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At about 252K miles on my '01, without warning, the alternator quit and the idiot lights went on. Car died on the expressway about 10 miles from home. I tried swapping a fresh battery in but no go. The alternators are perhaps the weakest link since they can and do fail without notice or warning, leaving you stranded. Heat is the biggest alternator killer. Yours is failing at about 1/2 the mileage that my '01 had when it failed, I suspect due to the heat in your locale.
Tom57,
I can relate to your situation. As I just posted, without realizing the subject was already being discussed, mine did the exact same thing--twice. I'm following this thread to get an idea of what replacement to pursue. Yesterday, I first noticed that the AC stopped working, then some other warning lights, including the battery light, then the dash lights flickered on and off.
Then the tow truck...
Mine should arrive by tomorrow and be installed on Thursday morning. A few of the local shops I called wanted a lot more for the part vs what I paid. I'm going to keep the the original and have it reconditioned as a backup I guess. I believe all it needs is a new voltage regulator. According to the test the diodes were fine the regulator was failing.
I metered mine again last night. Got 13.6 before I left and was at 13.4 when I arrived home. Still working but I am a big fan of fixing it before it totally fails.
Anyway, it seems like a smart preventive maintenance to monitor the alternator yourself. If you notice the voltage starting to drop go ahead and replace it before it leaves you stranded and possibly ruining your battery in the process. If you don't have a multimeter you can pick them one off amazon for pretty cheap. About $20.
The only physical difference between 210-0570 and the 210-0508 is the electrical plug.
The 0508 has a 3pin connection and the 0570 has a 4pin connection.
I know this because I recently replaced my alternator and was sold the 210-0570 as per the shops recomendation (denso seem to think this is the version needed for an 01), when I needed the 0508.
I did take a picture when I had both alternators in my hands if someone wants a comparison.
Thanks for sharing this. It's quite interesting to learn that the '05 - '06 alternator is in fact different than the '04, and that this change was made a year after the facelift changes to the LS beginning with '04.
Lsdoc, what year and mileage do you have? This would be your 2nd replacement correct? What brand did you use the first time?
LAV,
I have a 2001 LS430.
Thanks (also to Tom57, et al) for posting about your adventures with the alternator.
I need to establish an easy way to check systems like this to prevent being stranded, and messing up my plans for the day!
I don't know what the replacement brand was in Oct. 2012, when I had it replaced. It was something from O'Reilly's, according to the shop, and it had a 2 yr. warrantee.
After talking to the shop in the morning, they're telling me that the alternator is checking out just fine; producing 14+ volts, even with a load.
I don't know how old the batteries are, no one can read the dates on them, and they're dead as a doornail. I was absolutely sure it was the alternator, based on the symptoms I was getting...
I agreed to have the battery replaced, since it sounded suspect and was certainly old.
Later in the afternoon, the shop calls and tells me that the new battery won't keep a charge and the alternator was giving erratic voltage readings. They decided to extend the warrantee on the alternator, since their supplier did the same for them, and just charge me for the labor to install a new one.
I'm OK with that, though I don't know what kind of alternator I'm getting. It will presumably have a two year warrantee. Who knows how long it'll last?
Thanks (also to Tom57, et al) for posting about your adventures with the alternator.
I need to establish an easy way to check systems like this to prevent being stranded, and messing up my plans for the day!
I don't know what the replacement brand was in Oct. 2012, when I had it replaced. It was something from O'Reilly's, according to the shop, and it had a 2 yr. warrantee.
After talking to the shop in the morning, they're telling me that the alternator is checking out just fine; producing 14+ volts, even with a load.
I don't know how old the batteries are, no one can read the dates on them, and they're dead as a doornail. I was absolutely sure it was the alternator, based on the symptoms I was getting...
I agreed to have the battery replaced, since it sounded suspect and was certainly old.
