VW Crafter Alternator Replacement to fix our squeak!
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- Опубліковано 13 лис 2022
- We have a van mechanical problem...our van has a squeak and we need to fix our van before something breaks! Vanlife mechanical repairs are our forte, but this one has us stumped. Can we fix our van squeak with an alternator replacement, or is there something more lurking under our bonnet?
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As an aeronautical engineer that specializes in vintage aircraft you guys are doing things right, one thing at a time when parts fail, you don't ignore your engines subtle ways of telling you "I NEED A DOCTOR" but at 150k pretty much every bearing fitted from factory will need replaced from the belt bearings to wheel bearings, soon your injectors will go, your turbos will go and engine block will need skimmed, the piston shells will need replaced and if that's not enough the prop shafts on these vans are known in some cases to go at as little as 50K so get under the van and give it a wiggle for signs of play. my advice would be to just keep doing what you're doing and keep on top of it, change your engine oil and all air filters every 3 to 5 thousand miles and if your rear diff and gearbox oil hasn't been changed then do that and I reckon your engines good for another 200k easy I'd say.
Yep, she's well looked after but things do wear out...in fact in the next video (ua-cam.com/video/Z0jle2dNLbQ/v-deo.html) we end up doing what you've said and replace...ALOT, just to make sure she keeps running.
The oil and filters are always done every 10,000km, and anything that needs doing even if it's expensive is done to reduce the risk of something catastrophic happening since she is our home, not just a vehicle for us 😊
@@FreedomStrider Nice one, I always look forward to your videos. 👍
Glad it’s finally sorted now guys xx
It took a few more pieces than just the alternator but we got there 🤣
I have the same van, and I know my Crafter as my jeans pocket. If you have any questions just text me. All the best from Germany.
Will do, I think we are over the mechanical hurdle (for now) and should be good for a while :)
@@FreedomStrider Yes, the Crafter is a solid Machine. I have over 500.000 KM on my van, and it still running like a beast. 👋👋👋
Gigup for your helppers
They did a great job 👍
Sounds like the aux belt pre-tensioner. The small bearing that is sprung loaded. To be honest, any mechanics worth their salt would replace this at same time as alternator as it costs pennies when the guy is there doing the work . A good squirt of wd40 when idling in turn on each bearing might identify the culprit. Good luck.
Good tip about the wd40. We think we got a great guy to diagnose and fix the problem(s) causing the squeal - it's looking promising that they'll get the whole belt, pulley, tensioner system sorted. 🤞👍
Do you know how to release the belt tensioner? If so, lift it up and remove the serpentine belt. This takes the power steering & tensioner ,& alt. out of the equation.That will leave to 2 going to the fan. Still squeaky pull one of those 2. This takes the power steering & tensioner out of the equation.
Yes we can release the tension, we think the tensioner is bust as well but it's a pain in the butt to remove since there's 1 bolt behind hidden...our fan is also loose so it could be that as well!! 👀
Wd40 in the Bearing 👍🏼
Good tip for next time 👌
I had this on a Merc.....
Replaced belts and belt tensioner
Aye, we've had to replace more than that 👀 but this was our thoughts
Good luck, I hope you're able to solve it soon. It feels such a headache... Maybe take a couple of day off, afterwards?
That squeal definitely leads to headaches, it's been getting worse so driving the van can be rather an ordeal 😵💫😅
Hi Sam and Polly, you may be sorted by the time you read this, but if not, I suggest you find a local dealer who only sells campervans. If they have their own service centre, they will probably have come across this problem before so should be able to fix it. If they subcontract their repairs, find out who does it and take your van there. It will probably be a commercial vehicle repair centre rather than a car repair centre, so be prepared for it to be a bit basic but the guys there are likely to know what they're doing.
Thanks, those are great options to find the right people for campervans - it can be a real ordeal finding the people who have the experience to know what they are doing. We think we found a great mechanic who knows Mercedes and VW engine bays well, fingers crossed we'll be mechanically in the clear soon 🤞😄
Our company ran about fifty vehicles in the fleet. One of which was a VW, guess which was the most unreliable? It broke down several times before I managed to off load it.
