Battery Replacement

[Sleppeah]

Hi - I need to replace the battery in my GPX - does anyone know offhand where I can find out the specs for the battery (don't have it with me, and I want to get a battery today).
I need to know (1) the Dimensions and (2) the pole orientation...

Any help appreciated,
Slep

- I see in the manual the standard batt is a 46B24R(S) but I've seen conflicting info on the web about this

[Myfeckin FTO]

A Nissan Micra battery will do the trick - any tyre/exhaust place will have one. Though there are other options this is the most cost effective and does the job IMO unless you have a rather large sound system.

[JD]

The batery bay takes a much bigger battery than the standard one (the micra one), so it might be worthwhile putting in a heavy duty one while you're at it, they're not that much more expensive.

The positve pole is on the right hand side furthest away from you as you look at it from the front of the car. But there is usually enough play in both pos and neg cables to get a battery with poles on the left hand side. Just remeber to get one with the small poll connectors or you'll have to replace the cable connectors.
The battery is also quite 'tall' so unless you want to mess around with the stabilising bar you're best bet is to jump start her and bring it in to get the right size/height.
JD

[Sleppeah]

Dang - turns out its the alternator after all... had to get it towed

[CJ]

Dang - turns out its the alternator after all... had to get it towed

Are you having it reconditioned or replaced? May just be the diode pack (aka rectifier) or brushes that need replacing.

CJ

[Sleppeah]

well, I just left it in with Balfe Myles in Phibsoro... so I presume they'll recondition it if they can...

[kevinod]

well, I just left it in with Balfe Myles in Phibsoro... so I presume they'll recondition it if they can...

Don't know these guys so I don't mean to cast dispersion (um, spelling or wrong word maybe) on their good name, but I'd give them a ring and check it with them! Some garages will just decide that it would be easier to replace it when it might be cheaper to recondition... hard to have any come back if you didn't specify what you wanted when you dropped it in.

Not saying these guys are likely to do anything like that but if I were u I'd check it out.

Kev.

[CJ]

You should be OK with Myles Balfe, they deal specifically with starters and alternators and they're around years, let us know how you get on.

CJ

[Sleppeah]

Just got the price from them - 964 euros!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats just for a new alternator and labour in installing it.

Man I can't believe it.

[kevinod]

Just got the price from them - 964 euros!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thats just for a new alternator and labour in installing it.

Man I can't believe it.

Mitsi main dealer prices are absolutely ridiculous, would nearly put you off owning a Mitsi, if it wasn't an FTO!

Example, "Mitsubishi" sticker for boot, €36+vat in mitsi dealer. Kempys something like €15 I think it was, posted from New Zealand and all. Madness!!

Did they mention anything about reconditioning the alternator thats there? or is beyond reconditioning or something?

Can you get a second hand one maybe, maybe Steelroe would have one? Maybe a Mitsi non FTO alternator *might* do but I honestly couldn't tell you if that is the case or not, should be able to find a few Mitsis in Dublin scrapyards I'd say.

Kev.

[CJ]

AFAIK, the FTO alternator is model specific, Rory (steelroe) should have one down in Kerry, pm him for details. You should find out whats up with the alternator, most of the time it can be reconditioned, if in doubt, take it to a proper autoelectrician.

CJ

[Sleppeah]

Its done, I've got the car back now. It was actually 250+VAT for a reconditioned alternator and 650 odd for labour... and was only told this when the job was finished - they wouldn't quote beforehand because 'FTOs are so awkward'
The guy said that the rectifier was gone, which happens easily with imports as they are left lying around the docks and then jump started...
At least I got to talk to the guy that worked on it, and he said the rest was in good nick. (just bought 3 weeks ago, so nice to know this)
Guess I should have looked at http://misterfixit.com/alterntr.htm before doing anything really.
Live and learn.

[kevinod]

650 odd for labour... and was only told this when the job was finished - they wouldn't quote beforehand because 'FTOs are so awkward'

650 quid for labour?????

