The average cost for alternator replacement is $747 to $842. Enter your vehicle’s information to see how much alternator repair costs in your local area.
Contents
- 0.1 How much does it cost to replace a alternator?
- 0.2 Can I still drive my car with a bad alternator?
- 1 How long do alternators last?
- 2 Can I replace alternator myself?
- 3 Can a bad alternator ruin a battery?
- 4 Do cheap alternators work?
- 5 Why is replacing an alternator so expensive?
- 6 How many miles until alternator fails?
- 7 Is a bad alternator a big deal?
- 8 Why is replacing an alternator so expensive?
How much does it cost to replace a alternator?
Alternators can average anywhere from $100 to $350, depending on the model. In most cases, costs will average between $350−400 for the alternator replacement if no other parts need to be changed. Add another $20 to $50 to your bill if the serpentine belt has to be replaced as well.
Is it worth replacing an alternator?
Is It Worth Replacing an Alternator? Unless You Like Walking, Survey Says, “Yes!” – Apparently, people ask the internet this question all the time: Is it worth replacing an alternator? Unless you’ve just gotten religion about public transportation or enjoy walking, you should consider getting your alternator fixed, repaired, or replaced.
- A car cannot function for long without an alternator because the engine’s ignition system will stop working once the battery is drained.
- The alternator works continuously to keep the battery topped-off and when the alternator stops working the battery will run down.
- When the system voltage drops below 12 volts, that’s when the engine quits.
Sometimes the voltage regulator in the alternator breaks and does the opposite, over-charging the battery, which can also lead to electrical system failure. Alternator failures are common enough that replacing one rarely costs more than the car itself, so if you’re asking if it’s worth replacing the alternator, the answer is yes, unless you can buy another used-up car for less than it costs to replace an alternator.
How much is an alternator UK?
How much does a replacement alternator cost in the UK – The overall average cost to replace an alternator, including parts and labour is between £350 and £400. The cost to replace an alternator depends on the car model and make, but generally, the alternator parts will cost between £50 and £200.
Can I still drive my car with a bad alternator?
Can I Still Operate My Vehicle with a Bad Alternator? While you can technically still drive with a bad alternator, it is not advised. This is especially true in newer vehicle models. This is because there is more electricity involved compared to an older model.
How long do alternators last?
Most alternators will last between 80,000 and 150,000 miles — or about seven years. However, your driving habits and the area where you live could wear it out prematurely.
Why do alternators fail?
6. What Causes an Alternator to Go Bad? – Your car’s alternator may fail for various reasons:
- Age and use-related wear is often the reason behind a dying alternator.
- Engine oil or power steering fluid leaking onto the car alternator can lead to its failure.
- Prolonged idling while using multiple electrical accessories can prematurely wear the alternator.
- Salt and water intrusion can result in a malfunctioning alternator, especially if it’s located near the engine’s bottom.
Is fixing an alternator a big job?
Replace Alternator Yourself or Go Pro Shop? – Replacing the alternator is usually a straightforward job, requiring very little mechanical experience and only common tools. On the difficulty scale, it’s usually down there with changing your own oil or a serpentine belt ; it’s a great beginner maintenance task.
Have a look at our how-to guides, and watch Gas Monkey Garage do it, to get a feel for replacing an alternator yourself. Remember to fully charge the battery before firing up. You fully drained the battery, so let’s not damage the alternator by overworking it with this unusual condition. If you’re not up for it, Rakowski has a few reasons you can bring it to him.
“From a maintenance standpoint, a professional can see other things going wrong with the system,” says Rakowski. “There’s a lot that goes on externally from that alternator that can directly affect it, so it may not be the alternator that is your issue.
- Is the alternator the problem, or is the dead alternator the result of something else?” He says if the customer doesn’t catch that the failed alternator is a symptom rather than the root problem, then installing a new alternator will quickly repeat the problem.
- So if that A/C compressor is starting to lock up, and that serpentine belt is dragging on the alternator pulley, that may be what’s killing,
The A/C compressor is one of the biggest loads on the front of the engine, so it can definitely do in an alternator. Or, how about an oil leak coming down onto an alternator? There’s a lot of different things that can happen to take out an electrical component.” Rakowski says his shop specializes in ongoing training for mechanics, and having high-tech tools to properly diagnose modern vehicles.
