Hi All

I was wondering if I could pick your brains and get some advice on changing the Alternator in a Skoda Fabia vRS 55 reg engine code ASZ. The current Alternator is a Valeo 14 Volt 90 amp effort and is currently making a really rattly, clicking and grinding noise at times (confirmed by the screw driver test), ussually after it has warmed up. It is still giving a charge and no warning lights have come up, the noise comes and goes however is definatley getting worse and guessing it maybe the bearings on their way out.

I have found a new replacement alternator same model in fact and am keen to change it myself as the actual part is only held on by three bolts and looks easy enough to change. But I am not entirely sure how the tensioner pulley works on the auxillary belt and was wondering if anyone could give me a few pointers before I dive in and change it...

Cheers in advance

Tim

The belt tensioner is spring loaded. The description in the Haynes manual is quite accurate. You will need to remove the wheel arch liner to access the pulleys when you reinstall the drive belt.

SN

On my Polo it was just a case of turning the tensioner bolt anticlockwise. In doing this it removed all of the tension on the belt, and it could be slipped off allowing removal the alternator. Needs two people ideally, one to remove tension, another to remove the belt.

The hardest bit we found was freeing the alternator from the engine block, it became very firmly wedged!

As above, get a spanner on the end of the tensioner and turn clockwise.

As for getting the alternator off, I used a rubber mallet to persuade it out. The alternator has threaded bushes which pull tight at the bolt tightens, hence the very tight fit.