alt. replacement

skye12

New member
I've an 06 2500 with a 150 amp alt. Went out on us this week . I happen to have a new factory unit that came with my 02 when it was purchased . Does any know if it will fit the 06 ?
Thanks Joe
 

Hit The Road Jack

2006 Roadhouse Sprinter

8jef

Clueless
Both are the same, link 1 is a 120amp, link 2 is a 90amp. Just make sure that the replacement is a 150amp if your van is equipped with power options (110V converter, wheelchair ramp, etc.). Otherwise a 90amp will do.

Jef
 

aspen

Member
I have a 2004 Sprinter 3500 - strip-down cargo van. Europarts has 120amp and 150amp alternator, which one would you buy for my van?
 

bc339

New member
aspen, we haven't even met, why should I buy you an alternator? Taking this redistribution of wealth seriously?...

Anyway - what are you using your Sprinter for, work only? Plans for additions to the electrics, auxillary batteries, inverters, sound or entertainment?
If you are planning for future growth with alot of additions, the 150 may be the one to go with - it isn't that much more for a new 150 amp alternator than a 120 amp unit.


Bruce
 

skydiver007

DRB III Owner If You Need
I have worked in the automotive charging arena for over 25 years and.....

You will never ever hurt a car by installing a larger alternator than came from the factory. Meaning more amperage will hurt nothing. Your van will only pull the current it needs. Lets say you have a total amperage load of 85 amps with everything running. Which alternator would you rather have, the 90amp or 150amp.

You would rather have the 150 amp for reserve current and also less heat. The larger alternator can provide 85amps easier than the smaller one due to size. The 90amp alternator will run hotter trying to produce 85amps.

My 05 has 4 different alternators that fit. They all use the same bolt pattern but the physical case of the larger amp alternators is bigger.

Put the biggest amp on you can afford. Never put smaller than the factory installed.

The only downside to a larger alternator might be a lost horsepower or 2 because of the increased load on the engine turning the larger mass of the alternator.

Charge wires from the alternator to the battery are also important. You can never have too large of a charge wire either, The bigger the better, just make sure it is properly fused. I like to use a 2 guage or larger wire on all cars. There are not many factory charge wires that I consider big enough. They all are normally sufficient but again, the smaller the wire the more heat and heat means resistance in the electrical world.

With the van running measure the voltage output at the alternator and then at the battery. Are they the same number. Ill bet they are not, there is always some loss in the wire from the alternator to the battery. The larger wire will loose less.

My favorite wire to use is welding wire. It is multi-stranded and the casing is designed to handle a lot of heat. Stay away from aluminum wire if you can. Copper is the best.

Sorry to wonder off your original question, but here is another tip.

Diode based battery isolators are crap also. I have measured over 1.5 volts loss through them and they produce a lot of heat and resistance. Replace them with heavy duty contactor switches which are rated for continuos duty not momentary duty such as a starter relay would use.

Here is where you can get the good stuff. I have been using this company for years and they know their stuff.

http://www.wranglerpower.com/
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
My 05 has 4 different alternators that fit. They all use the same bolt pattern but the physical case of the larger amp alternators is bigger.
Question: does the same serpentine belt fit all, or do you need different belt lengths?

--dick
 

220629

Well-known member
Question: does the same serpentine belt fit all, or do you need different belt lengths?

--dick
When I changed from a 90 amp up to a 150 amp the belt still fit. The over-running clutch pulleys appear to be the same size. I haven't noticed part number listings for those pulleys specifying the amperage of the alternator. FWIW. vic
 

wires

Member
My favorite wire to use is welding wire. It is multi-stranded and the casing is designed to handle a lot of heat. Stay away from aluminum wire if you can. Copper is the best.
Copper yes, welding cable NO.

Welding cable has minimal insulation that is designed for constant inspection/observation. Welding cable is NOT oil resistant or SAE certified. It is not suitable for installation on a moving object. There are various cables designed for vehicular/marine use that are much better suited. A good discussion is here:custombatterycables.com.

Personally I have seen the results of a 2/0 welding cable that shorted to a frame rail on a TV live truck. Tens of thousands of dollars in damage. A fuse would have prevented the problem however better insulation might have prevented it also. On the cable between the alternator and battery fusing to prevent all possible failure modes would be difficult. Use the correct cable for the application!


Diode based battery isolators are crap also. I have measured over 1.5 volts loss through them and they produce a lot of heat and resistance. Replace them with heavy duty contactor switches which are rated for continuos duty not momentary duty such as a starter relay would use.
Both diodes and contactors have their pros and cons. If using a diode you need to be sure the voltage regulator is sensing the battery voltage NOT the diode common. All diodes have voltage drop.
 

OrioN

2008 2500 170" EXT
I used 4/0 welding cable between banks ( ~20' ). It is in an armoured sleeve the entire distance and under chassis.
 

skydiver007

DRB III Owner If You Need
Still have welding cable working for over 15 years in many vehicles. I will clarify though that most of it is encased in some type of loom to help protect the wire.

Any size of alternator designed to fit your Sprinter will use the same belt.

The amperage is printed on the alternator on a plate on it.
 

autostaretx

Erratic Member
Where do you find the amp rating on any alternator in sprinters [06 2500 shc] ?
Method 1: option listing on dealer's inventory/sales sheet
Method 2: get your vehicle-specific "datacard" printout (appear at dealer or parts desk with VIN in hand)
Method 3: squint at alternator, locate part number, post it (i'll append the numbers if i can find them.. wait a few minutes)
Method 4: (less certain) measure alternator diameter, post, maybe someone will know the correspondence

Problems with #1 and 2: alternator may have been replaced since manufacture

--dick
 
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rhyfl

New member
Lessons learned from Alt Replacement on the road:

I have a 2006 that uses 3 sizes (90/120/150amp) all will work as has been stated, the difference is the larger ratings are slightly larger. One BIG lesson learned is there is a correct way to install the alternator and an INCORRECT way ( I learned the hard way after cracking the housing of a replacement). The mounting bracket molded to the alternator should have a "V" shape on one side - that should face the engine block. Otherwise, there will be a slight gap in the top between the block and the alternator.

You can search the forums and there are some pics on another post. :smilewink:
 

rhyfl

New member
Yes - vic, that's the one - thanks. Great post by the way. The picture of the mounting bracket is in post#9. The "V" is clearly shown facing the engine block. This caused several hours of aggravation in 106 deg heat in south Ga.
 

JAM

New member
fyi on the 150 amp ones. I too had alternator problems the other week. Got 2 remans that went bad. The 2nd reman didnt even last a day. Anyhow, the 1st two remans were 120 amps and they finally gave me a new (not reman) 150 amp one but it had no clutch on it. I dont understand why it doesnt have one except for maybe this alternator works for different vehicles that dont use them. So I ended up ordering a new Bosch from Europarts along with a belt/pulley kit and new cabin filter. Ac started acting up right after the alternator did :yell:
 

rhyfl

New member
JAM,

I'm having AC issues now also - after the alternator replacement. Wonder if there could be any connection? The drive belt is shared in common - but my '06 - 2500 has an automatic tensioner and the belt runs smooth.

Any ideas????
 

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