Do you really need to use an alternator??

[rashenup]

Well obviously in the long run you'd be crazy to not have an alternator running, the battery in your car can't last forever. but....

What about in a pinch. Like the situation I'm in right now (I'll explain more below). How long do you think that you could drive with a bad alternator? Basically just using the juice from a fully charged battery, no stereo, no lights, no a/c or fan. Pretty much not using anything beyond the necessities and just limping home.

So here's how this question came up... As I sit here and type this I'm in a hotel room in Sidney, NE about 1/2 through my trip from Cleveland, OH to Boise, ID. I loaded up my '95 Disco and headed out friday afternoon after fixing a last minute coolant leak. So we're driving along doing good then all of the sudden the tach starts dropping out, bouncing all over the place and the battery idiot light comes on. Now the truck is running the same, but the idiot light and tach can't be good so we stop at a truck gas station and the mechanic there was nice enough to come and take a look and found that the alternator was going bad (as we suspected). It was putting out between 11-12 volts. Anyways long story short there's no way we're getting a new alternator quickly out here, so we found a NAPA and bought a second battery and a battery charger. We're hoping that with the two batteries fully charged and the alternator putting out a little bit right now (not that it'll last long) we can make it to Salt Lake City, UT where there is a Land Rover Dealer, or all the way to Boise.

I know this is an off-the-wal question but if anyone has even an idea of how far we could make it I'd really appreciate it. (Any other advice is also certainly welcome, like I said, we're in a bit of a pinch here.)

--> Tim

 

[Kyle]

With a fully charged batter and everything turned off you will get a little ways but not far. Keep in mind there is a shitload of electronics running even when you turn everything off... Its ballsy though , I like it....

 

[DerekAber]

you would be lucky for it to last an hour or so... ask me how i know. Eventually the fuel pump will cut out and the truck will die

 

[Porter]

If there are any non-critial fuses you can pull, that might help save a few drops in the bucket. It sounds like you'll need every last bit of it. Remember that the SRS light may come on because of low voltage - just letting you know so your not surprised.

 

[Str0ud]

My personal best was just shy of 21 miles. Good Luck.

 

[RoverChic]

Pull the ABS fuse too...If you have it. Can't remember on the 1995.

Good Luck.

 

[Errant]

With a bad alternator and a fully charged battery, I was able to drive to work and back, about 40 miles each way. The battery would not turn the car over the next day, but after another full charge, was good for another trip.

 

[Alyssa]

Ron had no working alternator in our '59 for quite a while. Of course that has a lot less electronics in it! I think it only has 1 fuse, LOL. I don't think you'll be terribly successful in a newer car with a completely dead alternator.

 

[Alyssa]

...and can't you just get an alternator from napa?

 

[rashenup]

Its ballsy though , I like it....

ballsy- that's for sure.

From what's being said here... doesn't sound like We'll make it very far.

But today we did a decent amount of driving after the alternator went. It was around 2hrs, with stopping part way through to figure out what was going on. I'm guessing it was around 150miles. So maybe the alternator is still helping out some.

I might go ahead and pull some more fuses tomorrow morning (I already pulled the stereo and cigarette lighter fuses). Will pulling things like the ABS hurt the driving (other than the ABS idiot light and no ABS)... I don't want to be pulling too many fuses, still need to get there safely.

Are there other alternators that may be more readily availible that would work (even if it's only to get me to Boise). Does Land Rover use the same alternator here in multiple vehicles? DII, Rangie... I'm wondering if the dealership would even stock this part. I'll do a search here and see what I can find, but time is limited so I thought I'd ask.

Thanks for your help so far! I'll have to post here with how the whole trips fares when I make it to Boise.

--> Tim

 

[rashenup]

...and can't you just get an alternator from napa?

Well NAPA would be able to get an alternator... but right now it's more of a time issue at this point, and the fact that we're in the middle of nebraska, which isn't exactly Land Rover central. The one NAPA we were able to get a hold of when we were looking for what was going wrong said that it would take them a week to get it in. Maybe we'd have more luck in cheyenne. I'm pretty sure we'd be able to make it that far.

--> Tim

 

[RoverChic]

I might go ahead and pull some more fuses tomorrow morning (I already pulled the stereo and cigarette lighter fuses). Will pulling things like the ABS hurt the driving (other than the ABS idiot light and no ABS)... I don't want to be pulling too many fuses, still need to get there safely.

You will be ok with the ABS pulled..In fact your brakes "might" work even better.

You can get a reman alt..From what I have heard though I would go new. JMHO If you make it to a LR Dealer they should stock an Alt (Marelii--Not sure on the 95 again though).

It could always be worse..like a bad alt and busted caliper.

