007_e350

I'm tryin to give it a shot myself - $499 on ebay (new Bosch 180 Amp), $299 used -- Can someone post specs of the OEM one

Do I need to remove radiator to swap out alternator ? Any documentation / torques on this'll be greatly appreciated guys -

SZMB

I just got the rebuilt alternator from Bosch ($180 from autohausaz.com +core deposit) in the mail and will do the replacement on the CLK320 this weekend. It's an easy DIY -- shouldn't take more than an hour. Make sure to disconnect the negative battery terminal before removing or installing the alternator. No need to remove the radiator, there's plenty of room to work. Even on the E500, I see there's plenty of room. Remove the drive belt and the two bolts holding the alternator, and use a pry bar (or large flat head screw driver) to pry off the alternator.

007_e350

thats good to hear - do you have torques & what about the location of electrical connectors ?

SZMB

I don't have the spec. Just give it a tight fit until you can't turn the bolts with reasonable force. There are two electrical connectors on the back: one very large "positive" wire and one electrical socket. It's VERY important that you disconnect the battery negative terminal before removing the alternator, otherwise you could potentially short the battery while removing the "positive" wire from the alternator. I've replaced alternators in Toyotas, GMs, and BMWs, they're pretty much all the same in terms of removal and installation.

lkchris

http://www.startekinfo.com/StarTek/o...tedDocId=11498

lkchris

Of course, none of those "cars" had two batteries.

Doing this job without reference to Mercedes factory procedures is sheer folly.

SZMB

I bought the CD 2 yrs ago, but it does not run on Vista, so can't view the repair manual. Are both batteries connected to the alternator? The chances are that both are connected since the little battery needs to be kept charged as well. Well, just disconnect both batteries before working on the alternator then.

paulv

Sent you a PM.

Regards,
paul...

gnma

If possible. take detailed pics and a write-up of the procedure. You could then ask for this to become a sticky, and would be very useful for us DIY'ers. I plan on doing the same when I perform maintenance now that my warranty has expired. Good luck!!

007_e350

Just got done last night - boy oh boy you dont wanna diy it.. 7 hrs of struggling in a weird bent over position lol

I couldn't take pics but I will write the steps here & maybe post pics of parts involved to help anyone takin a shot!

-Remove Battery -ve terminal & tape it up
-Take out the left air intake duct (facing engine) - u've to juggle it out
-Use 17mm rachet and losen up the tensioner pulley to remove the serpentine belt (Follow diagram in the owners manual to locate the tensioner pulley)
-Remove the 4 alternator mounting bolts & plug out the electrical connection on the left side facing alternator (you cant miss it)
-Now let it drop to the bottom and remove the black rubber mount on the back side, open the nut & disconnect the ground cable

NOW IS THE HARDEST PART - how to pull it out

- Remove the bolt on dipstick and move it aside
- Remove the Air shutoff valve (or whatever its called) - it would be the one hindering when trying to pull out the alternator (becareful, you'll need to disconnect some pipes so make sure you put them back in the same places) - it has 3 torx screws mounted onto the engine block
- Now pull that mama out twistin, turning rubbing ... you'll get it

NOW IS THE NEXT MOST TIME CONSUMING PIECE OF IT

- Drop in the new alternator the same way, make sure the clockwise arrow is facing the front & the electrical connection bracket is on the left (you facing the alternator)
- Its heavy so getting it to hold infront of the mounting and getting the screw to fit in is really hard -I finally took a thin pipe (like brake line) and hung it from one of the mounting bolts
- Connect the grounding wire on the back side - bolt it tight (this is a challenge - not enough room)
- Now get one of the bolts to screwinto the mounting (very hard, two hands are not enough - took me abt 2 hrs just to do the first bolt)
- Once all 4 are in, connect electrical connector, put air shutoff valve assembly in place alongwith pipe connections (I also had to put gaskit sealant on the gaskit for airvalve mounting. Put DipStick screw back on
- Now open your owners manual and arrange the serpentine belt - make sure it sits in all groves and is properly routed - do tensioner pulley in the end by losing it up
- put back the air duct
- Reconnect the battery terminal
- look for any leftover tools in the belt or fan surroundings, check all electrical connections again making sure they 'clicked', check all pipes, radiator hoses
- You're done - your back will be sore that night..

paulv

In that case, how much are your labor rates?

