Find parts for your car
Make
- Alfa Romeo (8) Apply Alfa Romeo filter
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Model
- 100 (1) Apply 100 filter
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- 2 (10) Apply 2 filter
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- 207 CC (1) Apply 207 CC filter
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- 3 (6) Apply 3 filter
- 3 Series (7) Apply 3 Series filter
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- 9 (2) Apply 9 filter
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- A1 (3) Apply A1 filter
- A1 Sportback (1) Apply A1 Sportback filter
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- Coupe (3) Apply Coupe filter
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- Daily (7) Apply Daily filter
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- Fabia (6) Apply Fabia filter
- Fiesta (50) Apply Fiesta filter
- Focus (65) Apply Focus filter
- Focus C-Max (7) Apply Focus C-Max filter
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- Galaxy (37) Apply Galaxy filter
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- Golf (21) Apply Golf filter
- Golf (1) Apply Golf filter
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- i10 (3) Apply i10 filter
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- Ibiza (8) Apply Ibiza filter
- Insignia (55) Apply Insignia filter
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- LT (2) Apply LT filter
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- Magentis (1) Apply Magentis filter
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- MGF (1) Apply MGF filter
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- Mondeo (54) Apply Mondeo filter
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- Note (1) Apply Note filter
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- Outlander (1) Apply Outlander filter
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- Punto (7) Apply Punto filter
- Punto Evo (1) Apply Punto Evo filter
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- Range Rover (1) Apply Range Rover filter
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- Rav-4 (1) Apply Rav-4 filter
- Rio (3) Apply Rio filter
- Roomster (3) Apply Roomster filter
- S-Max (26) Apply S-Max filter
- S40 (6) Apply S40 filter
- S60 (1) Apply S60 filter
- Savvy (1) Apply Savvy filter
- Scenic (6) Apply Scenic filter
- Scirocco (1) Apply Scirocco filter
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- Sharan (2) Apply Sharan filter
- Shogun (1) Apply Shogun filter
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- SX4 (1) Apply SX4 filter
- Tacuma (2) Apply Tacuma filter
- Terios (1) Apply Terios filter
- TF (1) Apply TF filter
- Tigra (2) Apply Tigra filter
- Tiguan (1) Apply Tiguan filter
- Touran (6) Apply Touran filter
- Tourer (1) Apply Tourer filter
- Trafic (2) Apply Trafic filter
- Transit (7) Apply Transit filter
- Transit Connect (3) Apply Transit Connect filter
- Transporter (2) Apply Transporter filter
- Tucson (1) Apply Tucson filter
- V40 (2) Apply V40 filter
- V50 (1) Apply V50 filter
- V70 (3) Apply V70 filter
- Vectra (21) Apply Vectra filter
- Vitara (3) Apply Vitara filter
- Vivaro (3) Apply Vivaro filter
- Voyager (3) Apply Voyager filter
- VX220 (1) Apply VX220 filter
- Wagon R+ (1) Apply Wagon R+ filter
- X Type (2) Apply X Type filter
- X-Trail (4) Apply X-Trail filter
- X3 (1) Apply X3 filter
- XC90 (1) Apply XC90 filter
- Xsara (9) Apply Xsara filter
- Xsara Picasso (4) Apply Xsara Picasso filter
- Yaris (1) Apply Yaris filter
- Z3 (1) Apply Z3 filter
- Zafira (78) Apply Zafira filter
- Zafira Tourer (1) Apply Zafira Tourer filter
- ZR (1) Apply ZR filter
- ZS (1) Apply ZS filter
- ZT (6) Apply ZT filter
- ZT-T (3) Apply ZT-T filter
Trim
- 1 (6) Apply 1 filter
- 16V (3) Apply 16V filter
- 2 (2) Apply 2 filter
- 35.12 (1) Apply 35.12 filter
- Black (1) Apply Black filter
- C (2) Apply C filter
- Code (1) Apply Code filter
- Cool (1) Apply Cool filter
- Econetic (5) Apply Econetic filter
- Edge (2) Apply Edge filter
- Emocion (1) Apply Emocion filter
- Focus (5) Apply Focus filter
- FR (1) Apply FR filter
- Fusion (4) Apply Fusion filter
- Ghia (4) Apply Ghia filter
- GS3 (1) Apply GS3 filter
- GTA (1) Apply GTA filter
- GTC (2) Apply GTC filter
