Put it in the car next to your spare tire. LOL

Airplanes have redundant parts in case one fail. Would be cool if our car have is like that too.

 

im glad i have warranty on my car, alternator replaced last year, around 120k miles. only paid $100 deductible. no question asked.

 

As I was driving this week, the battery light came on. I was surprised but kept driving. Shortly after a number of other warnings came on. I looked for a spot to pull off and found I had no power brakes and also power steering. Once off the road I was wondering what to do when the radio shut off. My first thought was the alternator.
I had it towed to my garage. It was the alternator. The reason it failed was the valve cover gasket started leaking and this oil was taken up by the alternator. I saw no oil leaking in my garage because of the pan under the engine which captured the dripping oil.

 

^ might be cheaper to go buy a new battery and pop it in to drive home or dealer instead of towing. The towing is more than the cost of a new battery.

a fresh battery should get you more than 30 miles with the dead alternator. Mine is a V8 and it could do 30, V6 should go farther.

 

It may be cheaper, but if you have roadside assistance included with your insurance it is not even a thought.

 

^ keep thinking that, they include it out of the goodness of their heart.

Me however prefer having a spare battery around. Can use it during power outage too. It's my all purpose insurance.

All the money I pull into insurance is enough to buy a few new cars. Such a waste. When talking about insurance, ppl always go into the "WHAT IF".

 

My cars radio sometimes doesn't come on and the ac can not be controlled it would says check ac connection, it stays on the last setting it was on, could this be signs of a failing alternator?

 

Highly doubt that, it may be what it is, a loose AC connection. Have you taken apart the cables in the rear of the head unit recently for a Vaistech or whatever? If so, I'd wiggle up the connections back there n make sure to reseat them and see if that helps.

The purpose of an alternator is to charge your battery and system while you are driving and using up resources. If your alternator's failing, your car will literally die after a while since there is no charge helping the system keep up.

TY OP and people who've posted a DIY, I just purchased my Mechman alternator for my system+air suspension rig and was going to look for a DIY guide. I'm now about to consider doing the big 3 while i'm under there..... Lexus loves to put proprietary parts in some PITA positions LOL.

 

I will try that, however I did go test my battery and alternator at an auto part store, they said the battery is good and alternator is bad

 

Then its time to replace the alternator

 

I am about to replace my alternator today but I only have a 2 hour time window to do it. I see that tunedis95 did his replacement in 45 mins. He has a GS430. Will it be just as easy in the 2006 GS300?

 

let us know. it is a tight fit but do-able

 

If your skill level and comfort level are the same then it would probably be easier since there is more room to work with around the smaller engine.

 

The GS300 alternator replacement is NOT easy at all. The Compressor Assembly that is right below the alternator has to come out. I am told there is another bolt under the alternator that obviously has to come out.

I changed my timing belt in my 99 GS300. That was very long and tedious. But with this alternator replacement, I had to give up. Had it towed to a mechanic who just happens to be the Service Manager at Lexus. He laughed when I said I tried to replace it myself and said this is not DIY repair. It's much harder with the GS300. So, I got my alternator for $145 and he is replacing it for $100.

 

cheap, I have been getting quoted $85/hr, from one mechanic, and 140 from another mechanic so far for my 3uz (tunedis' car).