Can someone please give a rundown on how to change the alternator on a 2000? All I've found is for the 2001+ and they say to jack the car up and go in from the wheelwell?

 

from the bottom, gota remove the ac compressor and set it aside without removing the hoses.. losen bolts , remove , top one can be a pain,

 

Search owns you......

http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...-bolt-wtf.html

 

2001 should be the same as the 2000, no? but yeah, what professor said sounds right.. i remember looking it up before, and you gotta take out the AC compressor, and maybe the radiotor? either way, it's PITA bread

 

took about 30 to 40 mins for me to do. i remember one bolt was a pain, cant remember which one.but yeah remove the 4 compressor mounting bolts and it basicly falls out.

 

oh really? i thought it would take longer.. i'm not dreading the alternator replacement anymore, lol.. so the AC compressor is the one up front that looks like the radiator.. and the AC condensor is the one that the serpentine belt wraps around right?

 

its the compressor that you have to remove(that has the pulley the belt is on). i think it is easier if not required to also get the radiator fan shroud out of the way too.

 

Please loosen the bolt on the idler pulley before loosening the tensioner bolt. Just trust me on that one or you'll end up with a broken tensioner bolt. Nissan stocks them for just such an occasion.

 

As posted, go from the bottom. This was the first one for me to change and it took me about 3.5 hours. Second one will take much less time. I'm not an expert. I just wanted to share my experience with the good folks checking out this forum which helped me a bunch.

An alternator fault will usually blow the fuse that supplies power to the diagnostic part of your car's computer. I'd go ahead and check the fuse so that when you install the new alternator you won't see the Battery and Brake Lights, which indicate an Alternator, Battery, or combination of the two problem. The fuse is a 10 amp mini fuse and is labeled on the cover as Alt, located in the fuse box in the engine compartment next to battery.

1. ON SOLID LEVEL GROUND, Chock wheels, remove passenger front tire, use a jack stand or some other secondary device so that you have a backup plan if the jack fails for some reason. (no reason for an alt change to lead to a death in the family)

2. Disconnect battery - main electrical connection on alt is connected to positive terminal on battery and will cause a serious arc if you touch a grounded part of the motor with a wrench or socket/ratchet while removing it (with battery still connected).

3. Alt has two electrical connections. Disconnect main power connection on top of alt (13mm I think). Unclip electrical connector.

4. Release tension on belt and remove by first loosening the nut in the center of the tension pulley (this nut locks the pulley in place, then you can loosen the belt by putting a six point socket 14mm on the tension adjust on top of the assembly. This is a good opportunity to replace the belt if it's worn or cracked.

5. Unclip the connector attached to the AC Compressor (small clip). You will need to remove the AC Compressor (4 bolts that point to the front of the car) (14mm) - Let the compressor hang. DO NOT REMOVE ANY LINES FROM THE COMPRESSOR! - You will need to shift it around to facilitate the alt removal. The AC Compressor uses the same belt as alt to drive it.

6. Remove the alternator by removing two bolts, one on top (short) and one on bottom (long). The long bolt has a bracket style nut.

7. Install the alternator by following steps in reverse order. Replace belt if worn or cracked.

8. Don't panic if your Battery and Brake lights stay illuminated after you change the alt. You probably blew a 10 Amp Mini Fuse in the Fuse Box in the engine compartment next to the battery.

9. With battery connected the voltage should be around 12.0 - 12.5 volts and when you start the car, at an idle with no accessories running the alternator should take the voltage up to a range of 13.5 to 15 volts.

Good luck and be careful! If you have no clue what your dong, seek the services of a qualified mechanic!!!! You'll both be happy in the long run.

 

good post powerguy..fans are just 2 connections and 2 bolts..2mins