[John952]

View attachment 100442

ok, so after a night key off, the battery dropped to 2.66V, completely drained...
I charged it for some hours and vol came back to +12.50 volts...
I made a drain amp test and the result is dhown on the pic 1.90amp !! that explain the drainage.
So what I did is removing the black wire the goes into the 80amp fuse, this wire goes to the alternator.
Then I did another test and the amp drainage drop to .01 !! I reconnect the wire on the fuse and amp drain pop up to +1.90amp....

So the problem is alternator direction, probably a diode... I'll replace the alternator...

I'll still go ahead and track wires from the ignition switch.... I'll come back to say where those are heading....

photo below shows where I disconnected the alternator wire in the fuse box....

 

[John952]

I really don't know what suzuki guys were thinking about putting a Torx bolt for the pivot one on the alternator... that seems a stupid thing... it make a simple job to become way more time consuming. anyway had to go to buy a lighted inspection miror to see how bad the mechanic strip it... (and to find easier other bolts if I got to remove the braket)... for sure I'll buy and hexagonal bolt to replace it......

 

[ArroyoRat]

I really don't know what suzuki guys were thinking about putting a Torx bolt for the pivot one on the alternator... that seems a stupid thing... it make a simple job to become way more time consuming. anyway had to go to buy a lighted inspection miror to see how bad the mechanic strip it... (and to find easier other bolts if I got to remove the braket)... for sure I'll buy and hexagonal bolt to replace it......

Unless you're positive NO ONE has ever touched that alternator since it left the factory, maybe it was installed by a member of the infamous "STEG" (Shade Tree Engineers Guild) that we hear about all the time.
Yes, replace with hex bolt.... like it probably had when it was new.

 

[John952]

Unless you're positive NO ONE has ever touched that alternator since it left the factory, maybe it was installed by a member of the infamous "STEG" (Shade Tree Engineers Guild) that we hear about all the time.
Yes, replace with hex bolt.... like it probably had when it was new.

I can't tell if last onwers had it changed, What I know is a mechanic tried to replace it few months back and he hasn't been able... he told me the someone had the bolt stripped.

I've seen in some videos on utube that torx bolt were factory, but I can't tell on the x-90 I dont have the FSM.... I think it was for the Vitara....

Anyway it looks like if the bolt was broken cause when I look on the pic (below), I don't see the head or the other side of the bolt, and I can move the alternator has if there were no bolt tighten....

 

[ArroyoRat]

I can't tell if last onwers had it changed, What I know is a mechanic tried to replace it few months back and he hasn't been able... he told me the someone had the bolt stripped.

I've seen in some videos on utube that torx bolt were factory, but I can't tell on the x-90 I dont have the FSM.... I think it was for the Vitara....

Anyway it looks like if the bolt was broken cause when I look on the pic (below), I don't see the head or the other side of the bolt, and I can move the alternator has if there were no bolt tighten....

Hopefully, you'll be able to remove the alternator without messing with the broken bolt.... otherwise you will have to find a way to cut the bolt shank since it's a pretty tight space to try a bolt extractor bit. Small rotary tool, maybe. What about removing entire bracket?

 

[John952]

I can't tell if last onwers had it changed, What I know is a mechanic tried to replace it few months back and he hasn't been able... he told me the someone had the bolt stripped.

I've seen in some videos on utube that torx bolt were factory, but I can't tell on the x-90 I dont have the FSM.... I think it was for the Vitara...

Anyway it looks like if the bolt was broken cause when I look on the pic (below), I don't see the head or the other side of the bolt, and I can move the alternator has if there were no bolt tighten....

Hopefully, you'll be able to remove the alternator without messing with the broken bolt.... otherwise you will have to find a way to cut the bolt shank since it's a pretty tight space to try a bolt extractor bit. Small rotary tool, maybe. What about removing entire bracket?

Indeed, you're right, the best choice is probably to remove the the entire braket... I'll try (with the inspection miror), to have a look at all bolts and will post pics, so if someone have to do it he'll know exactly where they are and the easiest way to do it.... I'll also try to find where I could get the fms book for the x-90.

As I also want to replace the starter, possible that I do it with the alternator removed, it would make more room to work on it... anyway, I'll add some pics that could be helpful if someone has to go thought this....

 

[John952]

Went back to work on it this pm but big rain began.... however had time to take a few pics. The right arrow is the only bolt that you have to remove from the top to remove the alternator bracket (there's 3 bolts and one nuts), the left one is a bolt from the engine mount bracket. (there's also one nut that you have to remove from te top

 

[ArroyoRat]

Is the troublesome bolt still attached at the bottom?

 

[John952]

As we can see, with the alternator rotated down, we can see those to bolts that are holding the braquet, those won't be to much a problem to remove... there's another on the front and one that I'll probably have to remove from under the car... (I'll show pic tomorrow)...

Furthermore, I really don't know why the mechanic told me it was a torx... !!! (I now think torx are mostly on vitara with what i've seen but I could be wrong)... in the next pic, we can see the head bolt in the miror... I'm still wondering why he didnt just remove the bracket.... as those usually have all tools needed and use lift that makes jobs way easier..... (when head bolt are messed up..)
The two bolts on the pic are for the upper part of the backet(seperate piece)

 

[John952]

Is the troublesome bolt still attached at the bottom?

