Hi Tez, Great video, the only one I believe on the V-6 RAV4 alternator. I found your video and used it to replace my alt on RAV4 2007 V-6. I wanted to add some steps to make it even easier for the others who follow: -do not drain radiator, just move overflow bottle and hoses and A/C lines carefully out of the way, use bungee cords to hold them away -remove the clips and 2 screws holding RADIATOR GRILLE SUB-ASSEMBLY (gently pull away the part of front bumper between headlights and grill), then remove that bracket (the ones the horns are attached too) held in by two bolts. -remove UPPER RADIATOR SUPPORT SUB-ASSEMBLY (the one that has the hood latch attached to it) and the two small S brackets on either side that hold upper radiator in place. Do not remove bracket directly on top of radiator. -now you can lean back the radiator, fan shroud and a/c condenser all together about 5-6 inches more away from engine compartment making it way easier to remove alt. -on the under side remove the ENGINE UNDER COVER RH (three clips) and FRONT SUSPENSION MEMBER REINFORCEMENT RH, held in place by four 14mm bolts, this makes it real easy to access everything from the underside *BE CAREFUL to check that you don't have the Crankshaft position sensor wire harness attached under the alt to that third bolt bracket. If you do have it, carefully remove it from the bracket (maybe cut the clip) -unfortunately I didn't read the comment about the wire under the bracket and pulled the wire from its connector on the Crankshaft position sensor. -so if you did rip wire out, remove the four bolts holding the a/c compressor, pull back compressor 4-5 inches, now you can push tab on connector and remove it from sensor or remove nut and remove the whole sensor, then remove clip. -how to replace the red and green wires to connector: back of connector, remove two clips that hold waterproofing bushings, front side of connector, remove the two white caps, now looking at front of connector, slip small screwdriver in and lift tab to slide out clips that hold the wires. Reattach wires to clips, Now looking at the connector from the front, the red wire goes to the right slot and the green to the left slot. If you mix them up, car will not start. Which is what I did so the car didn't start. Rather then take it all apart, I opened wiring harness farther up, located the two wires (inside a brown shielded cable) and cut open the brown shuilded cable to expose red and green wires, cut and crossed them. Car stated right up.
The wire happened to me I ripped it out at the base. Would love if you can reach out to me with maybe a couple pictures to help guide me through it I’m not savvy however I did find the sensor!! Super hard to find I found it by looking under the car upwards
@@DistortedIlluminatis Hello, DistortedIlluminatis. I guess I broke the wire when I tried to disconnected it from the Alternator. My car crank but won't start now. Do you have any suggestion before redoing everything again?
Hugely helpful!! Did this on my daughter’s car. Saved her almost $600.00 For 2006 owners a couple of notes- did not have to drain any coolant just move the reservoir to the side. Also did not remove the tire. Was able to get to everything from up top. The bottom bolt on the alternator is tough coming out and going in. Ended up using a small ratchet to get it tight. Also for this year there is not a 3rd bolt and bracket- just two bolts and another small bolt on the front for the wire harness. You can move the wire harness out of the way after unbolting - don’t necessarily have to disconnect the other sensors to move the harness away.
Explanation and steps are ok but terrible body cam videoing. This would have been a better DIY video with better videoing. Almost can’t see what you’re doing and the camera keeps moving back and forth.
Thanks for posting this, last time I had an alternator replaced on my rav v6 it cost me a TON of $. I'm gonna give it a try myself this time. Everybody complaining about the camera work...I wonder what they put out in the world to be helpful to others ? Thanks again!!
Daymon, thank you very much for the recognition of my attempt to help the world. When I attempted this, I really wish there was a video remotely like mine to help with the process, especially for the V6. I totally understand about the camera angle, which is terrible, but the narration should help. Please be mindful that there are 3 bolts holding the alternator, with one hidden in between the exhaust manifold and the alternator. I made a Part two video dedicated to that 3rd bolt location. If you need further assistance, I am willing to answer any questions you may have. Good luck!
Daymon Ferguson how much was it? If you don’t mind me asking. I’m changing one right now for a someone. Trying to decide what to charge them. Usually I say half of what the shop said they would charge. I’m thinking I should charge like $400. Hasn’t been easy so far. Got the old one out and about to put the new one in and zip her up.