This is beyond the DIY-er’s ability and budget, so it can be worth the trip to a professional shop if your vehicle’s alternator is not the root of your problem. While Philly might be too far of a drive for you, hit up Advance’s Find A Mechanic tool to find a high-tech shop in your area. They can quickly install an alternator, and test and charge your battery while under the hood.
Have you had to replace your alternator? What symptoms did you notice? Let us know in the comments below. Last updated August 17, 2022
Can I replace alternator myself?
Introduction: How-To: Replace an Alternator – Strapped for cash this holiday season? Replacing an alternator can cost you several hundred bucks at the local repair shop, but it’s one of the simplest repairs you can do at home. With a few tools and about an hour you can swap it out yourself – and keep your dough in your pocket where it belongs.
Do alternators fail suddenly?
These could be signs of a failing alternator. – The alternator is a key component in running the electrical systems in your car. The alternator takes the energy from the crankshaft and turns it into the electricity that is stored in the battery of your car.
- When your car is running the alternator helps to power the different electrical systems in your car and keep your battery charged.
- When your alternator begins to fail it can cause a variety of different electrical problems in your car, and eventually cause a breakdown.
- Alternators can go bad suddenly, or slowly over time.
If your alternator is slowly going bad over time there are some warning signs you can look out for. So, how do you know if you are having trouble with your alternator?
Can a bad alternator ruin a battery?
1. How Urgent Is An Alternator Or Battery Replacement? – A bad battery won’t damage the alternator, but a bad alternator can damage a battery. The car battery simply isn’t made to deliver electrical energy for extended periods, so both components need to be functioning optimally.
- Fortunately, conventional lead-acid batteries are comparatively cheap, typically falling around $50-$120.
- Alternator replacements can cost a bit more, running anywhere between $500-$1000, with labor included.
- You may be able to repair the alternator instead of replacing it, and a rebuilt alternator might be a little more cost-effective.
However, just like a new alternator, it’ll depend on the make and model of your car.
How serious is an alternator problem?
Driving around with a bad alternator isn’t a smart idea; as damaged or broken alternators can cause a wide range of problems. They can interfere with your car’s electrical features, make it harder to start the engine, and even cause the battery to drain entirely, leaving you with an utterly unresponsive vehicle.
Do cheap alternators work?
Why cheap alternators are the wrong choice. Aftermarket alternators are sold as less expensive OEM replacements, but they aren’t always good replacements because they are not identical to the OEM unit. Buyers are often unable to spot the differences in quality, unless they inform themselves.
How long does it take to fix an alternator?
I’m taking my Jeep to the shop today—turns out I’ve got a bad alternator. I am curious how long I’ll be without my car. How long does it take to replace an alternator? We’re glad you’re on your way to fixing your ! Replacing an alternator will take a professional about two hours,
- However, that doesn’t mean your car will only be at the shop for two hours—there may be a wait before a mechanic can address your ride.
- Plus, if the shop needs to get parts delivered, it will take even longer.
- Since you’ve got time to kill while your car is in the shop, why not download Jerry to find a cheaper policy.
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Why is replacing an alternator so expensive?
Cost of an alternator replacement Almost all vehicles, aside from some hybrids, have an alternator. Your car’s alternator generates most of the electricity in your vehicle, powering everything from the radio to the taillights. Here’s how it works:
- Your vehicle’s engine spins a belt that’s attached to the alternator via a pulley system.
- This pulley rotates the alternator’s rotor shaft and a surrounding set of magnets that pass around a coil, generating a current.
- This alternating current (AC) is channeled into the rectifier, which converts it to the direct current (DC) needed to run your vehicle’s electrical systems and recharge your car battery.
Your car battery stores the excess electricity created and saves it for when you need power while your engine isn’t running, like at startup. Repairing your vehicle’s alternator generally isn’t a viable option compared with replacing one. There are a few reasons for this, but the main one is that repairing something can cost a lot more in terms of labor than replacing it.
- An alternator repair can require a diagnosis, removing and disassembling the existing alternator, installing new components, testing them, and reinstalling the alternator.
