Thanks for all the support! If you’re enjoying my videos and you would like to help out so that I can make even better videos, check out the link below! www.paypal.me/RiggsGarage
To those who have trouble getting the alternator in: the bottom mounting hole (on the engine assembly, not the alternator) has a metal bushing insert. This bushing will press against the alternator when you torque the bolt. If you have trouble fitting the bottom bracket in, get something to tap the bushing outboard. I just used a wrench. This will provide enough clearance for the alternator to slide into its place. Thank you for the instructional video.
A good point… I fought with mine for a while until realizing this bushing can be moved out toward the pulley side - a very helpful tip and something to watch for - pretty easy install once you move that bushing on the bottom mounting bracket 👍
Thanks for the video. We were traveling from north Texas to Nashville this weekend and as we entered Memphis our alternator decided it wanted to quit. With 5 kids and a wife in tow, we broke down. After a few dozen calls, we were able to get the car towed to a local AutoZone (being a holiday weekend, Friday at 3 in the afternoon, no one was able to touch the car until Tuesday, plus they wanted over $850 to do the repair). After watching your video, a few borrowed tools (thanks AutoZone guy!), and an semi-busy AutoZone parking lot, we were able to get back on the road!
Good for you ! It's not a fun thing in a parking lot ! You have earned the "Trouble Free Miles" Award ! One UA-camr recommended a long cable tie to help hold the thing while maneuvering into place--Yes!
Dealership wanted $1,267 plus taxes and a couple of other fees - this video saved me a solid $700 after returning the core unit back to Lordco auto parts… huge thanks man! Really appreciate you putting this content online for those of us willing to DIY! For anyone reading this, just take your time and be patient as you walk through each step shown here - btw, for the tension pulley - you don’t need to rent the special tool if you already have a breaker bar in your toolbox - 14mm socket and a breaker worked just fine too 👍👍👍
I had to do this 3 1/2 years ago on my 2011. I must’ve been one of the first to do it because there were no UA-cam videos outlining the process. It took me so long to wedge it out of there that I actually unbolted the AC compressor to game clearance. That crappy AutoZone alternator died on me last night, took me less than an hour to wedge it out this time from your video! Thank you for outlining How to wedge it out and back in. “Electrical side up, bolt tab out” really did make the process so much easier this time! If you have a Venmo, I’ll gladly go buy you some chipotle!
Just wanted to say thanks for the overview. Was able to swap my 2011 Odyssey alternator in about 2.5 hours by myself. There was a little cursing and some blood spent trying to get the thing out, but was all good. Thanks again!
Thank you for this video. The way you showed which things you disconnected so that you could get the alternator out was super helpful. I haven't done something like this in a couple of decades, and never on a minivan, which are notoriously cramped. Normally I would have taken it to a mechanic, but with the Labor day holiday and all, I didn't think I would be able to find a mechanic that wasn't already slammed. Given the number of kids we have, we really needed the minivan to work. The timing on this repair wasn't great, but it could have been worse. I did the repair yesterday, but took a break when the temp got to 103. If I had waited for today, it would have been worse with an expected high of 112. You have sent good into the world, and I pray it comes back to you many times over. Thank you.
Thanks, did this job in an autozone parking lot in less than 2 hours during a family vacation. Service manual said to remove the ac compressor while leaving the lines connected to allow clearance but this way allowed me to get the job done without messing with the AC compressor. Thanks again!!
Man, I am literally in the same situation. I have to go to AutoZone tomorrow morning while on vacation to swap this out. They had all the tools you needed? Loaners?
@@scottmason7129 All good! I followed your video and I was able to get it all swapped out in the Ace Hardware parking lot within a couple hours :). It would not have been possible without this video. Thanks!
This video was excellent. It made replacing my alternator significantly easier. I do have a couple of additions for people to consider. First: after removing the coolant tank remove the bracket as well. Second: as you move the alternator to the side where the radiator expansion tank was use the serpentine belt tensioner tool to push the pulley toward the passenger compartment. I had a friend help with this step. This will give you additional room to feed the alternator to the opening where it can be raised out of the car. This same process should be used to install the new alternator. Third: Once the old alternator is removed measure the width of the alternator where the lower bolt goes through it. Press in the bushing on the new alternator and if necessary grind or file the side of the alternator (where the bolt goes through the alternator) down until the width is 0.020 inches smaller than the original alternator. This will make sliding the new alternator into the engine bracket significantly easier.
Great video. Helped me do the job quickly. Id like to suggest you add the "Removal of the Windshield Washer Bracket." During my attempt to remove my alternator, I reached the point where the Brute Strength was needed. I couldn't remove it. That's when I noticed that bracket was preventing me lifting the alternator out. I pushed the alternator back to it's original position, removed the Wind Shield Washer Bracket and that made all the difference in the world. The alternator slid out very easy. Just a thought. Please keep making repair videos. they are really helpful.
Glad to contribute to your Paypal for your fine effort!! GREAT TUTORIAL and the added comments below were also helpful! Wife was stranded 90 minutes from home and pulled into a gas station with the "check charging system" and "Battery" lights on. I drove to parts store and bought an alternator and got free rental of tensioner bar and drove to swap out the alternator. Job time was about 2 hours and I saved a ton of $$ and scored some great points from my sweet wife.
Nice video. Thanks for the detailed instructions. I also appreciate how you displayed all the tools required for the replacement before you got started. Good work.