Thanks. I just finished replacing my alternator w/o removing the radiator. I didn't find it that easy but it was worth it not to mess with the radiator. I found the blind bolt not too hard but for me the lower bolt was difficult. The lower bolt is hard to see and I found it difficult to find a ratchet, extension socket combination that would work in that space.
Thanks for taking the time to post this. I do this kind of thing for a living for 30+ years. This video definitely gives enough information to do this job successfully. Just a couple of comments. At some point your un bolted the low side a/c line brackets from the car and swung that line up out of the way. I do not recommend doing this as you could easily create a leak in the system where that line goes into the firewall. If you remove the three bolts that hold the exhaust heat shield you can move the heat shield to the drivers side far enough to slip the alternator out having to move that line so much. Viewers should scan all the comments as well. Useful info there that did not make it into the video, such as the wire harness that is attached the the hidden bracket on the bottom of the alternator. Cheers
This was a big help. A good friend has the same engine in her 07 camary. I'll take what I say in your video and see what works for alternator removal and replacement in her car.
Thanks to you, I just completed the alternator swap out in less than 3 hours. I can not imagine how long it would have taken me and how much damage I would have done trying to figure it out on my own. Thank you so much! You my friend are a hero. #notallheroeswearcapes
Thank You, good to know I can get it out from the top, thanks for making the video, ( I have a 2011 Rav4 AWD sport V6 with 75,000 miles and just finished a 11K road trip across US and back and the RAV4 ran like a champ, did a few 14hours non stop (besides gas, food, pee stops) in 106 degree weather at 80-90mph with A/C on max, and I finished 2800 miles drive in 65hrs without any issue in the RAV4 V6 and no eating oil or cooling issues) car ran like a champ
2008 RAV4 V6 - "IN THE SOUTH" - Down here in the south the A/C Radiator set up has two fans on the inner side with the one closest to the alternator having large plastic protective supports, not all the 2008s have these larger fan supports - RATS... This gets you within 2 cm of being able to remove this bugger without removing the radiator fan cowling... Nice video... Was going along just great till I hit this snag. Thanks Update: Checked two other RAVs in the neighborhood, they don't have the same large fan cowling that I do. So I just diked one of the fan cowling support arms and was then able to bend the arm enough to get the alternator out. I made the cut leaving enough of a nub to be able to slide on a section of a fountain pen barrel filled with epoxy to repair the arm. All good now so if you have one of the RAVs with the big fan cowling don't despair...
please read my addition above on how to move the radiator, fan shroud and a/c condenser all together about 5-6 inches more away from engine compartment
Thanks for the video! Helped a lot! I had to search through the comments to find that 3rd bolt on that bracket but other than that, you helped a ton! Thank you! I got the alternator out and about to put the new one in. Thanks!
I like the video that you did, but the problem was that you're filming wasn't very good. You didn't show what brackets you were taking off. I didn't see where all the bolts were going or which bracket held on to the alternator. I really wish you could show all those but otherwise the video was really informed. Thank you
I finally found that bolt on the opposite side of the alternator as the pulley. I have to remove the exhaust manifold to access it. This is turning into quite the job. Haha
1st, many thx for posting. I’ve done two of these a Lexus 350 (v6) and Venza (V6) I’m about to do a Rav4(V6). Rav4 having the tightest space so far. Hence I’m watching your video. I agree with getting the Denso alt from Toyota (remanufactured in the US) or new Denso. Other Denso from parts stores, on line or store are iffy where they’re remanufactured from (China?) no thx. Only constructive criticism, maybe mount n move camera when needed and lighting where needed. Otherwise, thanks for the vid. It still helps.
Just did one Took about an hr took out the radiator support and some upper small coolant hoses and one 12mm in the back of the alternator have to feel it can’t see it 16in ext and take off the coolant bottle also
Great Video with great explanations! Minor point is that I couldn't see some of what you were doing because of the camera angle but the great commentary made up for it. Thank-you for doing this. I'm about to perform the same operation.
Kim Raban thanks for the kind words and im glad this is helping. I know the camera angles were not the best. Next time I will do a better job for sure. This certainly is not a small task, so if you need additional help or if you grrt stuck, feel free to reach out.
