Here is the link to the belt route Discover Defender Maintenance Tips, Accessories, Parts & More at Roverparts.com

I may have been remiss in not sending that along when you were stuck away from your home computer and copy of the RAVE. I frequently suggest that people keep a travel copy on a USB in the truck - you never know.

Also, with repsect to the 100 amp fuse, I was trying to suggest that the terminals for it and the other two large cables in the under hood fuse box might need cleaning up.

You have demonstrated that it is possible to limp home a considerable distance, I have done it before with two batteries and stopping for a fast charge.

I have not put a scope on it, so I don't know the waveform, but it is pulses, and most likely it is just off one diode, so it probably looks like the top half of a sine wave. I do know it is around 270 hertz at idle, and increases in frequency with rpm. It can be read as "AC" volts on most digital meters. If there is concern with the parts store, just unplug the tach and go about getting the charging working. That extra wire may confound them.

 

Buy a used alt and get your money back on the other.
I went through 4 in 2 years, the first one lasted a year, the next three went out in one year total time with the last one only lasting 16 miles.

 

Spike has a good point, a used alternator is original factory spec parts, you might be able to achieve that with the right local indy rebuilder and your original, but the mass reman operations are controlled by bean counters, and saving 35 cents on diodes or such ends up stranding us and/or she-who-must-be-obeyed.

 

Ok, Alternator was definitely fried. Got the warranty replacement installed, along with upgraded power & ground wires. Battery cut-off back in place. Test drive.....everything is bright!

Thanks for everyone who helped with suggestions, I'd love to get the factory alternator, but its not in the $$ right now.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/37974521@N03/6054802874/http://www.flickr.com/photos/37974521@N03/6054802874/ by http://www.flickr.com/people/37974521@N03/, on Flickr


btw, belt was on correctly.

 

Annnnnnnnnnd replacement failed Sunday morning. Installed THIRD one last night.

DO NOT BUY the cheap worldwide alternator from Advance.

 

Hate to say I told you so, but...I told you so.

 

Well, there were some previously pampered posh pre-owned alterators posted today in the $50 range, might be worth grabbing and getting Advance to suck it up and refund your money. I have noticed in my excursions to hatch-back heaven that the alternators seem to be one of the first things that depart the deceased Discos.

 

Right, but circumstances ditacted otherwise, now I'm stuck in the warranty cycle.

All over that already!

 

I understand completely.
When my 2nd one went out I was 200 miles from home, had to buy one from Advanced Auto because they had one in stock and not AutoZone.
The 4th one went out 1800 miles from home, but I had brought my used one from e-bay.
Swapped them out in a church parking lot, got my money back after I got home.

You did what you had to do and I fully understand.
Source a used one, return the "new" one once the used one comes in.

 

I bought one used one that turned out to be an already rebuilt one, it crapped out in a week. So make sure a used one is the original MM built in Italy.