When to replace the serpentine belt on a GTP?

This “how to” automotive repair guide was specifically written to assist owners of the 6th generation (1997,1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003) General Motors Pontiac Grand Prix GTP in replacing the serpentine (accessory) belt. Owners of other GM cars with engines similar to the 3800 Series II 3.8 Liter V6 may also find the guide to be useful.

Where is the tensioner on a Pontiac Grand Prix serpentine?

The smooth tensioner pulley for the supercharger belt is located below the supercharger pulley towards the front of the car. It is just behind a black ribbed idler pulley. To loosen the supercharger belt, place the 15mm socket and long handled socket wrench on the SC belt tensioner pulley.

What kind of belt does a Pontiac Grand Prix use?

The new belt that I purchased is a Dayco brand Poly Rib model # 5060918. A few other compatible serpentine accessory belts with their part numbers are as follows: Bando 6PK2325, ArmorMark 915K6, ACDelco 12588411 and Roadmax 6K915AP. Engine serpentine accessory belts usually last anywhere from 60,000 miles to upwards of 100,000 miles.

How do you remove a voltage regulator from an alternator?

Turn the adjusting bolt counterclockwise with a socket and ratchet and lift the belt off of the alternator pulley. Unplug the voltage regulator harness from the alternator. Remove the electrical leads from the alternator using a wrench to remove the nuts.

Locate the alternator in the front of the engine on the passenger side of the engine compartment. The alternator will be on the top, side of the engine with a belt running to the crankshaft pulley.

This is just a quick visual identification guide for Delco type alternators. First Alternator used on GM Vehicles to replace old DC Generators. External regulator mounted on the firewall.

What does it mean when your alternator is bad?

This usually means that the alternator is bad. Here’s why: Since the alternator is not charging the vehicle or providing power for all the stuff you turned On, your car or mini-van is running off of the Battery only. As the battery’s juice starts to deplete, your multimeter shows a decreasing voltage reading.

What are the symptoms of a bad alternator?

Symptoms Of A BAD Alternator. The most common symptom of a BAD alternator are: The most obvious will be that the battery light will be On in your vehicle’s instrument cluster. When you turn on the headlights, the glow very dim.

How to order a Pontiac Grand Prix engine?

Use Code: DIYSAVE10 Online Ship-to-Home Orders Only Supercharged and nimble, your Grand Prix is a fast, fun and stylish car you love to drive. Restore its vitality and keep it going for many more miles by installing a new Pontiac Grand Prix engine from AutoZone.

Why is my Pontiac Grand Prix hard to turn?

Another common complaint about the Pontiac Grand Prix is that the key jams in the ignition socket. This typically happens when wear from regular usage causes the grooves inside the keyhole to become unaligned with the key and make the key hard or impossible to turn.

How to troubleshoot an alternator and charging system problem?

If necessary, adjust the belt with the help of your car owner’s manual or repair manual. Inspect the belt for signs of cracks, cuts, shiny spots, deterioration or other signs of wear or damage. Change the belt and belt tensioner at the manufacturer’s recommended interval. 2. Check for Wiring Problems

Why does my alternator get higher than base voltage?

You should get 0.5 to 2 volts higher than base voltage. If you are getting more than 2 volts above base voltage, most likely your alternator is over-charging the battery or the battery is faulty. Other potential problems are a faulty voltage regulator or a problem in the charging system wiring.

What does it mean when an alternator light comes on?

If the light illuminates only intermittently, it usually indicates a loose or worn drive belt or serpentine belt, worn-out or bad carbon brushes in the alternator. But remember that the light doesn’t always mean there is a bad part; the light may be triggered by a sensor giving a wrong message or there’s something wrong with the circuit itself.

What happens when the diodes in an alternator go bad?

Alternators use diodes to rectify alternating current produced by the alternator into direct current. When one or more diodes go bad, the alternator can cause all kinds of problems. AC voltage leak can cause your lights to dim and drain power from your battery, for example.