Also that third bolt is a mother, if it makes it easier its right above the ac compressor bolt (upper right bolt for ac compressor) if you have a good flashlight with one eye you can see it otherwise its by feel. This is a very hard job and when i got done i called the dealer for pricing.... 841 for the new denso toyota brand alternator and 2.9 hours labor which was almost 400 alone.
I had 4 issues. One, if you use a strong light, you will see where the tensioner pulley has a hole in it which will allow you to put the short end of the allen hex wrench through the tensioner pulley and into the pin hole on the engine side so the pulley will stay loose and out of the way. Second, I somehow rounded the hex bolt of the lower alternator bolt. Don't do this! I ended up epoxying a 14 mm socket to the rounded head of the bolt with JB Weld. Never tried this before. It came right out. I then replaced $2 bolt. Thirdly, thank goodness my wife has hands small enough to use a push pin removal screwdriver to remove the hardness from the lower alternator gold bracket. If the video hadn't showed me, I would have never found it. Lastly, I had a hard time getting the alternator out of the vehicle. Hope this helps someone!
Wanted to add that it IS a good idea to draw a diagram of your belt configuration before you take it off. I found out that once I drained the radiator, removed the holding bolts, and removed the upper and lower radiator hoses, it gave me more room and the alternator came right out. I did not have to remove radiator but I did remove the holding bolts. Simply removing the hoses gave me the extra needed room! IF you don't have a hose removal tool, get one. It is so wonderful for that lower radiator hose clamp. I'm done and my granddaughter gets her RAV4 with the towing package back. It did require the 130A alternator.
I understand the camera angles were bad, so hopefully my narration is able to make it more clear. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I will be happy to assist!
Good informational video & I’m sure you’ll get better at recording video. Eventually you will learn how to edit & use multiple go-pro’s for a quality video. Keep it up & create more video’s!
Yeah good job just never heard anyone refer to bolts as screws Nice tools you got coin But yeah it’s a bitch of a job you did well and good clear explanation Thx
Thanks I appreciate the advice! I really know I did a terrible job with the video, that's why I tried to help out with commentary when the video was garbage. This was one of my very first video, by the way. When I realize how terrible it was, the car was already fixed and I wasn't able to have another chance with it again. I hope the video was able to help you in some ways though.
Got all 3 bolts off but the alternator wont go down. Its loose but wont go down a bit in order to detach from the top bolt area. Why wont it come out after all screws are gone?
1 second ago Read my post below from 3 months ago about the wires you ripped. My post is a little long, but it goes into detail if you can follow it. Quickly, those wires go to the Crankshaft position sensor located under the A/C compressor on the engine block. You can reach it by partially removing most of the front grill assembly, and a smaller (has four bolts) frame cross member beam under the car. Take the four bolts holding compressor and swing compressor out of way to access sensor. Radiator does not need to be drained, nor do A/C line need to be opened to accomplish this. Couple hidden bolts/screws here and there, just take your time, use your brain.
Hey Tez, fellow RAV4 V6 here. Thanks for posting the vid! What symptoms were you showing that clued you in to the failing alternator? I've been having my engine shut off semi-randomly, seemingly whenever any significant power draws on the electrical system (turning on lights, accellerating in particular). Anything similar in your experience?
The symptoms you had mentioned, it seems like it may be fuel, spark, or both are weak, you may need a tune-up with fuel cleaner and a fresh set of spark plugs. Alternator failing usually feels just like a dying battery at first. it wont crank over because battery is completely drained, but even with a fresh battery, it literally will just die again the same day or within 10min of running the engine. That's an indication the alternator isn't charging the battery any more. But before actually dropping money on an alternator, I would do a voltage drop test (if the engine can still run) or a resistance test if it doesn't run, from the positive cable attached to the alternator to the red terminal that sits on the battery. Do so with negative cable disconnected from battery. I ran into a situation where the positive cable was corroded all the way through, causing high resistance and eventually stop charging the battery. The alternator had no issue but symptoms just like a dying alternator. Do the same resistance test on the negative battery cable to the housing of the alternator. If any of that reads high resistance or open circuit, that's your issue. If those checks out okay, then you need a new alternator. Good luck!
