1st Gen R50 Cooper Most liked posts in thread: Alternator?

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  1. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    #3 MCS02, Jul 2, 2015
    What CHKMINI sad and. How old is the battery? these cars do some very strange things if the battery is bad. Have the battery tested at a parts store. It could be a bad crank pull but start with the connectors and battery first.
    Of course it could be a bad alternator.

    First post! Welcome to MA! Being this is your first post all advice is free. :D
     
  2. CHKMINI

    CHKMINI Club Coordinator
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    #2 CHKMINI, Jul 2, 2015
    Check the jump stud connection on the firewall. These have been known to come loose and/or corroded and give the same symptoms as a bad or failing alternator.
     
  3. BlimeyCabrio

    BlimeyCabrio Oscar Goldman of MINIs
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    #15 BlimeyCabrio, Sep 13, 2015
    Put a 16mm socket on on the pivot bolt for the tensioner
    Stick a small allen wrench, a nail, or some other short, strong thing with appropriate diameter into one of the holes in the tensioner that the special tool would use.
    Using a long pry bar as a lever, with the socket as a fulcrum, lever against the allen wrench or whatever, to move the tensioner the same way the special tool would. Then stick a pin in the tensioner hole. Helps to have a second set of hands helping with all this... wear gloves, pinches happen.

    The tensioner tool is much easier... but I did it this way several times before I owned the tool. Takes some trial and error with things slipping out of place, but you'll figure it out. You could also use some tape to hold the socket and the little wrench or nail in place...
     
  4. interzonearts

    interzonearts New Member

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    #16 interzonearts, Sep 24, 2015
    It was the alternator

    So i put the new alternator in today. It was not all that hard with just the upper rad hose removed. After i started the car again the idle was still elevated but after i drove around the block and the battery recharged a bit it went down to normal.

    Thank you all for help.
     
  5. vetsvette

    vetsvette MINI Alliance Ambassador

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    #6 vetsvette, Jul 6, 2015
    When the car is running you should see ~14V.
     
  6. Canusrufis

    Canusrufis RMW Powered R53
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    #7 Canusrufis, Jul 6, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 6, 2015
  7. CHKMINI

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    #9 CHKMINI, Jul 13, 2015
    Battery.....4 years is on the brink of replacement for these cars
     
  8. interzonearts

    interzonearts New Member

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    #22 interzonearts, Sep 24, 2015
    True, but now i wonder i could get a rebuild kit for it somewhere and do it myself.
     
  9. interzonearts

    interzonearts New Member

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    #4 interzonearts, Jul 6, 2015
    Thank you for your replies. So i finally had time to look at it and it looks like all the connectors are ok. The battery is 4 years old but i don't think it's the problem.
    I checked the voltage at battery terminals and i got 12.5 v when off but drops to 11.5 when the car s running.

    I tried do measure the voltage by the alternator terminals but the space is so tight there and i could see/get to just one terminal and it was almost 12v when off and about 11v when it was running between the terminal and the alternators housing.
     
  10. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

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    #5 Nathan, Jul 6, 2015
    Welcome, thanks for joining Motoring Alliance, the FUN and Friendly MINI Community.

    I'd check the battery first before swapping out an alternator. These are very fickle cars when a battery is not at it's best.
     
  11. Noah

    Noah New Member

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    #8 Noah, Jul 13, 2015
    Sounds like the alternator to me. It seems to me that if the battery were bad you wouldn't have 12.5v with the car off. I've replaced the alternator in my MINI several times (don't ask) and it's not too difficult but requires a bit of patience.

    One thing—does your power steering work? I'm not 100% sure about this, but I think the charging cable of the alternator runs through the electric power steering pump, so you might want to make sure that connection is good as well. It's a pain to access, but seems worth a look if the power steering isn't working.
     
  12. interzonearts

    interzonearts New Member

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    #10 interzonearts, Sep 1, 2015
    I didn't have it in me to deal with it so far but i'm fixin' to it. The power steering works, all the fuses are OK and the battery tested fine. It must be the alternator since it's not increasing voltage at the alternator's terminal when the engine's running.

    Anyways i looked at the service manual and it calls for removing the right front wheel and the intake manifold. I feel a bit apprehensive about the manifold. I've done work on diesel engines before but not on gassers so i wonder if there is anything that i should pay particular attention to so i don't mess anything up.
     
  13. Canusrufis

    Canusrufis RMW Powered R53
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    #11 Canusrufis, Sep 1, 2015
    I've got an r53 but helped another r50 owner R&R their alternator. I don't recall having to remove the intake manifold. I had to drain the fluid to get one of the hoses out of the way but was able to find the 3 bolts holding the alternator and rotate it out. It took me longer to bleed the fluid than change the alternator.
     
  14. interzonearts

    interzonearts New Member

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    #12 interzonearts, Sep 2, 2015


    I hoped someone would say something like that. So i remove the wheelwell, take the serpentine belt off, disconnect the upper radiator hose and swap the alternator?
     
  15. Canusrufis

    Canusrufis RMW Powered R53
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    #13 Canusrufis, Sep 3, 2015
    The wheel well wasn't removed either. Just the radiator hose over the alternator remove belt and bolts. It was easy to me. Again took me longer to bleed the air back out of the coolant. The connection to alternator was tedious but just take ur time. You can do it.
     
  16. interzonearts

    interzonearts New Member

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    #14 interzonearts, Sep 13, 2015

    I decided to give it a try today. I managed to undo the lower screw without busting any knuckles even though i could barely fit my hands in there.

    I did get stuck on the belt though. nothing i have i could use to release the tensioner. I guess i will have to order that special tool.

    Unless there is a trick to do it that without the special tool you guys know of.
     
  17. Canusrufis

    Canusrufis RMW Powered R53
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    #17 Canusrufis, Sep 24, 2015
    Excellent! Happy endings are good.
     
  18. interzonearts

    interzonearts New Member

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    #18 interzonearts, Sep 24, 2015
    Is there any sense in trying to rebuild the old alternator just to keep it as a spare?
     
  19. Nathan

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    #19 Nathan, Sep 24, 2015
    Thanks for following up and letting us know how it went.
     
  20. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    #20 MCS02, Sep 24, 2015
    For me it would depend on the price of the rebuild.
     
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