I just got home from San Marcos tx and this video helped me a lot to replace my bad alternator, it took me 2hrs to replace it. Thanks Riggs garage for this detailed video.
The two bolts holding the alternator in (12mm and 14mm in this video) are freaking Allen wrench fittings on mine :-( so yeah this is fun. Thanks Honda. Factory too.
Gross, Sorry to hear that. The plugs can be tricky too, hold that tab down and wiggle it back and forth. You can put a small screwdriver in the seam between the two connectors, but the chances of the hard metal damaging the plastic are pretty good.
This is a great video and it was really helpful. A minor suggestion: at 3:46 you remove the PS reservoir by unbolting the bracket. You don't need to unbolt that bracket, the reservoir just slides into the bracket --you can just slide it out. Also, someone else mentioned the bushing in the bottom bolt mount and that their new alternator was too wide to fit. If you have calipers, measure the width of the old lower mount and compare it to the new one before you drop it down to fit. If it's too wide, tap the bushing with a hammer or file it until you're sure it will fit. It will save you some frustration.
Thank you for this! I was able to get my tools together beforehand. Spool valve o-ring was leaking and fried my alternator. Changed that o-ring while I was at it!
Spool valve? Can you elaborate? I have changed the alternator, then the tensioner, and after that, power steering pump was leaking. Now the alternator just went bad and I'm about to change it again, so I'm back here watching a couple videos to remember the process. (At least my alternator is covered under warranty, so doing this myself means it will cost me nothing except my time.)
@@Marlin101084 also called a V-TEC solenoid. It sits above the alternator and is prone to leak. My replacement alternator actually had a tag on it warning about that part leaking oil, and that an oil-soaked alternator wouldn't be covered under warranty.
Great instructions. Took about five hours from start to finish including a trip to the parts store to borrow a belt tool and buy a new battery (five years old). Thanks.
Thanks to your video I was able to do it in 2 hours. I took out the radiator and condenser brackets in the front so I had some slack pulling out the alternator and installing the new one was a breeze, You saved me $700!!!
This video was amazing! One tip to make it come out and go in easier. Push the tensioner out of the way with the bar and it gives you a lot more clearance!
Great vid! To add - my power steering pump slowly bled from where the hose was connected. I didn’t realize until it made a pretty big mess. Difficult to stop. Good luck. I tried a cellophane bag and a hefty rubber band. It helped.
Thanks you Rigg. Followed instructions just as you mentioned.. Perfect install. Only extra thing I had to do was use a car jumpstarter the first time after replacing my old alternator. Thanks for the video. Kudos dude
I have done this once.. doing it a second time in the morning. The first time, I didn’t pull the radiator, but I did take it loose. It only gave a couple more inches of wiggle room. I’m going to follow this video in the morning and see how it goes. Thanks man, good video. The tool list👍🏻
This was extremely helpful. Took me and hour to get the alternator out. Then a little less to get it back. In total a 2 hour job. I wore nitrile gloves and that kept my hands clean and made post-work scrubbing very easy. Thanks for the video. Could not have had the courage to try without it!
@@RiggsGarage It went very smoothly!! Took about 2 hours, but there was some car talk with one of his neighbors during. Thanks again!! Btw, those are pricey alternators!!
Great video! One thing I found. You don't need to remove the power steering line. just loosen the reservoir and pull it out of the way. Saves a lot of mess with fluid spill. Also, I was able to remove the old alternator without removing the overflow tank bracket, but reinstalling was almost impossible with the bracket in the way. Hope the comment helps anyone attempting this at home.
Also, no need to remove the power steering reservoir bracket using the 10mm socket… that tank just clips out of the metal bracket - when done just slide it back in again until it clips back into place on the bracket
Thank you Thank you thank you. Can't Thank you enough bro. Two hours I was done.(Not to mention dropping sockets and bolts and fishing em ). Saved me time and money. God bless you.
That is so awesome! Thank you for the detailed video. I rarely do these types of repairs myself, but now after finishing it I feel so proud and I'm so happy I saved a few hundred $$.
Thank you so much for this video made the change of the alternator much easier one thing I did extra was to remove the braket for the radiador overflow this made the extraction so easy thanks
Great video, the only thing you might not need to take off the power steering reservoir bolts . There is clip behind the reservoir just pull it and then pull the reservoir. Thanks
Nice job, thank you. You did most of that one handed too, lol! This video will save me a lot of money doing it myself and gives me the confidence to do it myself.
Probably the best how-to video for 2011 Honda Odyssey alternator replacement on UA-cam. I found three and this one was the best. One thing is that they RECOMMEND changing the VTEC solenoid gasket when doing an alternator replacement. Your local Honda dealer will NOT have this gasket. It's a "grey" part which means they don't sell it separate from the more expensive part that it's in. They are readily available on Amazon. Probably one of the toughest DIY jobs one can do on a car. Mid-level repair without anything major going wrong like broken bolts. Mind your torque specs. I think it's only 33 ft-lbs for the larger bolt and 16 ft-lbs for the smaller one.
Thanks for the comment, glad you liked the video! Good tip on the solenoid gasket - I'll look that up for the next job. Me and my friends are always trying to keep our vans together and running smoothly haha, I believe at least 6 other families I know have these Odysseys
Riggs Garage Honda Odyssey’s are all over the place. I try to keep up on all of the repairs myself; so everything that goes around 100k: control arms, sensors, alternator, etc...we’re right in that area where these annoying repairs are coming up. I’ve saved literally thousands of dollars doing all the work myself.