@@bluice619 Thanks for the reply! Ran through the gambit of tests you listed and a bunch of others but at the end of the day it ended up being an improperly installed grounding cable that had been knocked just a tad loose!!
@@bluice619 I knew my alternator was gone by two methods. First, I could smell the burnt electrical smell above the alternator. It was pretty distinctive. Secondly, I put a volt-ohm meter between the battery posts and it was showing less than 12V, thus, the alternator was not sending a charge back to the battery..
Oh my goodness sorry for the late reply, hopefully this will help you out... so here it goes.... From the passenger side of the hood above above the headlight, I used a brake caliper expander (or anything that will expand) to create space inbetween the hood and the headlight then stick a fat screw handle in to keep it open. Using a 48in long pry bar and about 30minutes of time, I managed to pop the 1st stage of the latch by pushing in from the passenger side. Keep in mind the harder you pull the hood open, the harder the tension is on that 1st stage latch so you have to find a good balance between to two. I wish you the best of luck bro!!!!
Ok i just did mine on an 07 same motor you failed to mention a few things for 1 you dont need to drain rhe coolant at all not even unhook hoses youre able to move the lines around enough to get space another thing you dont have to remove the hood latch at all which will save money on a replacement i took off the core support and moved everything aside, all in all its about a 4 to 5 hour job its a bitch but you dont have to drain coolant and shit
Very good I am so thankful you share this info with me! Keep in mind when I approached this, I had no other resources to guide me, which is the exact reason why I made this video in the first place to document my process. True I might've done a few things extra, because if you actually read the Toyota service manual, it says you need to do all that. I am glad you were able to do it with even fewer steps than I did!
I ran into a serious problem I was pulling the alternator out of my 2007 RAV4 and it rip the wires out that were underneath the alternator caught on the bracket and rip them out and I don’t know where they go maybe you can help me I would appreciate that very much thanks
what wire secures to the bracket (red and green wire) on the alt. I didn't catch that and pulled the wires out of their socket and I can find their origin. plz help...thx
That A/C tube is aluminum which can flex to a certain degree. It is held down by two round plastic pieces with teeth, and it can be undone by using a flat head screw driver. Once you free the aluminum tube from those two plastic holders, go ahead and lift the A/C tube up gently. The way I had the tubes shouldn't damage the tube itself at all, since the A/C is still fully functional at the moment. Hope this helps!
My Toyota dealership said it would be about $1,100 (labor) It took me about 3 hours and it is a VERY tight fit to get the old one out and new one in but it can be done. Take the radiator / grill mounting stuff loose and pull it out of the way while shoving (or pulling) turn it hold your mouth right bleed a little and the dang thing will fit (just barely). It is not easy but it is possible and removing the radiator is not necessary.
Eric Heranandez you are totally right. Obviously i didnt plan the entire video very well. I wish i had done more planning, but it is what it is, i wont have another chance to do this again anytime soon.
Hey Tez sorry to bother u again,so if u where to do this again,would u drain the coolant and remove the top coolant hose or Not? I'm working on mine right now
JOHNNY'S thinking back now, I would still do it because the radiator needed the wiggle room and removing the top radiator hose gave me a little bit more space and opening as well
Check around to make sure all wires are disconnected and not snagged, there is also a bracket where the wiring harness hooks onto, that's off too right?
@@bluice619 there was an extra bracket on the backside closest to the engine. For future viewers with an 09, this could be an add on... If you're looking at the backside of the alternator from the front of the vehicle and see the oil dipstick, look between. It's on the bottom side to the backside of the alternator.
I used this video to help me with my own alternator replacement but I think your information about that 3rd screw is incorrect. I was wailing on the alternator with a screw driver and hammer and it didn't budge. Then I found a hidden screw on the right side if the alternator with its head facing right. Was a bitch to take off.
I'm regretting my life choices now... Looked this up to get to the ac, ac bracket, and tensioner... car is half apart, have to put it together for Tuesday runs, and... yeah, this hurts my soul a bit. Toyota needs to stop with longitudinally mounted engines.
Well, they are the same guy haha. I was so focused on fixing the the alternator I didn't think to check the footages until I was done with the job. Hope the voice over helped where it lacked visibility.