Yes Arro, you can see the head of the bolt just beside le inspection miror light... maybe you've got to enlarge the pic...

 

[John952]

Yes Arro, you can see the head of the bolt just beside le inspection miror light... maybe you've got to enlarge the pic...

Ok, I think you mean if there something locking the bolt.... I was to try to put my socket on the head on the bolt, but the rain was way to much !!! I'm wondering why there's no nut the other side of the head bolt. I dont think the bolt screw in the braket.... but maybe this braket has screw thread... I'll know it soon enough !!

 

[ArroyoRat]

Ok, I think you mean if there something locking the bolt.... I was to try to put my socket on the head on the bolt, but the rain was way to much !!! I'm wondering why there's no nut the other side of the head bolt. I dont think the bolt screw in the braket.... but maybe this braket has screw thread... I'll know it soon enough !!

Super....looks like you're on the home stretch! Glad we both agreed on removing the bracket.
Turns out, you're way better mechanic than "the mechanic".. You'd think he'd be starving, at this rate!

 

[John952]

Super....looks like you're on the home s

Super....looks like you're on the home stretch! Glad we both agreed on removing the bracket.
Turns out, you're way better mechanic than "the mechanic".. You'd think he'd be starving, at this rate!

Indeed , kind of a home stretch... About the mechanic I was uncomfortable for him cause he was kind of young... as he hasn't been able to do the job, the charged me $20 and he worked 2,5 hours on this... I gave him $50 cause I knew he wasn't like some mechanics that want to steal people.... But on this Suzuki forum, we can learn a lot more about suzuki little 4x4 than many mechanic know....

Anyway, I'll be back with more pics in the coming days.....

 

[ArroyoRat]

"... I gave him $50 cause I knew he wasn't like some mechanics that want to steal people.... "
Sounds like a good deed on your part, at least being young & inexperienced is a real reason.
Yeah, let us know how it went!

 

[John952]

"... I gave him $50 cause I knew he wasn't like some mechanics that want to steal people.... "
Sounds like a good deed on your part, at least being young & inexperienced is a real reason.
Yeah, let us know how it went!

Just a little update... there's two pivot bolts, one wss missing !! The other , the head is completely rounded...

I had one hour to work on it today, and was able to remove one bolt holding the bracket from under the car (12mm)... I'll have more time to work on it tomorrow and I should be able to remove the bracket, (the the alternator too)...

Btw, there are 12m and 11m bolts that are holding the bracket... I'll make sure to add pics this weekend...

 

[John952]

Just a little update... there's two pivot bolts, one wss missing !! The other , the head is completely rounded...

I had one hour to work on it today, and was able to remove one bolt holding the bracket from under the car (12mm)... I'll have more time to work on it tomorrow and I should be able to remove the bracket, (the the alternator too)...

Btw, there are 12m and 11m bolts that are holding the bracket... I'll make sure to add pics this weekend...

 

[John952]

Just above that bracket bolt , we can see how damage was the pivot head bolt....

On the pic below, you can see two bolts that you've got to remove from under the car, the other bolt is the rounded (problematic) head bolt.... the front differential (on those 4x4) makes the room to work tighter....

 

[ArroyoRat]

Just above that bracket bolt , we can see how damage was the pivot head bolt....

On the pic below, you can see two bolts that you've got to remove from under the car, the other bolt is the rounded (problematic) head bolt.... the front differential (on those 4x4) makes the room to work tighter....

View attachment 100566

Yeah, that's a tight squeeze, alright!
Good thing you decided to do this yourself, no telling what another shop would've done.
Even if they did fix it, imagine the labor charge (along with a story about how they suffered to high heavens).

 

[John952]

Yeah, that's a tight squeeze, alright!
Good thing you decided to do this yourself, no telling what another shop would've done.
Even if they did fix it, imagine the labor charge (along with a story about how they suffered to high heavens).

The mechanic has probably no idea about this specific car. A great thing about learning about our car/truck, after some hours working on it, we know what to do when we have a problem.... there's a lot of info on this board when I need it for my sidekick. As x-90 were only built for 3 years, I'll try to bring some infos about replacement of alternator and the starter.... as I want to do some more work on it this summer I will bring some infos that could be useful for x-90 owners.....

Btw, as removing the alternator + the bracket is going to give me some more room, I'll probably take the time to replace the stater too this weekend.... I'll show what kind of rachets I've use to me it easier.... and all different bolts size....

 

[ArroyoRat]

The mechanic has probably no idea about this specific car. A great thing about learning about our car/truck, after some hours working on it, we know what to do when we have a problem.... there's a lot of info on this board when I need it for my sidekick. As x-90 were only built for 3 years, I'll try to bring some infos about replacement of alternator and the starter.... as I want to do some more work on it this summer I will bring some infos that could be useful for x-90 owners.....

Btw, as removing the alternator + the bracket is going to give me some more room, I'll probably take the time to replace the stater too this weekend.... I'll show what kind of rachets I've use to me it easier.... and all different bolts size....