• Car enthusiast? Join us on Cars Connected! iOS | Android | Desktop
  • Hint: Use a descriptive title for your new message
    If you're looking for help and want to draw people in who can assist you, use a descriptive subject title when posting your message. In other words, "I need help with my car" could be about anything and can easily be overlooked by people who can help. However, "I need help with my transmission" will draw interest from people who can help with a transmission specific issue. Be as descriptive as you can. Please also post in the appropriate forum. The "Lounge" is for introducing yourself. If you need help with your G70, please post in the G70 section - and so on... This message can be closed by clicking the X in the top right corner.

Likely the alternator?

MarsellusWallace

Registered Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2010
Messages
38
Reaction score
2
Points
8
Location
Portland, OR
Genesis Model Type
1G Genesis Sedan (2009-2014)
Hi all, got a 2010 4.6 with 111k miles. The batt. discharge light (red) has been going on lately, and I started losing power on my way home last night. Power steering starts to cut out when the revs are low, coming to a stop sign, etc.

My battery was really old, so I replaced it. No change in the warning light.

I'm testing 11.3V at the battery with the car running and the OBD-II VPWR reading is around the same. Everything looks OK with the serpentine belt, no slipping, alternator looks to be spinning fine.

So it looks to me like the alternator's not charging as this should read around 13-14V when it is. Does this sound likely?
 
agreed as my vehicle did the same thing.
FYI you can DYI but it is a pain in the rear. Expect to spend a few hours and cuss a lot but you can buy a re-manufactured one at AutoZone for only $180ish
Expect to spend $600+ to get it done at a dealer. Honestly I would consider that route if I had to do it over again...go ahead and replace the belt while you are at it.
 
Looking to update and upgrade your Genesis luxury sport automobile? Look no further than right here in our own forum store - where orders are shipped immediately!
Thanks for the reply. Well, I'm in the Bay Area so that probably means $1800 for a replacement. Looks like I'm going to try do it myself and see if I can get the belt too. Got a big ol' breaker bar somewhere so that will help.
 
Looked like it was the alternator. I picked up a reman OEM one from Amazon. It's not that "big" of a job but it took several hours over a couple of days and definitely a lot of swearing. The tricky part is getting it out of there and re-installing the serp belt. I replaced mine with a Dayco one.

For Googlers hence, hello from 2019, there is another thread somewhere that mentions an "alternate method" of removing the radiator fan and pulling the alternator out from the front, leaving the bracket attached to the motor. That way seems easiest. The steps are:

1) Remove the engine cover and front intake bezel above the grille (a few 10mm bolts, many plastic rivets). Some rivets will break, get new ones from Amazon. They are 6.3mm plastic rivets.

2) Remove the air box top, with the mass airflow sensor wire attached, and just fold it back onto the engine out of the way.

3) Remove the air box bottom and intake plenum. The plenum comes out in 1 piece. I found it easiest to remove this *including* the hose clamp to the engine intake, otherwise it's difficult to fit the plenum back in with the small hose clamped piece still attached to the engine, which is the way it will want to come out at first try. It's some funky rubber gasket with slits that you have to force back into a collar. Best to leave it together.

4) Remove the radiator fan and shroud. This is also 1 piece. Two bolts at the top, left and right sides. On the bottom left and right, there are just plastic clips, release these with your finger (or a long screwdriver on the left side). Leave it plugged in, just lifts out and you can fold it back out of the way. You have to disconnect the large hose on the right side, either on the engine side or radiator side (the coolant bottle is also attached to this piece).

5) Un-tension the serpentine belt and remove the belt from the alternator pulley. I found it easiest to use a long breaker bar with the bar down on the left side, at about the 9:00 position, and lift upwards as if you are tightening. The video in step 9 was helpful here too.

6) Remove the 14mm long bolts on the front of the alt, bottom and top.

7) Remove the ground strap near the left side of the alternator (two bolts). This is not necessary but gives you better access to the back.

8) Unclip the quick release plug from the alt, and push back the rubber hood from the other wire, unscrew the nut, pull off that wire.

9) Alternator can come off now, but you have to wiggle the shit out of it. Look at this video, around 3/4 the way in:
for the wiggle technique required. A pry bar with a flipped up end helps.

10) Lift it out through the front, being careful not to bang it on the radiator.

Install is the reverse of these steps. You can pretty much do the whole thing from the top. I had the bottom panels off anyway.

Before replacing I was getting around ~11v at the battery, now am getting ~14v and the discharge light is off...
 
Back
Top