The alternator in my car is broken, and the dealership wants $500 to fix it. This seems a little exorbitant to me. I'm not sure how long it takes to replace one, but just by looking at it, it doesn't look too hard to do (it's pretty much out in the open, just have to unbolt it then reattach the new one.

Does anyone know a good place that can do it, or if I can buy an alternator (a generic one with a lifetime warranty is about $160), can anyone here do it?

11/30/2006 3:55:05 PM

MAKE MODEL YEAR

11/30/2006 3:56:24 PM

^what he said, but it needs to be said more loudly:

YEAR, MAKE, MODEL, YA GODDAMN MORON

11/30/2006 4:25:44 PM

crap, I meant to put that...

99 chevy malibu

11/30/2006 4:25:51 PM

if you knew what u were lookin at it should be fairly easy to do

hardest part would be re fitting the belts IMO.

11/30/2006 4:29:49 PM

which engine? 4-banger or v6?

[Edited on November 30, 2006 at 4:40 PM. Reason : i can get you one and help you put it on.]

11/30/2006 4:39:22 PM

the i4

I don't know if this is related, but when I was looking under the hood, I noticed a fairly small amount of smoke coming from the back left of the engine, where the A/C lower pressure valve us (but above that). This wouldn't be related to the alternator, would it? It smelled like burning oil to me.

[Edited on November 30, 2006 at 4:47 PM. Reason : ]

11/30/2006 4:44:52 PM

probably a leaky (valve cover?) gasket

11/30/2006 4:47:57 PM

it takes about 30 min to do

11/30/2006 5:23:16 PM

buy yourself a haynes manual and a 15 dollar tool set from walmart

12/1/2006 11:14:14 AM

replacing an alternator in a chevrolet is quite possibly the next easiest thing to do maintenence wise after changing oil or headlamps

12/1/2006 11:32:34 AM