Real rotten luck with that VW. 😞 VWs as a general rule should be fairly reliable, they just cost so much to repair - miraculously Mercedes is actually cheaper. Hope the new VWs are better 🤞
Definitely get a can of wd40 with a straw, spray it on the bearings one at a time, and see which one eases the noise...that will be the source....if you can't identify it by that method it could be a bad idler or tensioner on the timing belt...
Thanks that's really helpful to know 😊
Was going to suggest that. Spray all the bearings with the engine off. Start the van and spray them all again . KEEPING your fingers out of the belts. even if you use a full can . DO NOT use spray OIL as if it gets on the belts they could slip. And always keep a tin as a spare . Ideal for door locks and hinges . use the red tube to get into the locks. hopefully this all works.
I’m 12 minutes in so not sure if you’re gonna figure it out but you use a stethoscope or a simply a piece of hose to determine the source of the squeak. Secondly, a responsible professional should have suggested to check or replace all the other rolling things: pulleys, water pump, whatever. I’m betting it’s a 20 euro roller bearing or belt tensioner. I’m not a mechanic and don’t work on vehicles but my own, but have encountered this several times in my life already.
It's great to learn all these methods of locating the squeal, we have been scratching our heads for a while. Yes replacing the whole system would be best, lucky the alternator had to be done and upgraded regardless, but we all love and learn we now know how to do it next 😊
Take belts off until the squeek stops, it will identify which if any belt system the noise is coming from.
Good tip 🙂👍
Edit for language gremlins… This is a pattern that we all recognize… we try to be sensible and prepare ourselves by reading up and asking advice. In the meantime, we have semi-diagnosed the problem for the professional, so the mechanic just becomes a spanner juggler, and simply just does what you tell him to do. In many cases, we actually pay for the mechanic’s skills, particularly their diagnostic skills. If you bring them a problem (the squeak), you should expect an estimate and a solution. Now you took all the risk and all the cost, paid for brain+muscle service, but only got the muscle. Next you’ll pay AGAIN for undoing the muscle work, twice (removing/installing the belt etc.). Changing the alternator, or the alternator and one roller bearing costs you the same in labor, but not if you do it sequentially. I know this so well because is a thoroughly rehearsed case of do as I say, don’t do as I do 😖.
You certainly sound like someone who has had a lot of experience with mechanics and have learnt your lessons. I think you have read the situation quite accurately 😜. The mechanics who did the alternator were great and did the job we asked them to, but as they came to us (rather than us go to their garage) we lost the light and we didn't have the time or tools to do a full diagnostic. A shame but we know better now how this pulley belt system is best maintained and will be looking for a full replacement... It's probably time anyway 😊
Try a belt dressing spray, put it on all yours belts and check if the noise disappear if not it it something else …
That was suggested but we tried a few things and realised it wasn't just a belt that needed doing 👀 youll see soon enough 😭🤣
don't wanna be rude, but it's clearly belt slipping noise, nothing "to find out"
easy check belt and tension, tensioners, pulleys and other auxiliary components compressor, fan, power steering pump, alternator, water pump or whatever
It's only clear once you know, we actually ended up replacing nearly all the parts you said (ua-cam.com/video/Z0jle2dNLbQ/v-deo.html)
That being said, we brought it to multiple mechanics and none performed the so called easy tests 🤷♀️ They didn't even want to work on the vehicle
It's definitely a bearing and not a belt. The squeaking sound changes as you increase or decrease the rpm of the engine, meaning it's mechanically connected to the engine.
Its probably the auxiliary belt tensioner or the fan bearing.
If you've got the time and the correct tools you could change the bearings yourself. They're significantly cheaper than replacing the whole unit itself.
Also, I'd avoid tyre centres working on anything other than tyres.
Hope you get to the bottom of it
You put your finger on it I think, the fan blade bearing does seem to play more than it should and by the looks of it is a few things in that pulley belt system.
And we have learnt our lesson about tyre centres... I'm not even going to them for tyres anymore... spoiler... That tyre center put our brake calliper line upside down with a kink and didn't clean our binding brake sliders... we maybe slightly pissed at them 😅
Hey dude, I always enjoy your videos but please don’t wear the kind of clothes, when you work next to a running engine. It’s just a small tip.
Thank you 🙏
Thanks for the tip, I assume you mean looser clothing that can get tangled in the belts and moving parts?
@@FreedomStrider exactly 🙏🙏