Later in the afternoon, the shop calls and tells me that the new battery won't keep a charge and the alternator was giving erratic voltage readings. They decided to extend the warrantee on the alternator, since their supplier did the same for them, and just charge me for the labor to install a new one.
I'm OK with that, though I don't know what kind of alternator I'm getting. It will presumably have a two year warrantee. Who knows how long it'll last?
This is exactly why I didn't have a shop rebuild mine, nor did I install a less expensive non-OEM alternator. The O'Reilly's after-market stuff is not built with the same internal components as Denso. Having a warranty isn't really helpful given the added labor cost, hassle of your time, and risk of being stranded wherever it decides to fail on you. We all talk about the reliability of LS430, but once you start installing non-OEM parts, the dependability level drops, especially with essential parts like the alternator.
Looks exactly like what I installed in the '01 ... While it is a reman., it is an authentic Denso with OEM internals, testing and quality standards. Once it's installed and you've driven some miles, I bet you car starts a split second faster too since the battery will now have a full charge, even though it's a 5-year old battery.
Lav, I went back to an earlier alternator thread. You posted in Aug. 2014 that your alternator was putting out 13.4 volts. This new thread almost a year later you report 13.3 volts output. I think it's safe to say your alternator was on the slow decline.
Yeah, I don't think I have ever read over 13.7 or so. It seems to vary a bit based on load I guess. I did have the system checked maybe 6 months ago and it did pass. I think now it is finally under that threshold. Going to have it installed tomorrow morning. From what I understand it's the voltage regulator that is the common failure point. Makes logical sense. On Monday, I believe, I started the car and read 13.6 on my multimeter. When I got home it was down to 13.3 again.
The only physical difference between 210-0570 and the 210-0508 is the electrical plug.
The 0508 has a 3pin connection and the 0570 has a 4pin connection.
I know this because I recently replaced my alternator and was sold the 210-0570 as per the shops recomendation (denso seem to think this is the version needed for an 01), when I needed the 0508.
I did take a picture when I had both alternators in my hands if someone wants a comparison.
I learned the difference the hard way myself a few months back when I grabbed one from 2005 that was rear end damaged with less than 60,000 miles. Picked it up at a recycler for $50 (pre-pulled and boxed). My car is a 2002.
The alternators are identical except for the regulator section (which includes that 4 pin connector). The additional pin is marked as "Computer (Field Monitor)" so it lets the ECU know the load the the alternator is under.
So this is interesting, started her up after sitting for 4 hours put her in display mode and I was getting 13.7 and it even hit 13.8 for a few brief moments. Drive only 5 blocks home and was back down to 13.3-13.4 I think heat is a contributing factor. It's definitely the voltage regulator that is wonky. When I turned the headlights on it dropped from .7 to .4
5 Years ago, when I first purchased my 01 LS430 it had 98,000 miles at the time. A year or so later I decided to purchase a battery. I did not know how old it was with certainty, and here in Florida, it's always a good idea to replace a battery every 3 years as that's about the life of them. Many claim they get double that life span, but I don't like being a hero. I measured my Alternator output at that time after installing the battery, and it read 13.4 volts at the battery fully warmed up. Since then, I have never once had a problem but did investigate with a multimeter to find the following results. When the car starts up cold in the morning, the output is around 14.1-14.2. Gradually, as it warms up and I watch it over 10 minutes or so, it will drop to 13.6 or so. . I check the battery at the terminals with the car off and it usually reads 13+ after I shut the car down. In the morning when cold at the battery may read 12.5-12.6. I was told by a tech, that as the battery reaches it's peak charge, the alternator puts out less voltage, In addition, when I park my car for a few days, I place a CTEK 3300 charger on it, and it usually goes to green within a few hours which tells me it's close to fully charged. I don't mind getting a new alternator, but everything seems to show my battery is in healthy condition and I've never had a problem starting the car. I'm not convinced that our alternators should be constantly showing over 14 volts even over a long period of time driving.
07-14-15, 04:51 AM