- GTi (1) Apply GTi filter
- Ka (5) Apply Ka filter
- LX (4) Apply LX filter
- Quattro (2) Apply Quattro filter
- Quattro Sport (1) Apply Quattro Sport filter
- SE (2) Apply SE filter
- Sport (2) Apply Sport filter
- ST (1) Apply ST filter
- ST-2 (1) Apply ST-2 filter
- ST24 (1) Apply ST24 filter
- Style (6) Apply Style filter
- SX (1) Apply SX filter
- SZ3 (1) Apply SZ3 filter
- SZ4 (1) Apply SZ4 filter
- Tdi (1) Apply Tdi filter
- Titanium (7) Apply Titanium filter
- Titanium X (1) Apply Titanium X filter
- TR (1) Apply TR filter
- TS2 (1) Apply TS2 filter
- V5 (1) Apply V5 filter
- vRS (1) Apply vRS filter
- VTEC (2) Apply VTEC filter
- VTR (1) Apply VTR filter
- VXR (1) Apply VXR filter
- Zetec (23) Apply Zetec filter
- Zetec Climate (1) Apply Zetec Climate filter
- Zetec S (4) Apply Zetec S filter
Body style
Year
- 2017 (115) Apply 2017 filter
- 2016 (338) Apply 2016 filter
- 2015 (380) Apply 2015 filter
- 2014 (440) Apply 2014 filter
- 2013 (490) Apply 2013 filter
- 2012 (565) Apply 2012 filter
- 2011 (639) Apply 2011 filter
- 2010 (685) Apply 2010 filter
- 2009 (713) Apply 2009 filter
- 2008 (742) Apply 2008 filter
- 2007 (689) Apply 2007 filter
- 2006 (682) Apply 2006 filter
- 2005 (671) Apply 2005 filter
- 2004 (625) Apply 2004 filter
- 2003 (525) Apply 2003 filter
- 2002 (440) Apply 2002 filter
- 2001 (387) Apply 2001 filter
- 2000 (334) Apply 2000 filter
- 1999 (260) Apply 1999 filter
- 1998 (205) Apply 1998 filter
- 1997 (136) Apply 1997 filter
- 1996 (97) Apply 1996 filter
- 1995 (65) Apply 1995 filter
- 1994 (52) Apply 1994 filter
- 1993 (42) Apply 1993 filter
- 1992 (39) Apply 1992 filter
- 1991 (33) Apply 1991 filter
- 1990 (30) Apply 1990 filter
- 1989 (30) Apply 1989 filter
- 1988 (21) Apply 1988 filter
- 1987 (17) Apply 1987 filter
- 1986 (18) Apply 1986 filter
- 1985 (17) Apply 1985 filter
- 1984 (17) Apply 1984 filter
- 1983 (11) Apply 1983 filter
- 1982 (7) Apply 1982 filter
- 1981 (6) Apply 1981 filter
- 1980 (4) Apply 1980 filter
- 1979 (3) Apply 1979 filter
What is the alternator/what does it do?
The alternator is a small unit that resembles a stubby electric motor. It consists of an aluminium casing with a central shaft, supported by two bearings one at the front and one at the rear of the housing, a magnetic rotor, wire windings, a pulley wheel, a fan blade, a set of diodes, housed in the rectifier, this controls the electrical output, and a set of brushes.
It is attached to and driven by the engine and a rubber belt via pulley wheels. As the central core rotates within the wire windings an electromagnetic charge is created and is transferred via the brushes and the diodes in the rectifier which manages the power supply to the battery and electrical systems in the vehicle. The fan blade positioned just behind the pulley wheel sucks air into the unit to cool it. The belt can be seen, depending on the type of vehicle in the array of belts and pulleys driving the engine's timing belt, cooling system pump, sometimes, the engine cooling fan, normally this is electric and not belt driven, and the alternator. The alternator has two pivotal fixings and a sliding belt tensioning fixing.
The function of the alternator is to generate the electrical power required to run the engine and all the vehicle's electrical equipment. When the engine is running the alternator also keeps the battery fully charged.
What if something goes wrong with the alternator?
On average an alternator has a normal life of approximately 10 years. The unit can suffer damage from running the vehicle with a faulty battery, loose electrical connections or a loose belt, which causes slipping on the pulleys. After long service the alternator parts wear out, the bearings, the central core, the rotor or the brushes. The failure of the alternator is usually a gradual process slowly generating less and less power over a period of time. Signs that there is a problem with the unit can include dim headlights and problems with low power from the battery which can cause problems with starting the engine, as the battery is supplying power that the alternator is failing to supply in sufficient amounts and is not fully charging the battery. The alternator is usually a sealed unit and is not serviceable and when required needs a replacement unit.