I don't have that information any more but I do remember where I got it from. I called a local Toyota dealership and asked them for the Denso remanufactured alternator part number with 140A output (the one with tow package), then I went online to find it cheaper. If I remember correctly, the price I got it at was between $200 - $300. Sorry I couldn't be more specific. Hope this helps!
it had about 150k on it but my neighbor's RAV4 had some work previously done to it (incorrectly) that led to the alternator to fail. Best of luck to you!
Here is an excellent video on replacing the alternator on the same engine but from an avalon/camry. It shows everything quite well with good descriptions. there are some differences in getting to the alternator though. czcams.com/video/FX3zpP1u7EA/video.html
Dale Mac I totally understand and I tried to make it up by having commentary to clarify what I am doing. I did not realize the poor angles until after I had recorded everything. If you have any specific questions, feel free to to reach out. I will be more than happy to assist!
Hi Tez, Great video, the only one I believe on the V-6 RAV4 alternator. I found your video and used it to replace my alt on RAV4 2007 V-6. I wanted to add some steps to make it even easier for the others who follow:
-do not drain radiator, just move overflow bottle and hoses and A/C lines carefully out of the way, use bungee cords to hold them away
-remove the clips and 2 screws holding RADIATOR GRILLE SUB-ASSEMBLY (gently pull away the part of front bumper between headlights and grill), then remove that bracket (the ones the horns are attached too) held in by two bolts.
-remove UPPER RADIATOR SUPPORT SUB-ASSEMBLY (the one that has the hood latch attached to it) and the two small S brackets on either side that hold upper radiator in place. Do not remove bracket directly on top of radiator.
-now you can lean back the radiator, fan shroud and a/c condenser all together about 5-6 inches more away from engine compartment making it way easier to remove alt.
-on the under side remove the ENGINE UNDER COVER RH (three clips) and FRONT SUSPENSION MEMBER REINFORCEMENT RH, held in place by four 14mm bolts, this makes it real easy to access everything from the underside
*BE CAREFUL to check that you don't have the Crankshaft position sensor wire harness attached under the alt to that third bolt bracket. If you do have it, carefully remove it from the bracket (maybe cut the clip)
-unfortunately I didn't read the comment about the wire under the bracket and pulled the wire from its connector on the Crankshaft position sensor.
-so if you did rip wire out, remove the four bolts holding the a/c compressor, pull back compressor 4-5 inches, now you can push tab on connector and remove it from sensor or remove nut and remove the whole sensor, then remove clip.
-how to replace the red and green wires to connector: back of connector, remove two clips that hold waterproofing bushings, front side of connector, remove the two white caps, now looking at front of connector, slip small screwdriver in and lift tab to slide out clips that hold the wires. Reattach wires to clips, Now looking at the connector from the front, the red wire goes to the right slot and the green to the left slot. If you mix them up, car will not start. Which is what I did so the car didn't start. Rather then take it all apart, I opened wiring harness farther up, located the two wires (inside a brown shielded cable) and cut open the brown shuilded cable to expose red and green wires, cut and crossed them. Car stated right up.
Thanks for the extra tips
The wire happened to me I ripped it out at the base. Would love if you can reach out to me with maybe a couple pictures to help guide me through it I’m not savvy however I did find the sensor!! Super hard to find I found it by looking under the car upwards
@@DistortedIlluminatis Hello, DistortedIlluminatis. I guess I broke the wire when I tried to disconnected it from the Alternator. My car crank but won't start now. Do you have any suggestion before redoing everything again?
Hugely helpful!! Did this on my daughter’s car. Saved her almost $600.00
For 2006 owners a couple of notes- did not have to drain any coolant just move the reservoir to the side. Also did not remove the tire. Was able to get to everything from up top.
The bottom bolt on the alternator is tough coming out and going in. Ended up using a small ratchet to get it tight. Also for this year there is not a 3rd bolt and bracket- just two bolts and another small bolt on the front for the wire harness. You can move the wire harness out of the way after unbolting - don’t necessarily have to disconnect the other sensors to move the harness away.
This is the best most complete process. Video, not great, but with what says, this is a must watch to replace the alt.