- An alternator replacement is as simple as buying a new or rebuilt alternator, taking out the faulty unit and putting in the new or rebuilt one.
In theory, an alternator repair could be cheaper, especially for high-end vehicles, but it’s uncommon. If you want to explore all your options, ask your mechanic for an itemized repair quote and compare it with the cost of replacement. An itemized quote lets you see exactly what you’re paying for and how much of it’s for labor and how much is for parts.
| Vehicle | Parts cost | Labor cost | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Honda Civic | $427.01-$733.92 | $164.27-$223.24 | $591.28-$957.16 |
| 2016 Ford F-150 | $447.09-$768.44 | $82.13-$111.62 | $529.23-$880.06 |
| 2018 BMW 7 Series | $1,227.88-$2,110.42 | $401.54-$545.69 | $1,629.42-$2,656.10 |
Estimates gathered from AAA’s car repair estimate tool Your vehicle’s make, model and age affect the cost of repairs. Newer, higher-end vehicles tend to have more expensive components, while less expensive vehicles are usually cheaper to fix. “The make and model of the vehicle can change the price considerably,” Devin Purcell, an automotive instructor, told us.
- There are replacement alternators that cost $100 and there are also some that cost $900 to purchase.
- These are just the parts; labor is another component.
- Labor ranges from one to eight hours, depending on the model.” It’s worth pointing out that our parts estimates are in line with prices for components from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), but you can potentially save a lot of money by using aftermarket parts.
Just be aware that this may affect whatever warranty is left on your vehicle. » LEARN: Labor costs vary less across our sample cars, but these still differ from vehicle to vehicle. Some cars and trucks have more compact or complicated setups under the hood that make it harder to get to the alternator, and the more time it takes to replace your alternator, the more you’ll pay.
- A broken alternator — not to be confused with a failing alternator belt (also called the serpentine belt) — can be hard to diagnose because many of the symptoms of a bad one are the same as the symptoms of a faulty battery, and both can be debilitating enough that diagnostic tests are impossible to run right away.
- Put simply: It’s hard to know what’s wrong with your car’s electrical system when there’s no power.
- Here are a few common symptoms of a bad alternator:
- Battery light on dash: If your dashboard is showing the word “CHARGE” or a battery symbol after the battery is turned on, that means there’s a problem with your charging system, not necessarily your actual battery.
- Dead battery: A faulty alternator won’t properly charge your battery while the engine is running, so a dead battery could be a sign of an alternator problem. The best way to tell if it’s your battery or alternator is to install a new battery. If it dies shortly after the installation, your alternator is most likely to blame.
- Difficulty starting: If your car has a hard time starting, it might be caused by your alternator. If the alternator is bad, your battery won’t have the necessary power to start your car.
- Grinding or whirring: If you’re hearing some unexpected noises, like grinding or whirring, it might be due to broken pieces within an alternator. For example, if the bearings in your alternator are starting to fail, the noise produced is usually pretty hard to miss.
- Weakened power supply: Because your electrical components are powered by your alternator, a weakened power supply could be a sign of a bad alternator. Look for things like slow-rolling windows, dimmed headlights or slow windshield wipers.
Regardless of the cause, if you’re experiencing issues with your vehicle, it’s important to schedule an inspection with a licensed mechanic. They can test different components of your vehicle and use OBD-II readings to determine what the issue is. You may have to pay for these tests, but they should help you avoid paying for a repair that’s not needed.
You can potentially drive a short distance with a faulty alternator, but we don’t recommend it. Because this component powers so many different parts of your vehicle, driving with a bad alternator can impact various functions. A faulty alternator often leads to a dead battery, and if left unfixed, it could permanently ruin your battery, too.
In short, you and your wallet are probably better off getting a bad alternator replaced before it leads to more extensive issues. It’s not cheap, but it’s also not the worst car problem you can have. If you’re having problems with your car’s charging system: Technically, it’s possible to drive with a bad alternator, but it’s not a good idea.
- Take it to a mechanic.
- Get the problem diagnosed.
- Ask for an itemized quote.
- Make sure you’re not being overcharged.
