Hey guys, well the alternator took a dump on me this morning on the way to class....had it towed back to the house. Are there any recomendations on which alternator and where to buy it? I see bavauto has the 65 amp bosch model....anything else anyone would reccomend instead of that?

Also if anyone knows where to get those little clips that hold the black plastic strip on the door sill, the peice that helps hold the carpet down and the wires run beneath it. If anyone knows where to get those clips im looking for a few. Thanks

Heres an updated pic of the car by the way

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[url=http://www.hostdub.com/Boosted20th2886:IMG_2124_001:full]http://www.hostdub.com/albums/Boosted20th2886/IMG_2124_001.sized.jpg (http://www.hostdub.com/Boosted20th2886:IMG_2124_001:full)

Ian K

If your alternator wasn't making weird noises before it died, check out the voltage regulator (it's the black thing on the back of the alternator held in by 2 machine screws). Its possible the brushes are just worn down & not making good contact anymore. Plus, a replacement voltage regulator is a lot cheaper & easier than replacing the whole alternator.

any bmw dealer should be able to get those clips for ya (however, they usually charge significantly more than the listing price). Or, go to an online parts source (like autohausaz.com or bmaparts.com) and those clips should be about 30 cents each (but you'll need to pay shipping, unless your order exceeds $50)

ok, will do! Thanks....how can i test the regulator? I know how we do it on old aircooled dubs, but they dont have brushes or anything like that. Thanks

Ian K

w/ a multi meter? i dunno, i'm not exactly sure how to go about testing it.

However, the brushes are on springs & eventually do wear down...it's a lot easier comparing it to a new voltage regulator (or new brushes if you can source just the brushes) & note the missing material on the old one.

here's a pic of what the voltage regulator looks like: http://www.autohausaz.com/secure/PartImages/30063.jpg


you could try going to a local parts store, buy the voltage regulator, install it to see if that was your problem. And if that didn't fix the problem, just return it (if it's a returnable part)

oh ok....ill just compare it to that picture the best i can. Its only $11 from bav auto anyways, i need to order some stuff from them so ill just grab one and see if it works. Thanks

Ian K

make that pic your sig.....!

done ;)

Ian K

<3 both your cars. especially your shiny ass wheels on the e21, well done.

<3 both your cars. especially your shiny ass wheels on the e21, well done.

Appreciate it :D The E21 is still my fathers as of now, but im the main driver and carer of the car :) .....its too bad neither of them run right now though. Dub has been down for a few weeks, hopefully i can get it back up and running this week....thursday hopefully. Ive just been so busy with school and work lately, with finals coming up i have a crap ton of reports and projects due....or else i would have time to fix the both of them. Owell.

Ian k

amen on the ton of projects and exams. bimmerforums and the e21 have taken the backseat for the past few weeks for me:(

let me know how that voltage regulator works out...my alternator is shot too.

AJ