Explanation and steps are ok but terrible body cam videoing. This would have been a better DIY video with better videoing. Almost can’t see what you’re doing and the camera keeps moving back and forth.
Great Video I wish you could mention tool selection like socket size extensions etc would be perfect THANKS
Thanks for posting this, last time I had an alternator replaced on my rav v6 it cost me a TON of $. I'm gonna give it a try myself this time. Everybody complaining about the camera work...I wonder what they put out in the world to be helpful to others ? Thanks again!!
Daymon, thank you very much for the recognition of my attempt to help the world. When I attempted this, I really wish there was a video remotely like mine to help with the process, especially for the V6. I totally understand about the camera angle, which is terrible, but the narration should help. Please be mindful that there are 3 bolts holding the alternator, with one hidden in between the exhaust manifold and the alternator. I made a Part two video dedicated to that 3rd bolt location. If you need further assistance, I am willing to answer any questions you may have. Good luck!
Daymon Ferguson how much was it? If you don’t mind me asking. I’m changing one right now for a someone. Trying to decide what to charge them. Usually I say half of what the shop said they would charge. I’m thinking I should charge like $400. Hasn’t been easy so far. Got the old one out and about to put the new one in and zip her up.
Thanks. I just finished replacing my alternator w/o removing the radiator. I didn't find it that easy but it was worth it not to mess with the radiator. I found the blind bolt not too hard but for me the lower bolt was difficult. The lower bolt is hard to see and I found it difficult to find a ratchet, extension socket combination that would work in that space.
Thanks for taking the time to post this. I do this kind of thing for a living for 30+ years. This video definitely gives enough information to do this job successfully. Just a couple of comments. At some point your un bolted the low side a/c line brackets from the car and swung that line up out of the way. I do not recommend doing this as you could easily create a leak in the system where that line goes into the firewall. If you remove the three bolts that hold the exhaust heat shield you can move the heat shield to the drivers side far enough to slip the alternator out having to move that line so much. Viewers should scan all the comments as well. Useful info there that did not make it into the video, such as the wire harness that is attached the the hidden bracket on the bottom of the alternator. Cheers
This was a big help. A good friend has the same engine in her 07 camary. I'll take what I say in your video and see what works for alternator removal and replacement in her car.
Thanks to you, I just completed the alternator swap out in less than 3 hours. I can not imagine how long it would have taken me and how much damage I would have done trying to figure it out on my own. Thank you so much! You my friend are a hero. #notallheroeswearcapes
Scott Dall I appreciate the kind words and also very glad that I helped!!
I spent 3 hours just looking for that last bolt until I found this video
This was a Huge help. Thank you sir. The only real problem I had was locating that lower hidden bolt. I didn't even need to drain the cooling system.
Thank You, good to know I can get it out from the top, thanks for making the video, ( I have a 2011 Rav4 AWD sport V6 with 75,000 miles and just finished a 11K road trip across US and back and the RAV4 ran like a champ, did a few 14hours non stop (besides gas, food, pee stops) in 106 degree weather at 80-90mph with A/C on max, and I finished 2800 miles drive in 65hrs without any issue in the RAV4 V6 and no eating oil or cooling issues) car ran like a champ
I almost gave up on this video because the angle was so bad but I’m glad I didn’t! That’s you for showing where the hidden bolt is!!!
Hey Tez I just finished an alternator swap and success! Thanks so much for the video!
This is absolutely perfect Tez! Helped me out!! Did not know about the third bolt in the front 😳😳😳
Im glad the video helped... in-spite of the poor camera work :-D!! Very glad you find this useful!
2008 RAV4 V6 - "IN THE SOUTH" - Down here in the south the A/C Radiator set up has two fans on the inner side with the one closest to the alternator having large plastic protective supports, not all the 2008s have these larger fan supports - RATS... This gets you within 2 cm of being able to remove this bugger without removing the radiator fan cowling... Nice video... Was going along just great till I hit this snag. Thanks
Update: Checked two other RAVs in the neighborhood, they don't have the same large fan cowling that I do. So I just diked one of the fan cowling support arms and was then able to bend the arm enough to get the alternator out. I made the cut leaving enough of a nub to be able to slide on a section of a fountain pen barrel filled with epoxy to repair the arm. All good now so if you have one of the RAVs with the big fan cowling don't despair...
please read my addition above on how to move the radiator, fan shroud and a/c condenser all together about 5-6 inches more away from engine compartment
Thanks for the video! Helped a lot! I had to search through the comments to find that 3rd bolt on that bracket but other than that, you helped a ton! Thank you! I got the alternator out and about to put the new one in. Thanks!
