Hey guys 08 GX with 42K and just driving home and battery light comes on and a whirrrring noise--pull over and open hood smell strong electrical smell--ok Alternator fried. Got it home and battery light off but still when I put a meter to my battery with engine running its only putting out 13.4V? should be at least 14.5-6 correct. Has to be Alternator cause of the symptoms and the burning electrical smell lol...WOW and I was going ATVing in the morning ohhhh well.......


SO WHO has changed alternator and how hard was it? MANN---You got any help with this please! thanks! PDF file on how to change this out---Im looking for it and I think its under the Power steering pump it seems left side engine looking at it.??

 

Here are two links that contain directions that may help.

Good luck.


http://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-c...placement.html

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...placement.html

 

I have never replaced one on a GX, but I just did the one on my 4Runner and if you are not getting 14+ volts the brushes inside the alternator may be worn. That was the case in my 4Runner, you can order the brushes from the dealer for about $30 vs. $500 for the OEM alternator. Remove the alternator disassemble it and swap in the new brushes. Its worth a try, worked on my 4Runner and I saved nearly $600 in parts and labor.

Whatever you do, DO NOT trade your OEM alternator into some auto parts store as a core. Bite the bullet and buy the one from the dealer if all else fails. If you are flat broke and have to buy a cheap alternator then go find any cheap alternator from a junkyard and turn that in as the core. Just make sure you keep that Toyota alternator you could have it rebuilt when you get time/money.

 

Im going to take it to dealer in morning Ive read about changing it out and Im not going to worry about it, Ill pay to have it done save me the headaches! Its not the brushes as I smelt a distinct electrical burning smell when the batt light came on and I opened the hood, Im sure I fried a winding or 2 lol. Its only putting out like 13.2 13.3V when running.
Seems a little premature failure of alternator at 42K though to me---Oh well!

 

I suspect my failure was primarily caused by off road abuse and 200,000 miles on the odometer. Do you drive often in sand, salt, mud, dust or snow?

Shouldn't that be cover under warranty?

 

Nope out of warrrety now! Only drive in snow but that shouldnt have anything to do with it? Lol you got 200K well hope this is the only alternator it needs. And YES dealership called and alt has failed!

 

I just changed the alternator on my GX after it failed on me. I was getting the whirring noise for a while but I thought it was related to the power steering system since the sound was so similar.

Installation and removal is not horrible, but it is a tight fit. The airbox, radiator fan, shroud, expansion tank, and serpentine belt need to come off. The power steering pump then gets slid forward after removing it's hardware (it will slide on a threaded rod that remains fixed). Remove the skid plates and loosen the A/C hard line bracket on the bottom. This will allow you to flex the a/c line and squeeze the alternator past the coolant line and power steering pump pulley. It's a tight one and it helps to have someone help you from the bottom while you pull the alternator up. Installation is reverse of removal.