How to Replace an Alternator on an Isuzu Rodeo
by Will ChandlerThe alternator in your car provides power to the accessories in the vehicle such as the radio, headlights and ignition coils. It does this by creating current from the turning engine belt. Without an alternator, your car's battery would be relied upon too heavily and would die fairly quickly. To replace the alternator in your Isuzu Rodeo, follow the steps below.
Alternator Replacement for Isuzu Rodeo
Step 1
Remove the small skid plate with a 14 mm socket. Remove the ground wire from your battery so the alternator does not have power.
Step 2
Loosen the six 19 mm lug nuts on the passenger side tire. Do not remove them yet. Apply the parking brake and use the floor jack to lift the front passenger side of the vehicle. Insert a jack stand and support the vehicle on the frame railing behind the passenger side tire. Once the vehicle is supported by the jack stand, remove the tire.
Step 3
Loosen the 14 mm bolt on top of the alternator and then the 12 mm bolt that goes through the adjuster arm. There might also be a 10 mm adjuster bolt that needs to be loosened as well. Slide the belt off the alternator by lifting up. Do not remove any of these bolts yet.
Step 4
Remove the plastic wheel well apron that covers up the engine bay from the underside of the vehicle. Pop out the eight fasteners with a flathead screwdriver. This will create the space to remove the alternator.
Step 5
Remove the 14 mm bolt that was loosened in Step 3. Then remove the 12 mm bolt. The alternator can now be positioned through the engine bay so that it can be pulled out of the wheel well.
Step 6
Disconnect the electrical connections on the alternator and remember or mark where they were installed. One of the connections will be secured with a 10 mm nut. Use an open-ended wrench to undo the nut and pull out the old alternator. Hold the new alternator in the same spot so that the electrical connectors can be reinstalled. Tighten the 10 mm nut and then reconnect all the electrical connectors.
Step 7
Slide the alternator up through the wheel well and into position in the engine compartment. Reattach the 14 mm bolt onto the top of the new alternator and the 12 mm bolt through the alternator and into the adjuster arm. Adjust the tension as necessary.
References
Tips
- Have a friend help with the install if possible. You can hand them the alternator through the wheel well rather than trying to secure it on your own.
Things You'll Need
- Floor jack
- Jack stands
- Ratchet
- 10 mm, 12 mm, 14 mm and 19 mm sockets
- Flathead screwdriver
Warnings
- Make sure to disconnect the battery and secure the wheels before beginning the install.
Writer Bio
Will Chandler is a corrective exercise trainer in Wilmington, NC. He has a Business degree from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. Chandler has trained everyone from athletes to seniors since 2004. Chandler is an off road enthusiasts who practices welding and 4x4 fabrication.