Excellent video, least amount of stuff moved and removed. By the way, this still works for earlier models, doing it on a 2007,, pretty much the same PIA lol
Spent an hour and couldn't get the alternator out past the AC line. But, it came out easily when i had someone else push on the belt tension wheel with the serpentine tool...it made a lot more space and came out easily. Same thing for putting it back in. The Denso part from Rock auto fit like a glove. Lining up the bottom bolt through the holes also took two people, but using tie straps through the upper bolt hole to hold the alternator with the hands helped alot with alignment. Took 6 hours: a) dropped a bolt into the bottom of engine and had to lift van to get it, b) dropped my 10mm deep socket and had to lift van, c) belt came off completely from the Camshaft and AC compressor wheels, had to jack up the car and get help to wind the belt through its path.
Sounds like most car jobs lol, yesterday I did an alternator on a v6 camry, dropped a bolt in pan of coolant, that took a long time to find. Firmly believe 10mm sockets were made to lose. I also had the darn belt slip off and my 9 yo son held the tool while I crawled under it and slid the belt on the crank pulley. Fun times!
Great video! Help me out, I just replaced mine and now my a/c won’t work. There was one small plug on the end of the alternator plug wire that was not connected. Is that it?
@@RiggsGarage I replaced it, and it worked! It was very hard getting the alternator out, and the 14mm bolt did not go back in easily...still that saved a good amount of money. Thanks!
First thanks for the good instructions and video. Second, anyone that did this solo big props to you I needed back up 💯 Also don't under any circumstance drop a bolt they can be hard to get back lol it's doable all day so go and try it. Bring back up that alternator is heavy at some points
I did mostly the same process on my 2008. A couple differences for those that have earlier models: 1) the coolant reservoir and air box are in different locations so you don't need to worry about those steps 2) the tensioner is a different style, with an Allen head to remove the pulley. Don't use that. There is a 19mm post just below the tensioner pulley, put your belt tool out breaker bar on that post to move tensioner.
#1. You definitely need to push tensioner over while pulling out alternator #2. Tap the split insert inside the front through hole on the lower bracket on engine forward. It will allow the lower bracket to fit inside the engine’s bracket. #3. Best to take top connector bracket off of engine (and top alternator bolt out as well). You’ll never get the alternator out with that bracket still attached to alternator. #4. Important. For many models, the top bracket to engine bolt is a 6mm Cap Screw (Allen Bolt). It’s not a 10 mm or 12 mm hex head like OP says.
Any more tips on getting that lower bolt seated? I tapped the bushing back to help with clearance. But she still won't fit like a glove for me. Probably what I get using carquest parts.
@@sambrown7843 I've done a couple of these where I literally had to shave a tiny bit of metal off of the the alternator to make it fit in its spot. I use the flap disc on a grinder, but you can use a file if you don't have that.
Thanks for uploading this, it really helped me out! Replacing this sucked! There’s gotta be a better way than massaging the A/C lines out of the way. It would really suck if an alternator job turned into an A/C job too. Maybe pulling the radiator?
Thanks for watching! I have seen it done with the radiator out as well, this is easier (to me). As long as you're careful with the lines you're good, but the risk is there haha!
What was your symptoms of the bad alt? I have a 2016 Honda Odyssey, & i just replaced the original battery because it was dead in the morning, but it has a new battery & dead again 😑
The symptoms were low voltage in the system, I tested the alternator output with a voltmeter and it was less than 12 volts. Then I took the van to AutoZone and used their charging system testing equipment
I had a few hours in it while filming. I am not sure how much a shop would charge, I never go to them haha! Call around, include the Honda dealer for a likely higher quote to gauge others against
I bought a denso remanufactured and am stuck getting the bottom bracket to fit between the two flames on the engine. Seems about a 1/32 larger than the one that came out. Is there a way to get this in? Try to move the bushing in the left flange to give more room them tighten with the bolt?
I've had that happen before on an alternator I ordered online. I covered the air vents of the alternator with rags and took a tiny bit of metal off the alternator. Really easy, fit perfectly. Probably not the best advice, but it worked well and there are no issues with the vehicle after a few years still.
Very, informative instructions!! Awesome!!! I have a question....... what type of alternator did you purchase? I have a 2014 Honda Odyssey LX there are so many options, what alternator is the best ???? 🤔
I think it was an O'Reiley remanufactured alternator, I recommend the Denso alternator, amzn.to/3z2XOgM, also there is a cheaper one in the description of this video, here amzn.to/3cfWD40 - just make sure it fits your application. Thanks for watching!
On the power steering reservoir, why not just push the little tab and slide it off the bracket vs removing the bracket? The bracket doesn't cause any issues, it's flat and very small.
Our Honda alternator started to whine and the battery died. After the jump all the lights are in in the car and the transmission shifting was out of proper sync. Why does low power affect transmission shifting? I know I on old cars the transmission shifted based on fluids and RPS not electrical power. I'm guessing they are electronically controlled shifting now but not sure.
thanks for this video you saved me a lot of money i did it like you said thanks again gracias por este video me ahorraste mucho dinero lo hice como dijiste gracias de nuevo
One of the best auto mechanics procedure videos I've seen. Just one question. Is it necessary to bleed the power steering after opening up that hose? I'm assuming it's a return line so any air introduced just bubbles up immediately. But I want to confirm first. Thanks for posting the video!
