Alternator playing up on 616cdi.

[Vic. Parsons.]

Hi folks.
On our way down through France and near Angers when the battery warning light came on.
Checked on our board and in the red with the engine running, checked the battery and it was low on volts.
Then, we went to a French Mercedes dealer and they said the alternator was knackered. Their price for a new one was just a tad steep at €500 plus fitting.
Now, I'm not an idiot, and that price struck me as a, "let's fleece dies English tourists" kinda price.
I know there's really not a lot that can go wrong with an alternator, a couple of bearings, some windings, a couple of brushes and a voltage regulator.
I checked prices online and the most expensive alternator I could find was €364. With the average around €160. And just a regulator at around €44.
Does anyone have any tips as to what I might try with my current alternator? which by the way is only 2 years old, before I go and splash out on new stuff.

 

[tonyidle]

The windings are very robust and rarely give trouble. That leaves three other electrical parts: the brushes that might be stuck; the diode pack that might have failed; the regulator likewise. The only other possible unknown is whether the engine ECU has any say. IMO it's worth taking a look at the brushes but unless you have a multimeter, a soldering iron, and know how to test the diode pack it might be better to replace the whole unit.

 

[Hel999]

how old is your van? Mercedes give a fantastic unlimited mileage 3 year warranty from date of registration. in europe you only get 2 years but if the vehicle is british and you speak to a dealer in england they tell you to get a receipt and claim it back.

 

[Badknee]

A bit difficult when your over the ditch but I would try to find an auto electrician and ask him to check it out and go from there.

 

[Hagstrom]

I had an alternator go in Holland on our Fiat Ducato Laika in 2012 and the bill was €650.

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[pappajohn]

Same happened on my Merc engined Chrysler. Intermittent ign light and no charge.
I got a pattern alternator at trade for £200 exchange.
When I got the old one ( off I pulled it apart..... The brush had burnt away and the springs had ripped the commutator segments to shreds and melted the plastic brush carrier.
I could have bought a new commutator ring and soldered it in place and a new cover but there was no telling if anything else was damaged so the new one was fitted.

 

[Vic. Parsons.]

how old is your van? Mercedes give a fantastic unlimited mileage 3 year warranty from date of registration. in europe you only get 2 years but if the vehicle is british and you speak to a dealer in england they tell you to get a receipt and claim it back.

The Hymer is 2002, so no warranty.

A bit difficult when your over the ditch but I would try to find an auto electrician and ask him to check it out and go from there.

I stopped at a garage and a nice mechanic checked the battery and alternator with a multimeter. He reckoned the alternator was capput.

Same happened on my Merc engined Chrysler. Intermittent ign light and no charge.
I got a pattern alternator at trade for £200 exchange.
When I got the old one ( off I pulled it apart..... The brush had burnt away and the springs had ripped the commutator segments to shreds and melted the plastic brush carrier.
I could have bought a new commutator ring and soldered it in place and a new cover but there was no telling if anything else was damaged so the new one was fitted.

I haven't had a chance to remove and examine the alternator yet, mostly because it's chucking it down here.
We're planning on limping on towards Portugal and finding a motor factors to buy an alternator, once it's swapped out, I'll have a look and see if the old one can be turned into a spare.
Might just get the hammer out in the meantime to see if it's a stuck brush...