The cost to replace your alternator will depend on what car you drive and what shop you go to, but you can potentially save money by using aftermarket or remanufactured parts. Once your alternator is replaced, you’re good to go. However, if you want to avoid paying to replace your alternator again in the future, an extended auto warranty may be a good call.
Extended warranties, also called vehicle service contracts, cover the cost of unexpected repairs due to malfunctions or broken parts. As long as your plan covers your alternator, the next time it malfunctions, you’ll only have to pay your deductible. Your warranty provider will cover the rest. A told us their alternator went out, and thanks to their extended auto warranty, they were back on the road the same day.
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How many miles until alternator fails?
How Long Does an Alternator Last? Alternators have an impressive lifespan of seven years–or between 80,000 to 150,000 miles. But be careful that you are not wearing it out prematurely!
What can burn out an alternator?
A car alternator is one of your vehicle’s most essential components. If it fails, you’ll be stranded on the roadside with no way to power your vehicle’s electrical needs. Your alternator could burn out for several reasons, from car accidents to overheating to loose wiring.
How fast can a bad alternator drain a battery?
How to Perform a Parasitic Drain Test – A parasitic drain is frustrating to deal with since it can be intermittent and often leaves you with a dead battery when you least expect it. In some cases, it can be severe enough to deplete your fully charged battery overnight.
Fully charge the battery. For accurate results and enough time to finish testing, a full battery is recommended. Turn off powered devices. Remove the key from the ignition, accessories you have plugged in, turn off your dome light, and wait at least 30 minutes for computer modules to go to “sleep”. Test circuits for power where there shouldn’t be any. Place the multimeter into the DC milliamps setting and connect its black cable to the battery’s negative post. Probe the negative battery cable with the red lead on the multimeter set to the highest limit, then slowly turning it down until it detects amperage. If you have much more than 50 milliamps of draw, there’s a parasitic load in your car. Next, remove the alternator fuse and recheck for draw. If the parasitic draw is gone, the alternator is to blame. Perform an alternator diode test. To confirm your suspicion, set your multimeter to AC Volts (ACV) and reconnect the battery cable. With the engine running, touch the red lead to the positive battery post and the black lead to the negative post. If there’s more than 0.5 ACV, the alternator likely has one or more bad diodes.
Can an alternator last 200 000 miles?
If that’s the case, your car’s battery won’t charge properly and there isn’t enough power production to work all your car’s systems reliably. When that happens, the alternator needs to be replaced. It could be around 60,000 miles or less, or it could be more than 200,000 miles.
Can a car alternator last 20 years?
How Long Do Alternators Last? – Numerous factors work with and against alternators, so it’s tough to pinpoint an exact lifespan of an alternator. However, we can say with near certainty that an alternator will not last for the average life of a vehicle. In general, you can expect alternators to last about 6-10 years, or about 80,000-150,000 miles.
Can an alternator last 20 years?
An alternator should have a useful life of between 80,000 to 150,000 miles, or around 7-10 years, whichever comes first. However, if you drive your car around Cheektowaga backroads with a lead foot, you might have to replace your alternator more often.
Is replacing an alternator a big job?
Replace Alternator Yourself or Go Pro Shop? – Replacing the alternator is usually a straightforward job, requiring very little mechanical experience and only common tools. On the difficulty scale, it’s usually down there with changing your own oil or a serpentine belt ; it’s a great beginner maintenance task.
- Have a look at our how-to guides, and watch Gas Monkey Garage do it, to get a feel for replacing an alternator yourself.
- Remember to fully charge the battery before firing up.
- You fully drained the battery, so let’s not damage the alternator by overworking it with this unusual condition.
- If you’re not up for it, Rakowski has a few reasons you can bring it to him.
“From a maintenance standpoint, a professional can see other things going wrong with the system,” says Rakowski. “There’s a lot that goes on externally from that alternator that can directly affect it, so it may not be the alternator that is your issue.
- Is the alternator the problem, or is the dead alternator the result of something else?” He says if the customer doesn’t catch that the failed alternator is a symptom rather than the root problem, then installing a new alternator will quickly repeat the problem.