 

[MUSKYMAN]

search here and you will find a thread about my return from northern wis to chicago with a dead alternator.

as i recall i got about 175 to 200 miles out of a fully charged battery

i carried thee fully charged batteries and only need two of them

 

[upside down]

With a bad alternator and a fully charged battery, I was able to drive to work and back, about 40 miles each way. The battery would not turn the car over the next day, but after another full charge, was good for another trip.

just do it tell us how far you got. i drove to and from work for two months waiting on a votage regulator for mine and it made it.

 

[Disco_Momma]

ballsy- that's for sure.


Are there other alternators that may be more readily availible that would work (even if it's only to get me to Boise). Does Land Rover use the same alternator here in multiple vehicles? DII, Rangie... I'm wondering if the dealership would even stock this part. I'll do a search here and see what I can find, but time is limited so I thought I'd ask.

--> Tim

Hey there Tim. I am sorry you are having this trouble. I just recently replaced my alternator because it was crapping out on me. It is not a difficult fix. Although, as for someone carry the LR Alternator that is probably unlikely. If I were you tonight look up a parts store on the internet and find there contact info. Call ahead and see if they can order the part for you, then just make the drive get to the place you are staying, take out the old alternator thne cab or bus to the parts store give them your old one (knocking out the core cost) and then you have a new one, install it yourself. I will tell you right now. I doubt the dealer will have the part and then of course as you know they will charge you OUT THE ASS. So this fix will probably take you about an hour AT THE MOST.

As for how far.....I agree with aaron and errant. That is exactly how I did it. Pull the unnecessary fuses and keep the battery charged and/or get a backup.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!! Just think it is an adventure....and yet another story to tell. Good luck!

 

[Axel]

Try Atlantic British or Great Basin Rovers. Both places have been able to overnight us parts in the middle of nowhere in the past. Ho and John at EE might be able to help you too, as they carry some stock Land Rover Parts now. Good Luck.

 

[rrefx]

The Land Rover delerships in Utah just send your alternator out to an auto electric shop to get rebuilt anyways, takes about a day for their person to finish it. That being the case, you might see if there's a shop where yoru at that can do it, it will be about the same result.

 

[rashenup]

Only one more day...

YOU CAN DO IT!!!! Just think it is an adventure....and yet another story to tell. Good luck!

This certainly has been an adventure. No doubt I'll remember it for a long time

Thus far the limping along on a bad alternator is going quite well. We bought two extra batteries and a quick battery charger and headed out this morning. Our adventure went really good today. We were able it to make it from Sidney, NE to Ogden, UT (west NE to just north of Salt Lake City). The first battery (fully charged the night before) lasted just over 3hrs and we were able to go 215 miles! Needless to say we were pretty happy about that. When that battery did start to go, the first sign was the ABS light lighting up. Then the spedometer started jumping all over the place. At this point we were up in the mountains of central Wyoming but the shoulder was wide and oncoming traffic had a good view so we stopped before the truck died completely. Man changing a battery out on the side of the highway in 30 degree weather with 30-40 mph wind is an adventure!

The next battery we didn't let drain all the way, instead we changed it out when we stopped for fuel. We got 2hr 45min and just over 200 miles.

The third battery is out there sitting in the truck so i don't know how long it'll last, but it did a good 1.5 hrs and 150 or so miles.

Through out this whole time we were driving ~75 no lights, hardly any braking, pulled the fuse on the radio and something else i don't rember what it was, and kept the fan turned off. If you follow these simple steps (and have a whole heap of blessings) you can drive 1/2 way across the country with a bad alternator. Of course you'd have to be crazy to boot as well

The plan now is just to get the batteries charged up tonite and drive the remaining 300 miles to Boise tomorrow. Then I'll be able to get the parts when I'm at home and not rush the job at all. Definitely going to be going online for that... dealership wants $695 just for the alternator. Thanks but no thanks.

This trip... ballsy, that's for sure.

Thanks for all the help and advice! I really appreciate it!

--> Tim

 

[jkipk]

Glad to hear you're making out ok! This reminds me of the (not so) good ol days where it was a white knuckle adventure to make it to the next gas station, and to hope that enough change had fallen through the cracks to put a dollars worth in the tank (wow, a lot of good that'd do ya today). You get a whole different perspective on things when you're happy to make it 215 miles without conking out at the most inopportune time. Now that I've moved up in the world a bit, and have the pleasure to drive a Land Rover, it's good to remember not to take it all for granted. Kind of refreshing to start your day where alternators are luxury items (well for a day or two anyway). I've been having fun reading your adventures. Thanks.

kip

 

[RoverChic]

Glad to hear all is well!! I just replaced my Alt in my D1 today. Bought from Napa for about $300 or so. Unfortunately it was a Reman Bosch, nonetheless I chose to go local so that in case I have issues I can run in and exchange without problems or hassles of shipping back! It took me about 20 minutes to change out (with the right tools of course), so avoid the dealer because $600 plus is ASININE!! Best Wishes!