Hi there My car shut down on the street, then I change new alternator now come up code P0560 , I did change new battery too, but alternator we buy 150 amp not same 130 amp . So some one knows about fix code P 0560 . Thanks
I found it much easier to remove and install the alternator by using the idler tool to pull the idler back and gaining about 1 inch of extra space. Instead of bending AC lines.
You can, but really this will not get air into the pressurized portion of the system when you hook this reservoir back up, any air you introduced in the system is going to head upward and as long as you don't start the car and pull that air bubble in before you connect the reservoir back up, you should be fine without bleeding it.
thanks for the video i was going to do it myself but i have never in my life worked on a car before and i dont even have all those tools and its not even my car so i feel kinda bad that i dont want to risk doing this job my self sad face
Hey thanks for watching. Videos like this are also good to help DIYers decide whether or not they actually want to do the project. It might cause them more pain than it's worth and it might be worth taking it to a shop to have it done. Thanks for the comment!
Thanks for all the support! If you’re enjoying my videos and you would like to help out so that I can make even better videos, check out the link below! www.paypal.me/RiggsGarage
What a fantastically awesome video.
I pull the alternator off a 2012 Honda odyssey but a purple wire came loose with the clip
Idk where it goes ?
To those who have trouble getting the alternator in: the bottom mounting hole (on the engine assembly, not the alternator) has a metal bushing insert. This bushing will press against the alternator when you torque the bolt. If you have trouble fitting the bottom bracket in, get something to tap the bushing outboard. I just used a wrench. This will provide enough clearance for the alternator to slide into its place. Thank you for the instructional video.
This is true, great comment! Thanks for watching
Literally saved me.
A good point… I fought with mine for a while until realizing this bushing can be moved out toward the pulley side - a very helpful tip and something to watch for - pretty easy install once you move that bushing on the bottom mounting bracket 👍
Had to come back and say thank you for this! I read your comment before I started and after about a min of fighting I remembered what you said.👍🏻🙌
@@PatriotFlames You're welcome. :) I fought with it for an hour in a hot parking lot. I figured it'll save someone else down the line.
This is THE video to watch if you need to change out your alternator. What an amazingly detailed process. A very big Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words!
Thanks for the video. We were traveling from north Texas to Nashville this weekend and as we entered Memphis our alternator decided it wanted to quit. With 5 kids and a wife in tow, we broke down. After a few dozen calls, we were able to get the car towed to a local AutoZone (being a holiday weekend, Friday at 3 in the afternoon, no one was able to touch the car until Tuesday, plus they wanted over $850 to do the repair). After watching your video, a few borrowed tools (thanks AutoZone guy!), and an semi-busy AutoZone parking lot, we were able to get back on the road!
Great job! I have 4 kids, $850 is not in the budget, especially on a trip. Glad you got it done.
Good for you ! It's not a fun thing in a parking lot ! You have earned the "Trouble Free Miles" Award ! One UA-camr recommended a long cable tie to help hold the thing while maneuvering into place--Yes!
Dealership wanted $1,267 plus taxes and a couple of other fees - this video saved me a solid $700 after returning the core unit back to Lordco auto parts… huge thanks man! Really appreciate you putting this content online for those of us willing to DIY! For anyone reading this, just take your time and be patient as you walk through each step shown here - btw, for the tension pulley - you don’t need to rent the special tool if you already have a breaker bar in your toolbox - 14mm socket and a breaker worked just fine too 👍👍👍
Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad to help people save money and learn new things
I had to do this 3 1/2 years ago on my 2011. I must’ve been one of the first to do it because there were no UA-cam videos outlining the process. It took me so long to wedge it out of there that I actually unbolted the AC compressor to game clearance. That crappy AutoZone alternator died on me last night, took me less than an hour to wedge it out this time from your video! Thank you for outlining How to wedge it out and back in. “Electrical side up, bolt tab out” really did make the process so much easier this time!
If you have a Venmo, I’ll gladly go buy you some chipotle!
So happy to hear it was helpful for you! No need to send food my way haha although Chipotle is delicious
Just wanted to say thanks for the overview. Was able to swap my 2011 Odyssey alternator in about 2.5 hours by myself. There was a little cursing and some blood spent trying to get the thing out, but was all good. Thanks again!
Great work! Thanks for watching 👍
Thank you for this video. The way you showed which things you disconnected so that you could get the alternator out was super helpful. I haven't done something like this in a couple of decades, and never on a minivan, which are notoriously cramped. Normally I would have taken it to a mechanic, but with the Labor day holiday and all, I didn't think I would be able to find a mechanic that wasn't already slammed. Given the number of kids we have, we really needed the minivan to work. The timing on this repair wasn't great, but it could have been worse. I did the repair yesterday, but took a break when the temp got to 103. If I had waited for today, it would have been worse with an expected high of 112. You have sent good into the world, and I pray it comes back to you many times over. Thank you.
I'm happy to help, I'm glad that you got it done and saved some money.
Thanks, did this job in an autozone parking lot in less than 2 hours during a family vacation. Service manual said to remove the ac compressor while leaving the lines connected to allow clearance but this way allowed me to get the job done without messing with the AC compressor. Thanks again!!
Great work! This is exactly what I intended with the video
Man, I am literally in the same situation. I have to go to AutoZone tomorrow morning while on vacation to swap this out. They had all the tools you needed? Loaners?