Regards,

paul....

SZMB

I changed the alternator on Sunday and it took 2 hrs. Originally, i thought it would take only 1 hr, which is the typical time on other cars. But I have to agree that the job is far more difficult than on other cars, such as BMW, Toyota or GMs. I should have posted some tips/tricks soon after I did this job. But there's on oil dipstick in the front of the car I worked on. Next time, it'll take me no more than one hour.
There's very little room in the back of the alternator to work with, i got some cuts on my hands as a result of taking out the alternator.
Here's the procedure I would recommend (I didn't take pictures eithe, but can take some later and post them):
1. Remove battery negative terminals (2 batteries) on the E class or one in the CLK class.
2. Remove engine cover and vent duct on passenger side.
3. Remove drive belt: only one. Nut on tensioner is 17mm. Rotate counter-clockwise & remove belt. Draw a picture of the belt position before removing it; you'll need to refer to it when putting it back.
4.. Remove the two long mounting bolts (12mm I believe) holding the alternator. (There maybe 4 mounting bolts on some models, I don't know). Use a pry bar & pry the alternator loose.
5.. Flip the alternator facing down (pulley facing down). There's a plastic cap covering the 13mm nut. Remove that w/ a flat head screw driver. Remove the large positive wire by removing the 13mm nut. Unplug the wire harness.
6. Take the old alternator out: Some pipes and hoses are on the way, you'll need to remove some plastic clips holding down the hoses, and move (not disconnecting) the hoses out of the way.
7. The hardest part. Drop in the new alternator. Connect the wirehareness. Don't connect the positive wire yet. Now wiggle the top of the alternator onto the fitting slot; need some muscle to wiggle it in; insert the long bolt, it maynot smoothly slide into place -- just wiggle and push at the same time, you maynot be able to align the hole on the alterntor and the hole in the mounting plate, the trick is to wiggle the bolt and slightly wiggle the alternator at the same time and push the bolt in. Tighten the bolt 1/2 way. Now wiggle the bottom of the alternator into the bottom fitting position. Insert the 2nd bolt and wiggle both the bolt & the alternator at the same time until the bolt can slide into position. Now tighten both bolts.
8. Connect the positive wire on alternator & tighten the nut.
9. Put the drive belt back on.
10. Reconnect the battery terminals.
It took me 2 hrs to do the whole job. Next time, it won't take more than an hour.

jimbo1mcm

The flat rate manual shows that for an 05 CDI, not your E500, the labor charge to replace the alternator should be not more than 2.6 hours. For your car, it might even be more, not sure. You saved at least $300, maybe more.

007_e350

The documentation actually tells you to take out the Fan as well ... I didn't have the guts to do that neither did I know how to... maybe thats why it took longer

SZMB

It sounds like the fan in your car is connected to the drive shaft or the waterpump pulley, in that case it would have been easier if you remove the fan to free up some work room. You'll need a special wrench to remove the fan. Ebay sells this tool. However, in my 2004 E500 and 2004 CLK320, the fan is not attached to the main shaft or the pulley, it's mounted just right behind/next to the radiator. There's plenty of room in the front -- it's not necessary to remove the fan in my case.

007_e350

Dealers quote alt for $900 - $1200 ---- I got it from www.alternatorpros.com for $259 -- they have lifetime warranty too

PlatinumPi4u

I'm bumping this thread because there are lots of people asking about this right now.

Awesome website, it quoted me $218 for a remanufactured alternator with a 2yr or life time warranty... Dealer does want like 900 or 1300 dollars, not to mention 3hrs of labor.

So with this DIY, i'm going to tackle this, and replace the belt pulleys while im at it

jhott66

It is a good site for info. And changing the alternator is easy, nothing special.
The Forums here are also good for a laugh because some guy named "lkchris" dishes out stuff like this:
"Doing this job without reference to Mercedes factory procedures is sheer folly."

hahaha. Good one. It's like there is some mystery behind doing DIY work on the Mercedes! Only a "Mercedes Tech" should work on the car.

Anyway, I get out a kick out of reading his comments throughout the forums.

bigswol2

Do you pull the alternator from the top or do you go under the car to get it out. It's a tight squeeze and does anyone have any pics?