- So if that A/C compressor is starting to lock up, and that serpentine belt is dragging on the alternator pulley, that may be what’s killing,
The A/C compressor is one of the biggest loads on the front of the engine, so it can definitely do in an alternator. Or, how about an oil leak coming down onto an alternator? There’s a lot of different things that can happen to take out an electrical component.” Rakowski says his shop specializes in ongoing training for mechanics, and having high-tech tools to properly diagnose modern vehicles.
- This is beyond the DIY-er’s ability and budget, so it can be worth the trip to a professional shop if your vehicle’s alternator is not the root of your problem.
- While Philly might be too far of a drive for you, hit up Advance’s Find A Mechanic tool to find a high-tech shop in your area.
- They can quickly install an alternator, and test and charge your battery while under the hood.
Have you had to replace your alternator? What symptoms did you notice? Let us know in the comments below. Last updated August 17, 2022
Can I replace alternator myself?
Introduction: How-To: Replace an Alternator – Strapped for cash this holiday season? Replacing an alternator can cost you several hundred bucks at the local repair shop, but it’s one of the simplest repairs you can do at home. With a few tools and about an hour you can swap it out yourself – and keep your dough in your pocket where it belongs.
Is a bad alternator a big deal?
7: A Dead Battery – A bad alternator can killing your car’s battery, even if the battery wasn’t the problem to begin with. Natnan Srisuwan/ThinkStock While not technically an alternator problem, a car that won’t start is a definitive sign that there’s a problem in the starting system.
When the key is turned, you’ll hear a tell-tale clicking of relays ticking over but nothing else happens. After a time, even that noise stops. The immediate problem is usually a dead battery, but you need to ask “Why is it dead?” When an alternator begins to fail — or fails outright — the car’s battery begins to take up the slack rather than acting as a capacitor for the system by receiving a constant infusion of electrical power from the alternator.
However, even the best car battery will run down eventually, leaving you stranded in the driveway or worse, on the side of the road. Car batteries are not designed for long-term power use. They’re designed to provide your vehicle with enough electrical oomph to start by juicing the starter motor with a surge of power and getting the whole works spinning.
In other words, a bad alternator can get your attention by killing your car’s battery, even if the battery wasn’t the problem to begin with. Diagnosing a dead battery versus a dead alternator is relatively easy. Simply jump-start your car and then remove the jumper cables as quickly as possible. Then wait.
If the alternator is failing to charge the system, the car will soon die again and you’ve pinpointed the problem. However, if the car runs and continues to run, then the likely problem is with the battery, Use caution, however, as a dying battery can only receive a charge for so long and may go completely dead at a later point despite the best efforts of the alternator.
Why is replacing an alternator so expensive?
Cost of an alternator replacement Almost all vehicles, aside from some hybrids, have an alternator. Your car’s alternator generates most of the electricity in your vehicle, powering everything from the radio to the taillights. Here’s how it works:
- Your vehicle’s engine spins a belt that’s attached to the alternator via a pulley system.
- This pulley rotates the alternator’s rotor shaft and a surrounding set of magnets that pass around a coil, generating a current.
- This alternating current (AC) is channeled into the rectifier, which converts it to the direct current (DC) needed to run your vehicle’s electrical systems and recharge your car battery.
Your car battery stores the excess electricity created and saves it for when you need power while your engine isn’t running, like at startup. Repairing your vehicle’s alternator generally isn’t a viable option compared with replacing one. There are a few reasons for this, but the main one is that repairing something can cost a lot more in terms of labor than replacing it.
- An alternator repair can require a diagnosis, removing and disassembling the existing alternator, installing new components, testing them, and reinstalling the alternator.
- An alternator replacement is as simple as buying a new or rebuilt alternator, taking out the faulty unit and putting in the new or rebuilt one.