@@s.leegooding1827 Sorry! just saw your comment, hopefully you got it figured out without to much trouble.
@@scottmason7129 All good! I followed your video and I was able to get it all swapped out in the Ace Hardware parking lot within a couple hours :). It would not have been possible without this video. Thanks!
This video was excellent. It made replacing my alternator significantly easier. I do have a couple of additions for people to consider. First: after removing the coolant tank remove the bracket as well. Second: as you move the alternator to the side where the radiator expansion tank was use the serpentine belt tensioner tool to push the pulley toward the passenger compartment. I had a friend help with this step. This will give you additional room to feed the alternator to the opening where it can be raised out of the car. This same process should be used to install the new alternator. Third: Once the old alternator is removed measure the width of the alternator where the lower bolt goes through it. Press in the bushing on the new alternator and if necessary grind or file the side of the alternator (where the bolt goes through the alternator) down until the width is 0.020 inches smaller than the original alternator. This will make sliding the new alternator into the engine bracket significantly easier.
Those are great tips, I have done several more since I filmed this video and that's right on. Thanks for watching, Great comment!
Great video. Helped me do the job quickly.
Id like to suggest you add the "Removal of the Windshield Washer Bracket." During my attempt to remove my alternator, I reached the point where the Brute Strength was needed. I couldn't remove it. That's when I noticed that bracket was preventing me lifting the alternator out. I pushed the alternator back to it's original position, removed the Wind Shield Washer Bracket and that made all the difference in the world. The alternator slid out very easy. Just a thought. Please keep making repair videos. they are really helpful.
Glad to contribute to your Paypal for your fine effort!!
GREAT TUTORIAL and the added comments below were also helpful! Wife was stranded 90 minutes from home and pulled into a gas station with the "check charging system" and "Battery" lights on. I drove to parts store and bought an alternator and got free rental of tensioner bar and drove to swap out the alternator. Job time was about 2 hours and I saved a ton of $$ and scored some great points from my sweet wife.
So glad to hear! No need to pay me, happy to help
Nice video. Thanks for the detailed instructions. I also appreciate how you displayed all the tools required for the replacement before you got started. Good work.
Appreciate the kind words and the feedback. Thanks for watching!
I just got home from San Marcos tx and this video helped me a lot to replace my bad alternator, it took me 2hrs to replace it. Thanks Riggs garage for this detailed video.
You're welcome, glad to help!
The two bolts holding the alternator in (12mm and 14mm in this video) are freaking Allen wrench fittings on mine :-( so yeah this is fun. Thanks Honda. Factory too.
Also, the electric plug in is STUCK. I have tried for 15+ minutes and it is not coming out.
Gross, Sorry to hear that. The plugs can be tricky too, hold that tab down and wiggle it back and forth. You can put a small screwdriver in the seam between the two connectors, but the chances of the hard metal damaging the plastic are pretty good.
This is a great video and it was really helpful. A minor suggestion: at 3:46 you remove the PS reservoir by unbolting the bracket. You don't need to unbolt that bracket, the reservoir just slides into the bracket --you can just slide it out. Also, someone else mentioned the bushing in the bottom bolt mount and that their new alternator was too wide to fit. If you have calipers, measure the width of the old lower mount and compare it to the new one before you drop it down to fit. If it's too wide, tap the bushing with a hammer or file it until you're sure it will fit. It will save you some frustration.
Exactly right 👍👍
Thank you for this! I was able to get my tools together beforehand. Spool valve o-ring was leaking and fried my alternator. Changed that o-ring while I was at it!
Thanks for letting me know, glad to help!
Spool valve? Can you elaborate?
I have changed the alternator, then the tensioner, and after that, power steering pump was leaking. Now the alternator just went bad and I'm about to change it again, so I'm back here watching a couple videos to remember the process.
(At least my alternator is covered under warranty, so doing this myself means it will cost me nothing except my time.)
@@Marlin101084 also called a V-TEC solenoid. It sits above the alternator and is prone to leak. My replacement alternator actually had a tag on it warning about that part leaking oil, and that an oil-soaked alternator wouldn't be covered under warranty.
Great instructions. Took about five hours from start to finish including a trip to the parts store to borrow a belt tool and buy a new battery (five years old). Thanks.
I'm glad it worked out well! Thanks for the kind words
Thanks to your video I was able to do it in 2 hours. I took out the radiator and condenser brackets in the front so I had some slack pulling out the alternator and installing the new one was a breeze, You saved me $700!!!
Awesome! Glad I could help and thanks for watching.
wife of the shade tree mechanic here, thanking you for this very helpful video! hoping for success by the end of the day!
Thanks for watching! Let me know how it goes, hope I've helped.
This video was amazing! One tip to make it come out and go in easier. Push the tensioner out of the way with the bar and it gives you a lot more clearance!
Awesome, thanks for the comment. Always open for ideas to make jobs better!
Exactly. I would go so far as to say it’s required. Not an option.
Thanks for the tip, it made the reinstall go A LOT faster... like, it literally took 10 seconds to put the alternator in its place.
This is the best how-to video I’ve ever seen-on any topic. Not a fun project, but it was super simple following this video. Thanks for making it!
Glad to help! Thanks for the kind words
Great vid! To add - my power steering pump slowly bled from where the hose was connected. I didn’t realize until it made a pretty big mess. Difficult to stop. Good luck. I tried a cellophane bag and a hefty rubber band. It helped.
