Brand new Alternator will not turn?

Tiny
MADWOLLI
  • MEMBER
  • 2006 HONDA ACCORD
  • 2.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 267,000 MILES
I replaced an alternator that went bad with a new one, replaced the belt also, everything is connected and I checked whether belt is on the wheel but when I'm starting the car the wheel is not spinning but when I'm trying to do that with my hand it's spinning what could be a problem?

The alternator is brand new ordered from Amazon, it fits my vehicle and is identical to the one I had before.
Saturday, January 6th, 2024 AT 3:37 PM

3 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
It looks like the new pulley is just too clean and shiny to see that it is spinning. If the belt was slipping over that pulley, you'd know it right away by the loud squeal.

A quick simple test you can do is to watch the brightness of the headlights. If they dim a little when you stop the engine, the generator is working. The better test is to measure the battery's voltage with the engine running. It should be between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. If you're not familiar with using a digital voltmeter, check out this article first:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-a-voltmeter

They're showing an auto-ranging meter. That's an expensive feature you don't have to have. You can find perfectly fine meters at Walmart, any hardware store, or a nice one at Harbor Freight Tools for $7.00. I can help you set it up if needed.

If you think I overlooked something, put a white mark on the pulley with paint or chalk. That will make it easier to see when the engine is running.

This article explains part of the charging system tests:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-alternator

Be aware this is just the first step. Most of the time, if this test comes out okay, that's all you need to do. When you're having other problems, particularly the battery slowly running down over days or weeks, the rest of the tests are required, but those require a professional load tester. The tests take just a couple of minutes. I can describe them further if needed.
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Saturday, January 6th, 2024 AT 5:26 PM
Tiny
MADWOLLI
  • MEMBER
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Hello,

Thank you for all the information, it wasn't spinning at first that's 100% but I took belt off reattached it again and after that did a video and it worked nevertheless unfortunately I still have a battery light check on my dashboard after connecting to the computer (i have a cheap version of reader) it said alternator error or something like that.

I bought Voltmeter connected to the battery and before starting the engine it said 12.5 V and then 16.1 A then 15.8 A and after I started the engine it stays the same 12.5 V and different digits A I waited for 2 minutes just to see maybe alternator will start to produce electricity but I think it may be damaged or something what do you think?

Thank you once again.
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Sunday, January 7th, 2024 AT 8:42 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,873 POSTS
12.5 volts with the engine not running indicates the battery is just a little discharged, but not by much. A good, fully-charged battery will read 12.6 volts. 12.5 volts after starting the engine indicates the charging system is dead. Voltage now should be between 13.75 and 14.75 volts. It also suggests the battery is in pretty good condition. Normally the vehicle's electrical system will draw that voltage down more when the charging system isn't working.

The 16.1 and 15.8A confuses me. Is that amps? Where and how did you measure that?

If there's a diagnostic fault code set, find the exact code number and tell me that. You can also go here:

https://www.2carpros.com/trouble_codes/obd2

to see the definitions, or I can interpret them for you. This code could have something to do with the belt being misrouted the first time. If the generator wasn't spinning with the engine running, that would be detected and the code would be set, but simply fixing the problem doesn't make the code go away. On some car brands the code will self-erase over time, but that typically takes up to 50 engine starts. Otherwise, you have to erase the codes yourself. Your code reader might be capable of doing that. If you can erase the codes, do so, then see if any set again. That will give us a dandy starting point.
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Sunday, January 7th, 2024 AT 6:25 PM

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