MAN55LE

Basically as the title says....had a burnt smell didn't know if it was the alternator or the voltage regulator,. just didn't know out of experience if any of you guys assimilated the smell to one thing or the other I heard it mentioned in the voltage regulator thread but didn't know if that member wound up changing his alternator

Exotic-metal55

I have not heard of a burnt smell from the alternator but the V reg is pretty easy to change and test, as is the alternator.

novae500

Over the summer this happened to my E500. Got a burnt plastic smell. A couple weeks later get the RED Battery, then No Brakes. I ended up replacing the alternator and all was fine. Could have been the volt regulator, but found a new bosch one for pretty good price.

efiftyfizzle

Same thing happened to me a couple months ago... burnt smell. I ended up replacing the whole alternator because the voltage regulator shouldn't make a smell if it goes bad.

AMG E Power

if it smells like burnt plastic youre alternator is toast ! happened to me

groove66

When batteries get low it causes the alt to recharge them. Well alternator are made to maintain a charge not recharge. Although they can recharge your battery is causes the diode to over heat causing your burnt plastic smell. When I just did mine. I had 12.xx volts at idle. Changed out VR and charging went up to around 13.5 but with lights on / heater on it would still dip into the 12.0 and start to drop to 11.7 at idle. But in the day time it would be fine. Charging at 13.8 and went to 14.xx when you just touched the gas or just cruising at anything above 1000rpms. But underload it would take a crap. Then I replaced alt, charged both batteries and have not had a problem since