Thanks you Rigg. Followed instructions just as you mentioned.. Perfect install. Only extra thing I had to do was use a car jumpstarter the first time after replacing my old alternator. Thanks for the video. Kudos dude
I have done this once.. doing it a second time in the morning. The first time, I didn’t pull the radiator, but I did take it loose. It only gave a couple more inches of wiggle room. I’m going to follow this video in the morning and see how it goes. Thanks man, good video. The tool list👍🏻
That's great. Let me know how it goes!
This was extremely helpful. Took me and hour to get the alternator out. Then a little less to get it back. In total a 2 hour job.
I wore nitrile gloves and that kept my hands clean and made post-work scrubbing very easy.
Thanks for the video. Could not have had the courage to try without it!
Good work! Glad you were able to get it done.
Just followed these instructions to change a bum alternator on my 2011 Odyessy. It worked perfectly and saved us hundreds. Thank you for your help.
Awesome! Thanks for letting me know, happy to help
Great video to watch in preparation for helping my son with his 2011 Odyssey alternator. I appreciate the effort to put your video together!
Hi, thanks for watching! Let me know how it goes, hopefully you can save some money doing this yourself.
@@RiggsGarage It went very smoothly!! Took about 2 hours, but there was some car talk with one of his neighbors during.
Thanks again!!
Btw, those are pricey alternators!!
Thanks for letting me know. Yeah, I've paid less for usable engines haha
Great video! One thing I found. You don't need to remove the power steering line. just loosen the reservoir and pull it out of the way. Saves a lot of mess with fluid spill. Also, I was able to remove the old alternator without removing the overflow tank bracket, but reinstalling was almost impossible with the bracket in the way. Hope the comment helps anyone attempting this at home.
Good stuff, thanks!
Also, no need to remove the power steering reservoir bracket using the 10mm socket… that tank just clips out of the metal bracket - when done just slide it back in again until it clips back into place on the bracket
Well I for one am glad you grabbed your camera. This was very helpful and I successfully replaced the alternator. Thank you!
Glad to help, thanks for the feedback!
Thank you Thank you thank you. Can't Thank you enough bro. Two hours I was done.(Not to mention dropping sockets and bolts and fishing em ). Saved me time and money. God bless you.
Glad to hear it went well! I'll take all the blessings I can get! 🙏
Thank you for video, seems like you helped thousands of people like me.
You're welcome, hopefully helped you
Thank you so much you saved my husband I the cost we could do ourselves. It was a lot of work, but thanks to your video and being informative!!
Glad to help! Hopefully it all worked out well. Thank you for watching
That is so awesome! Thank you for the detailed video. I rarely do these types of repairs myself, but now after finishing it I feel so proud and I'm so happy I saved a few hundred $$.
Thanks for the kind words. I love hearing that people are saving money. Most of us with minivans need to with all the kids to feed lol
Thank you so much for this video made the change of the alternator much easier one thing I did extra was to remove the braket for the radiador overflow this made the extraction so easy thanks
Glad to hear it went well, thanks for letting me know! Have a great weekend
Great video, the only thing you might not need to take off the power steering reservoir bolts . There is clip behind the reservoir just pull it and then pull the reservoir. Thanks
Great video. Just had to change my 2017 oddysey alternator in an O'Reilly parking lot. Worked perfectly with these instructions!
Thanks, happy to help
This video is fantastic. Great detail. Everything was exactly correct. Made this repair so easy.
Thanks for your kind words, glad to be able to help you!
Nice job, thank you. You did most of that one handed too, lol! This video will save me a lot of money doing it myself and gives me the confidence to do it myself.
Glad to hear! Good luck and save some $$
Probably the best how-to video for 2011 Honda Odyssey alternator replacement on UA-cam. I found three and this one was the best. One thing is that they RECOMMEND changing the VTEC solenoid gasket when doing an alternator replacement. Your local Honda dealer will NOT have this gasket. It's a "grey" part which means they don't sell it separate from the more expensive part that it's in. They are readily available on Amazon. Probably one of the toughest DIY jobs one can do on a car. Mid-level repair without anything major going wrong like broken bolts. Mind your torque specs. I think it's only 33 ft-lbs for the larger bolt and 16 ft-lbs for the smaller one.
Thanks for the comment, glad you liked the video! Good tip on the solenoid gasket - I'll look that up for the next job. Me and my friends are always trying to keep our vans together and running smoothly haha, I believe at least 6 other families I know have these Odysseys
Riggs Garage Honda Odyssey’s are all over the place. I try to keep up on all of the repairs myself; so everything that goes around 100k: control arms, sensors, alternator, etc...we’re right in that area where these annoying repairs are coming up. I’ve saved literally thousands of dollars doing all the work myself.
Great video! Thanks for the step by step, saved a lot of frustration and time by sharing your process!
Thanks for watching! Glad it helped you.
Excellent video, least amount of stuff moved and removed. By the way, this still works for earlier models, doing it on a 2007,, pretty much the same PIA lol
Perfect, I just bought a 2010
Awesome video!! Was able to follow your step by step instructions and confidently change out my alternator by myself. Thanks a million!!
Thanks for watching. So glad it helped!
Thank you for making this step by step video and all the info you provided was a plus
You're welcome!
