Good day, all!

I'm in the process of buying an '04 MCS with 27K miles. One thing that I've noticed is that the alternator and/or alternator belt are quite noisy upon start-up; the noise goes away after the engine has warmed up.

Having done a little reading on these forums, I see that this is a fairly common problem.

What I'm wondering is this: how difficult is it to replace either one of these items if I were to do it myself? Also, what am I looking at in regards to the cost of parts? Is the alternator and belt readily available at most auto part stores, or will I have to go through the dealer?

Thanks for any help!

- alex

 

Most likely the problem is with the belt, not the alternator. For a quick test, start the engine, and spray a small amount of water on both sides of the belt (a single spritz from a trigger spray bottle is sufficient, no need to dump lots of water). If the noise ceases or changes significantly, it's the belt. The rubber hardens and glazes over after a while, resulting in the squealing. If the noise continues, problems could be most likely in one of the idler pulleys. Replacing the belt requires a special tool to release the tensioner, this tool is not generally available locally, but can be found at many of the bigger MINI aftermarket suppliers like OutMotoring. Replacing the alternator on a MCS requires removing the front of the car, which is actually much more difficult sounding than it actually is. Remove the bumper cover, the bumper understructure, then swivel the radiator support forward slightly while supporting it from dropping. The alternator is held on with three bolts.

The idler is held on by a center bolt, the tensioner has few small bolts and a large one at the pivot point. Unfortunately, finding these replacement parts in the aftermarket is not going to be easy, you'd be best to go to the dealer, or better yet, to one of the dealers that have a deal with NAM members such as Classic.