A quick summary:
-Rough bearing sound from engine, diagnosed to alternator bearing. Sounded like it had a square ball bearing.
-Christmas time new alternator purchased and fitted, started the engine, perfectly silent, a couple of mins of idling and it starts squealing (dry bearing sort of sound). Completely different sound to previously.
-Two weeks ago, removed and returned noisy alternator to supplier and swapped for a new one, fitted this, two mins of idling and the squeal is back worse.
-Two days later in use, the car dies, wouldn't restart due to a low battery. RAC diagnosed an intermittently charging alternator, (no warning lights had come on). It was charging fine when they tested it.
-Swapped for another alternator again (i believe the new alt No.1 with a new pulley)
So that is up to the current state of play. Now the noise is still here, i am in the process of changing the tensioner to eliminate that. The battery was a new Bosch silver last september.
The reason for this though, 'Alternator Workshop' keeps appearing when driving the car, its charging fine, no other warning lights are coming up. So what now?
If the noise is still there after i change the tensioner btw, the alts going back.
Update 10/02/15
-Last weekend i fitted a new febi belt tensioner, the old bearing didn't feel great when removed.
-This past weekend i removed, exchanged and refitted a completely fresh new alternator on Saturday (getting pretty good at changing these now
).-Checked all the wiring as much as i could whilst there, no damage i could find.
-Its not flashed 'Alternator Workshop' yet
But, 10 mins of driving and the squeek is back, it is something else. The only items on this belt are alternator, tensioner, fan, power steering pump and the crankshaft pulley.
Fan bearing next then? We've had to remove the fan each time to remove the alternator, but the bearing is mounted in the block, how do you remove this? More fun