Spent an hour and couldn't get the alternator out past the AC line. But, it came out easily when i had someone else push on the belt tension wheel with the serpentine tool...it made a lot more space and came out easily. Same thing for putting it back in. The Denso part from Rock auto fit like a glove. Lining up the bottom bolt through the holes also took two people, but using tie straps through the upper bolt hole to hold the alternator with the hands helped alot with alignment. Took 6 hours: a) dropped a bolt into the bottom of engine and had to lift van to get it, b) dropped my 10mm deep socket and had to lift van, c) belt came off completely from the Camshaft and AC compressor wheels, had to jack up the car and get help to wind the belt through its path.
Sounds like most car jobs lol, yesterday I did an alternator on a v6 camry, dropped a bolt in pan of coolant, that took a long time to find. Firmly believe 10mm sockets were made to lose. I also had the darn belt slip off and my 9 yo son held the tool while I crawled under it and slid the belt on the crank pulley. Fun times!
Great video! Help me out, I just replaced mine and now my a/c won’t work. There was one small plug on the end of the alternator plug wire that was not connected. Is that it?
I don't have a van to look at, but that plug could go to the compressor? Did the AC work before?
Great Video. Any recommendation on what brand alternator to use for a 2015 Honda odessey?
Thanks! Made the job go so much smoother. Great explanations and demonstration
This video saved me money! Thanks! And I'm not a mechanic at all! But this was very helpful!
Love to hear this, so glad it worked for you!
I just changed my alternator with your video not bad. Gt it done. Good video
Thanks for the kind words Justin, I'm glad it went well
Thanks! Great video. I feel comfortable that I can do this after watching your video.
Thanks for watching and good luck to you!
@@RiggsGarage I replaced it, and it worked! It was very hard getting the alternator out, and the 14mm bolt did not go back in easily...still that saved a good amount of money. Thanks!
@@bryanneal6511 great deal, good work! Glad to help
If you remove a 10mm bolt holding the low pressure ac line, made it a lot easier moving the line from left to right. It's by the fusebox
Hey, thanks so much for this! Everyone told me just to take it in but this walkthrough was really great. 😃
Good deal. Hopefully it helped you
@@RiggsGarage it did!! Took me almost 5 hours lol, but I couldn’t have done it without your tutorial so thank you!
@@sarahphillips2900 good news!
Thanks for a great video. I have to replace my 2011 Ody alternator.
First thanks for the good instructions and video.
Second, anyone that did this solo big props to you I needed back up 💯
Also don't under any circumstance drop a bolt they can be hard to get back lol it's doable all day so go and try it. Bring back up that alternator is heavy at some points
You're welcome! Good tips there. Thank you for watching
That was a great video. Thank you so much for putting it together. I hope you make a few bucks off it.
Thanks for the kind words, hope it helped you
@@RiggsGarage Yep, I replaced it last night - didn't even have to go back and re-watch the video. Again, great job!
Good work! Thank you
Yes watched this video and completed my alternator change with ease thank you
Great to hear. Thanks for watching!
Great video. 1 correction wire nut to the right side of loom is a 12mm
Thank you!
Thanks for the great video! Got it replaced with your help.
Glad to hear, thanks for watching!
He is very informative for how long the video is
Thank you, I tried to cut out any fluff
I did mostly the same process on my 2008. A couple differences for those that have earlier models:
1) the coolant reservoir and air box are in different locations so you don't need to worry about those steps
2) the tensioner is a different style, with an Allen head to remove the pulley. Don't use that. There is a 19mm post just below the tensioner pulley, put your belt tool out breaker bar on that post to move tensioner.
Thanks for the details. Small differences over the years, this is helpful!
@@RiggsGarage you put together the best video so it was worth using it and figuring out the fine details for my older design.
@@idrivea911 appreciate it! There are definitely variations within the same generation in most vehicles
#1. You definitely need to push tensioner over while pulling out alternator
#2. Tap the split insert inside the front through hole on the lower bracket on engine forward. It will allow the lower bracket to fit inside the engine’s bracket.
#3. Best to take top connector bracket off of engine (and top alternator bolt out as well). You’ll never get the alternator out with that bracket still attached to alternator.
#4. Important. For many models, the top bracket to engine bolt is a 6mm Cap Screw (Allen Bolt). It’s not a 10 mm or 12 mm hex head like OP says.
Good word, Winfield 👌
@@RiggsGarage I apologize if I came off smart-a$$. Just relating real experience.
@@a1chemist1 oh no, you're good! I'm always learning, no ego. Plus your comment will help someone
Any more tips on getting that lower bolt seated? I tapped the bushing back to help with clearance. But she still won't fit like a glove for me. Probably what I get using carquest parts.
@@sambrown7843 I've done a couple of these where I literally had to shave a tiny bit of metal off of the the alternator to make it fit in its spot. I use the flap disc on a grinder, but you can use a file if you don't have that.
That copper tube that coolant is connected to can be bent? Because I don't have rubber hose length to put it up like you did?
I'm not sure I'm following, but I would not be bending metal tubes much or at all
Thanks for uploading this, it really helped me out!
Replacing this sucked! There’s gotta be a better way than massaging the A/C lines out of the way. It would really suck if an alternator job turned into an A/C job too. Maybe pulling the radiator?
Thanks for watching! I have seen it done with the radiator out as well, this is easier (to me). As long as you're careful with the lines you're good, but the risk is there haha!
What was your symptoms of the bad alt?