In theory, an alternator repair could be cheaper, especially for high-end vehicles, but it’s uncommon. If you want to explore all your options, ask your mechanic for an itemized repair quote and compare it with the cost of replacement. An itemized quote lets you see exactly what you’re paying for and how much of it’s for labor and how much is for parts.
| Vehicle | Parts cost | Labor cost | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 Honda Civic | $427.01-$733.92 | $164.27-$223.24 | $591.28-$957.16 |
| 2016 Ford F-150 | $447.09-$768.44 | $82.13-$111.62 | $529.23-$880.06 |
| 2018 BMW 7 Series | $1,227.88-$2,110.42 | $401.54-$545.69 | $1,629.42-$2,656.10 |
Estimates gathered from AAA’s car repair estimate tool Your vehicle’s make, model and age affect the cost of repairs. Newer, higher-end vehicles tend to have more expensive components, while less expensive vehicles are usually cheaper to fix. “The make and model of the vehicle can change the price considerably,” Devin Purcell, an automotive instructor, told us.
- There are replacement alternators that cost $100 and there are also some that cost $900 to purchase.
- These are just the parts; labor is another component.
- Labor ranges from one to eight hours, depending on the model.” It’s worth pointing out that our parts estimates are in line with prices for components from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), but you can potentially save a lot of money by using aftermarket parts.
Just be aware that this may affect whatever warranty is left on your vehicle. » LEARN: Labor costs vary less across our sample cars, but these still differ from vehicle to vehicle. Some cars and trucks have more compact or complicated setups under the hood that make it harder to get to the alternator, and the more time it takes to replace your alternator, the more you’ll pay.
- A broken alternator — not to be confused with a failing alternator belt (also called the serpentine belt) — can be hard to diagnose because many of the symptoms of a bad one are the same as the symptoms of a faulty battery, and both can be debilitating enough that diagnostic tests are impossible to run right away.
- Put simply: It’s hard to know what’s wrong with your car’s electrical system when there’s no power.
- Here are a few common symptoms of a bad alternator:
- Battery light on dash: If your dashboard is showing the word “CHARGE” or a battery symbol after the battery is turned on, that means there’s a problem with your charging system, not necessarily your actual battery.
- Dead battery: A faulty alternator won’t properly charge your battery while the engine is running, so a dead battery could be a sign of an alternator problem. The best way to tell if it’s your battery or alternator is to install a new battery. If it dies shortly after the installation, your alternator is most likely to blame.
- Difficulty starting: If your car has a hard time starting, it might be caused by your alternator. If the alternator is bad, your battery won’t have the necessary power to start your car.
- Grinding or whirring: If you’re hearing some unexpected noises, like grinding or whirring, it might be due to broken pieces within an alternator. For example, if the bearings in your alternator are starting to fail, the noise produced is usually pretty hard to miss.
- Weakened power supply: Because your electrical components are powered by your alternator, a weakened power supply could be a sign of a bad alternator. Look for things like slow-rolling windows, dimmed headlights or slow windshield wipers.
Regardless of the cause, if you’re experiencing issues with your vehicle, it’s important to schedule an inspection with a licensed mechanic. They can test different components of your vehicle and use OBD-II readings to determine what the issue is. You may have to pay for these tests, but they should help you avoid paying for a repair that’s not needed.
- You can potentially drive a short distance with a faulty alternator, but we don’t recommend it.
- Because this component powers so many different parts of your vehicle, driving with a bad alternator can impact various functions.
- A faulty alternator often leads to a dead battery, and if left unfixed, it could permanently ruin your battery, too.
In short, you and your wallet are probably better off getting a bad alternator replaced before it leads to more extensive issues. It’s not cheap, but it’s also not the worst car problem you can have. If you’re having problems with your car’s charging system: Technically, it’s possible to drive with a bad alternator, but it’s not a good idea.
- Take it to a mechanic.
- Get the problem diagnosed.
- Ask for an itemized quote.
- Make sure you’re not being overcharged.
The cost to replace your alternator will depend on what car you drive and what shop you go to, but you can potentially save money by using aftermarket or remanufactured parts. Once your alternator is replaced, you’re good to go. However, if you want to avoid paying to replace your alternator again in the future, an extended auto warranty may be a good call.
Extended warranties, also called vehicle service contracts, cover the cost of unexpected repairs due to malfunctions or broken parts. As long as your plan covers your alternator, the next time it malfunctions, you’ll only have to pay your deductible. Your warranty provider will cover the rest. A told us their alternator went out, and thanks to their extended auto warranty, they were back on the road the same day.
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