How much time did they spend undoing the 3 or 4 bolts, taking off the belt and putting all back again???

Thats horrific for just replacing the alternator, unbelieveable!

Anyone else have to get this done before? Tell me thats way above the going rate!!

Kev.

[Speedyboy]

I thought the going rate was €40 per hour which would mean they spent 16.5 hours on the car?

Is that company part of SIMI?

[CJ]

Its done, I've got the car back now. It was actually 250+VAT for a reconditioned alternator and 650 odd for labour

That is pure scandalous, I hate to see poeple ripped off like that. A rectifier should cost no more that 100 quid. I had the exact same job done about 6 months ago and it cost me €250 all in. Yes, the alternator is awkward to remove in comparison to other cars but if you're doing it all the time then it should be no big issue. I take back what I said about Myles Balfe being reputable!

CJ

[soc]

Its done, I've got the car back now. It was actually 250+VAT for a reconditioned alternator and 650 odd for labour... and was only told this when the job was finished - they wouldn't quote beforehand because 'FTOs are so awkward'
The guy said that the rectifier was gone, which happens easily with imports as they are left lying around the docks and then jump started...
At least I got to talk to the guy that worked on it, and he said the rest was in good nick. (just bought 3 weeks ago, so nice to know this)
Guess I should have looked at http://misterfixit.com/alterntr.htm before doing anything really.
Live and learn.

there is something not right here - you should not let this go - 650 for labour for reconditioning an alternator is a complete ripoff. Even at 100 euro an hour that's 6.5 hours work - sure I could probably do the job in less than that time....

is there any trading standards group you could talk to about this?

[kevinod]

Its done, I've got the car back now. It was actually 250+VAT for a reconditioned alternator and 650 odd for labour... and was only told this when the job was finished - they wouldn't quote beforehand because 'FTOs are so awkward'
The guy said that the rectifier was gone, which happens easily with imports as they are left lying around the docks and then jump started...
At least I got to talk to the guy that worked on it, and he said the rest was in good nick. (just bought 3 weeks ago, so nice to know this)
Guess I should have looked at http://misterfixit.com/alterntr.htm before doing anything really.
Live and learn.

650 for labour for reconditioning an alternator is a complete ripoff

There was 250+vat for a replacement alternator, so unless I read that wrong the only labour involved is swapping in the 'new' alternator!

Kev.

[Sleppeah]

In the end, after I balked at the price, they reduced it to 750
This was broken into,

250 : fixing alternator
500 : removing broken alternator, and replacing afterwards with fixed

I just talked to Miles himself who seemed to be very forthcoming and he was absolutely adament that there was nothing underhand and that the job took their mechanic one and a half days. He repeated that this was mostely due to the difficulty of replacing an alternator on a FTO.

If anyone has contact details of a mechanic who has done this for the much cheaper prices mentioned, maybe they could PM them to me.

Thanks
Slep

[kevinod]

...the job took their mechanic one and a half days. He repeated that this was mostely due to the difficulty of replacing an alternator on a FTO.

A bit of an improvement, but still crazy, when CJ got his done for €250 all in...

I haven't looked at the FTO alternator or what would be required to remove it myself, but don't understand how it would take an experienced mechanic more than 30 minutes at most to remove/fit the trickiest of alternators.

I just don't buy the line about "the difficulty in replacing an alternator on a FTO", I presume he wasn't any more specific than that.

Did they replace the alternator with a new one or did they recondition yours and put it back on?

Kev.

[CJ]

I just talked to Miles himself who seemed to be very forthcoming and he was absolutely adament that there was nothing underhand and that the job took their mechanic one and a half days. He repeated that this was mostely due to the difficulty of replacing an alternator on a FTO

B@ll@cks! Its a 45 min job to remove the alternator, you need to remove the inlet manifold to get at it but it should be handy enough for somone who has an idea of what they're doing.

If anyone has contact details of a mechanic who has done this for the much cheaper prices mentioned, maybe they could PM them to me

You have a PM

CJ