I have a 2016 Honda Odyssey, & i just replaced the original battery because it was dead in the morning, but it has a new battery & dead again 😑
The symptoms were low voltage in the system, I tested the alternator output with a voltmeter and it was less than 12 volts. Then I took the van to AutoZone and used their charging system testing equipment
How long did that take you ? And how many hours should a mechanic shop charge for labor? Parts excluded
I had a few hours in it while filming. I am not sure how much a shop would charge, I never go to them haha! Call around, include the Honda dealer for a likely higher quote to gauge others against
THANK YOU , thank you and you have a BLESSED DAY , ,
Thanks for watching!
Thank you so much me and my husband just change our alternator because nobody would fix it.
You're welcome! I'm glad you were able to do it. Good job!
I bought a denso remanufactured and am stuck getting the bottom bracket to fit between the two flames on the engine. Seems about a 1/32 larger than the one that came out. Is there a way to get this in? Try to move the bushing in the left flange to give more room them tighten with the bolt?
I've had that happen before on an alternator I ordered online. I covered the air vents of the alternator with rags and took a tiny bit of metal off the alternator. Really easy, fit perfectly. Probably not the best advice, but it worked well and there are no issues with the vehicle after a few years still.
Put it in a vice and it will smash it down just enough to clear
Yes. Take a small hammer and tap the pressed insert out a little, on the lower bracket on the engine. A couple or three mm is all that’s needed.
Nice tutorial, very detailed and understandable.
Thank you so much Chi.
Thank you for your video - definitely helped with the process and a couple great tips! Appreciate you taking the time to post!
Thanks for letting me know, and thanks for watching!
Very, informative instructions!! Awesome!!! I have a question....... what type of alternator did you purchase? I have a 2014 Honda Odyssey LX there are so many options, what alternator is the best ???? 🤔
I think it was an O'Reiley remanufactured alternator, I recommend the Denso alternator, amzn.to/3z2XOgM, also there is a cheaper one in the description of this video, here amzn.to/3cfWD40 - just make sure it fits your application. Thanks for watching!
doesn't the power steering fill reservoir just slide up on these?
On the power steering reservoir, why not just push the little tab and slide it off the bracket vs removing the bracket? The bracket doesn't cause any issues, it's flat and very small.
Our Honda alternator started to whine and the battery died. After the jump all the lights are in in the car and the transmission shifting was out of proper sync. Why does low power affect transmission shifting? I know I on old cars the transmission shifted based on fluids and RPS not electrical power. I'm guessing they are electronically controlled shifting now but not sure.
Excellent video! Where you located?
Kansas City area
Awesome Video! Very detailed. Thank you :)
Glad to help, thanks!
God bless people like you
Thanks!
Should I fully charge the battery?
Yes, if it was low definitely charge it
thanks for this video you saved me a lot of money i did it like you said thanks again
gracias por este video me ahorraste mucho dinero lo hice como dijiste gracias de nuevo
Thanks for watching! Glad to help you
Thank you so much for making it such a great video I am going to attempt to install my alternator tomorrow with your instructions thank you
Thanks for watching! Hopefully things went smoothly
Nice video. You have great detail in your work . Good job.
Thanks for the kind words! Hopefully it helped you.
Great job on your video. Thanks for making this; it really helps.
Thank you for watching and letting me know!
One of the best auto mechanics procedure videos I've seen. Just one question. Is it necessary to bleed the power steering after opening up that hose? I'm assuming it's a return line so any air introduced just bubbles up immediately. But I want to confirm first. Thanks for posting the video!
You are right on, that's the return line so it self bleeds. Thank you!
Hi there
My car shut down on the street, then I change new alternator now come up code P0560 , I did change new battery too, but alternator we buy 150 amp not same 130 amp . So some one knows about fix code P 0560 . Thanks
I found it much easier to remove and install the alternator by using the idler tool to pull the idler back and gaining about 1 inch of extra space. Instead of bending AC lines.
That sounds like a good idea
Just an FYI that power steering reservoir slides out of that bracket no need to unbolt it
Very useful video, thanks for posting!
Thanks for watching and for the comments!
Thank you so much for this video!
Thanks for watching! Hope the project goes well
Why didn’t you show putting the little bracket back on
Looks like I forgot, glad you remembered though
Fantastic video! thanks so much!! :)
Thanks for watching!
Thanks a lot. Very helpful!
Thanks for watching!
love your video. Great job.
Thank you!
wouldn't you have to bleed the power steering now because you took the reservoir off?
You can, but really this will not get air into the pressurized portion of the system when you hook this reservoir back up, any air you introduced in the system is going to head upward and as long as you don't start the car and pull that air bubble in before you connect the reservoir back up, you should be fine without bleeding it.
@@RiggsGarage ok thank you 👍🏻
Power steering reservoir slides out of the bracket. You don’t need to remove the two 10mm bolts. Just fyi
Muchas grasias mi amigo muy buen video 👍👍👍👍👍👍
De nada 🙂
Great tutorial, thanks a ton!
You're welcome!
thanks for the video i was going to do it myself but i have never in my life worked on a car before and i dont even have all those tools and its not even my car so i feel kinda bad that i dont want to risk doing this job my self sad face
Hey thanks for watching. Videos like this are also good to help DIYers decide whether or not they actually want to do the project. It might cause them more pain than it's worth and it might be worth taking it to a shop to have it done. Thanks for the comment!
Exelente video muchas gracias me ayudo mucho por eso me suscribo a tu canal y doy un like. Yo emberdad te recomiendo a mis amigos
Gracias!
Great job! Thanks!
Thanks for watching!