Alternator smoking when battery put back??

**Just1n_mc** · 09-05-2010, 10:31 PM

A bigger battery wont cause your alternator to burn out period. You could jumpstart it with a truck battery and it won't make a difference. 12v is 12v, i'm an Auto Elec so i'd know. It sounds like you may have a had some sort of short internally (possibly in the rectifier or stator) which has drawn enough current to fry the alternator but not enough to blow the fuse.

The big thing we find with shorting out alternators is when people try to jumpstart other people whilst there car is running. The sudden current draw from the starter motor on the car with the flat battery can cause the rectifier on the alternator of the car running to burn out and therefore stuff the alternator of the bloke trying to help you out.

It's all well and good to hook your jumper leads up to a car and let yours run to try and put some charge into the car with the flat battery but when jumpstarting both cars should not be running.

Sorry for rambling on.

**omp** · 10-05-2010, 07:15 AM

Is this rumour or true?

Having your headlights on while trying to jumpstart someone will take any big surges that are present?

**lexsmaz** · 10-05-2010, 10:55 AM

The headlight thing is true, but its in relation to taking off the leads when the car with the flat battery is up & running, it puts a load on the Alternator and as the battery is still flat the alternator can otherwise spike the voltage a fair bit so it just helps settle it down, also the rear demister etc is a good idea to turn on, again only turn on the above items just before disconnecting the jumper leads not whilst you are actually trying to start the car ..

**TRDcelica90** · 11-05-2010, 11:39 AM

ok so if i go buy another alterntor how can i prevent this happening again?? last thing i need is getting another one and smoking it that one out too

**MWP** · 11-05-2010, 12:45 PM

Basically you cant other than check the wiring as best you can.

Best idea might be to get another alternator, then take it and the car to a auto elec to fit it.

**takai** · 11-05-2010, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by damian

I agree that in theory 12v is 12v, but in practice i fried a car (it was only a holden, so no great loss)

and i definately did not have the polarity the wrong way round when hooking up. I was trying to jump start, but the cars were too far apart for the cables, so i swapped batteries. I had jump started the holden using the Cressida many times before with no problems (battery was on the way out, so a couple times a week), but this one morning, she fried, she fried!

isn't that part of the reason when jump starting you don't go battery terminal to battery terminal, but rather put the negative onto a metal part of the donor car (preferably engine block)?

maybe the car i was jump starting was used to bugger all power, and the fresh 12v spike killed it?

dunno, but i know i killed it

and the donor battery worked fine when put back into the Cressida.

TRDcelica90 said he just connected up the battery, so I guess it was the same battery that was in it before, so my thoughts probably have no relevance then to this problem then? Just throwing ideas out there...

In this case though the Theory is exactly correct... meanwhile you are just spouting crap.

**allencr** · 11-05-2010, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by TRDcelica90

...can i prevent this happening again??

Ever since electrical things were invented, there's been trouble between their threaded connectors and the insulating material they're mounted with, with the insulators always being too soft and/or brittle. The bolt/stud/s coming out of the Alt. just can't take being tightened(or even loosened) like a regular bolt of the same size without rotating & breaking its internal connection or the surrounding insulator.
It may have been a coincidence. Good luck.
*************
*************
Also, the too 'powerful a battery' stuff is plain BS. Should'a neg Rep'd, but I always laugh at the 'magic smoke' thing.

**TRDcelica90** · 11-05-2010, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by MWP

Basically you cant other than check the wiring as best you can.

Best idea might be to get another alternator, then take it and the car to a auto elec to fit it.

any reason i shouldnt do it myself?? ive removed and reinstalled it before when i had to fit the manifold and turbo.. also did it when removing the compressor. all on my other gt4 and had zero probs.. i didnt touch the alternator on the car with the troubles

maybe i just sound like a massive noob lol..

**damian** · 14-05-2010, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by takai

In this case though the Theory is exactly correct... meanwhile you are just spouting crap.

probably probably, just stating what happened to me. Like everyone keeps saying, i know the theory, and i know what i did shouldn't have done what it did, but i'm just explaining what happened to me in real life. However, real life and theory from my experience sometimes don't match...

Originally Posted by allencr

Also, the too 'powerful a battery' stuff is plain BS. Should'a neg Rep'd, but I always laugh at the 'magic smoke' thing.

hey thanks for the no neg rep

anyway, try this maybe?

http://www.motorcarsltd.com/lucas-re...ent-smoke.html

http://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm

Lucas Smoke in a bottle to put back into those electrical devices

EDIT: link fixed

the magic smoke bit always gets me too

**TRDcelica90** · 17-05-2010, 02:02 PM

ok, so whats the best option.. i could ge a replacement from a normal celica but its 10a less powerful. but $36!!

or get the smoking one rebuilt?? how much that cost whats it involve??

thanks

**Just1n_mc** · 17-05-2010, 02:53 PM

If the alternator for $36 is new i'd buy it and use that. 10A isn't really going to make and break the alternator provided your not running tonnes of electrical shit off it.

**TRDcelica90** · 17-05-2010, 08:41 PM

nah def not new.. its just from wreckers.. i need a a lot of reliability coz its gonna be a track car, but its budget lol

**Just1n_mc** · 17-05-2010, 08:45 PM

If it's a track car you can definately get away with 10A less since you won't be running A/C, stereo's and the like.

As long as the alternator has a warranty and most wreckers give 30 days you should be right.

**AndyTTR** · 17-05-2010, 08:50 PM

If you're not running the W2A intercooler I don't think you'll miss those 10A.

That being said, I probably wouldn't use a $36 alternator in a track car...

I vaguely remember being told that the alternator from a ST204 or later model Camry will bolt up and provide a little more current... may be worth looking into?

**TRDcelica90** · 18-05-2010, 02:16 PM

thats right wont be running A/C.

gonna get a fair few temp and pressure gauges, but am assuming the power needed would be a lot less than a stereo with speakers..

the 184 celica alternator is a diff part number.

will check out the 204 or camry part number though, thanks for the heads up.