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Alternator Replacement (credit to F31 Pilot)

* Standard Disclaimer: Please follow directions and if you get confused, refer to the Service Manual. If you don’t have a copy of the Service Manual, log online to F31 club and use the online Service Manual. (Online Service Manual courtesy of Jc, Roger and anyone else involved with the scanning of the online Service Manual.) DO NOT HOLD ME LIABLE AND OR RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY MISTAKES YOU MAKE.


1. Disconnect the Negative battery terminal. (This helps prevent the possibility of a short circuit when working near or on any electrical parts.)

2. Disconnect the Positive battery terminal.
3. Remove the Battery out of the engine bay and find a safe place to set the Battery. DO NOT SET THE BATTERY ON THE CONCRETE/CEMENT BECAUSE IT WILL GET DRAINED OUT. (I had set my Battery on a block of wood and away from any combustible liquids)

4. Jack up the front end of the car. (I used a 3-ton jack and jacked up the driver side front tow hook. I used a jack-stand and supported the passenger side front took hook.) PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THE FRONT END OF THE CAR IS FULLY STABLE WITH NO WOBBLES OR ANY KIND OF PLAY BEFORE YOU PROCEED ANY FURTHER.



5. Remove the Splash Gaurds from underneath the car. You will see a few 10mm screws securing the bigger Splash Guard to the chassis. (There are two pieces. But I only removed the bigger Splash Guard of the two.)




6. Remove one 14mm bolt and one 14mm nut on the Front Sway Bar Bushing Brackets. (There should be a total of two 14mm bolts and two 14mm nuts because there are two Front Sway Bar Bushing Brackets.)

7. Remove one 14mm nut on the Front Sway Bar End-Link. There should be a total of two 14mm nuts because there are two ends to a Sway Bar End-Link. These 14mm Sway Bar End-Links nuts are located on the bottom of the Front Lower Control Arms.)



8. Loosen the 12mm bolt on the front-side of the Alternator Adjusting Bar. Clockwise is to tighten. Counter Clockwise is to loosen. (The space to work in between to get to the 12mm bolt is so tight that any size ratchet with a 12mm socket will not work. I used a 12mm wrench to loosen the bolt.)



9. Remove the 12mm nut on the back-side of the Alternator Adjusting Bar.

10.Remove the 12mm bolt from the Alternator Adjusting Bar Bracket. (This will allow you to completely remove and drop the Alternator Adjusting Bar Bracket from where it is bolted up.)


11.Loosen the Alternator Drive Belt. (What I did was, I just grabbed the Alternator Drive Belt and pulled down on it. By pulling down on the Alternator Drive Belt, it shifted the Alternator and it also helped loosened up the Alternator Drive Belt.)

12.Remove the harness from the Alternator. (It is the male connection that plugs into the female connection on the Alternator.)

13.Remove the Positive cable 10mm nut from the Alternator.(It should have a small black rubber boot covering it.)

14.Remove the Ground cable 8mm bolt from the Alternator. (It is a small black 16 or 18 gauge wire.)

15.Remove the 10mm nut from the Alternator. (This is the nut where it connects the wiring, wiring loom of the wires and a small metal tab onto the back of the Alternator.)

16.Remove the 12mm Alternator mounting rear bolt.



17.Remove the 12mm Alternator mounting front bolt. (The Alternator mounting front bolt sits in a very tight place which sits right behind the mid-section of the metal Radiator extension on the lower radiator hose.)

18.Installation is the reverse of removal. Except when you do install a new or remanufactured Alternator, you will need an extra set of hands or a small car jack to jack the Alternator back into place. This is because the Alternator is quite heavy and you will need one of the two mentioned. With an extra set of hands or an additional small car jack, this will help free up your hands to thread in the front and back Alternator mounting bolts to bolt up the Altnernator.)

19.If you decide not to replace your Alternator, Power Steering and A/C Compressor belt, you are finished.

BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REPLACE YOUR ALTERNATOR, POWER STEERING AND A/C COMPRESSOR BELT WHILE YOUR AT IT, FOLLOW THE NEXT STEPS.

20.Loosen the two four head screws on the Air Intake Air Duct. (This will allow and open up more room for you to get to the 12mm Idler Pulley.)



21.Loosen the 12mm Idler Pulley Adjusting bolt. Once you have loosened up the 12mm Idler Pulley Adjusting bolt, this will also help loosen up the A/C Compressor Belt for removal.)



22.Loosen the 12mm adjusting nut on the Power Steering Pump. (This will loosen up the Power Steering Pump belt for removal.)



23.Installation of Alternator, Power Steering, and A/C Compressor belt is the same of removal.
24.You are finished.