I like the video that you did, but the problem was that you're filming wasn't very good. You didn't show what brackets you were taking off. I didn't see where all the bolts were going or which bracket held on to the alternator. I really wish you could show all those but otherwise the video was really informed. Thank you
Thanks 🙏 man you’re awesome 👏
I finally found that bolt on the opposite side of the alternator as the pulley. I have to remove the exhaust manifold to access it. This is turning into quite the job. Haha
1st, many thx for posting. I’ve done two of these a Lexus 350 (v6) and Venza (V6) I’m about to do a Rav4(V6). Rav4 having the tightest space so far. Hence I’m watching your video. I agree with getting the Denso alt from Toyota (remanufactured in the US) or new Denso. Other Denso from parts stores, on line or store are iffy where they’re remanufactured from (China?) no thx. Only constructive criticism, maybe mount n move camera when needed and lighting where needed. Otherwise, thanks for the vid. It still helps.
Thanks for showing us how to replace the alternator very helpful thank you
This was so helpful! It was gnarly, but definitely possible thanks to this video! Thank you.
Very helpful, thank you for taking the time to create the video.
you're welcome! Thank you for the kind words
Thanks for the video. You know you need to work on the camera work but your pace and your talking is good you helped me so thank you.
Yes, I know very well that the camera angle is terrible... will do better next time
Good info, thanks for the video...now to dive into mine.
Just did one Took about an hr took out the radiator support and some upper small coolant hoses and one 12mm in the back of the alternator have to feel it can’t see it 16in ext and take off the coolant bottle also
I would suggest getting a vertical swivel head mount for the GoPro, it allows for 180 degree angle up and down.
Great Video with great explanations! Minor point is that I couldn't see some of what you were doing because of the camera angle but the great commentary made up for it. Thank-you for doing this. I'm about to perform the same operation.
Kim Raban thanks for the kind words and im glad this is helping. I know the camera angles were not the best. Next time I will do a better job for sure. This certainly is not a small task, so if you need additional help or if you grrt stuck, feel free to reach out.
Ok thanks a lot man,and thanks for the video,it's the only one with v6,so thank u!!
You're very welcome! I know the angles sucked but Im glad it's helping. Let me know if you need more clarifications.
list of all the tools it took to do the job?
Also that third bolt is a mother, if it makes it easier its right above the ac compressor bolt (upper right bolt for ac compressor) if you have a good flashlight with one eye you can see it otherwise its by feel. This is a very hard job and when i got done i called the dealer for pricing.... 841 for the new denso toyota brand alternator and 2.9 hours labor which was almost 400 alone.
thatkidsmokin thank you! Could not find that bolt for shit!
Dizzy with the Gopro bouncing around.
thank you so much that help me lot time ,thank again
Awesome 👏 thanks 🙏 dude
I had 4 issues. One, if you use a strong light, you will see where the tensioner pulley has a hole in it which will allow you to put the short end of the allen hex wrench through the tensioner pulley and into the pin hole on the engine side so the pulley will stay loose and out of the way. Second, I somehow rounded the hex bolt of the lower alternator bolt. Don't do this! I ended up epoxying a 14 mm socket to the rounded head of the bolt with JB Weld. Never tried this before. It came right out. I then replaced $2 bolt. Thirdly, thank goodness my wife has hands small enough to use a push pin removal screwdriver to remove the hardness from the lower alternator gold bracket. If the video hadn't showed me, I would have never found it. Lastly, I had a hard time getting the alternator out of the vehicle. Hope this helps someone!
COOL TIP: I could have prevented the lower alternator bolt head from rounding off by removing the bolt from underneath using a 1.5" extension.
Wanted to add that it IS a good idea to draw a diagram of your belt configuration before you take it off. I found out that once I drained the radiator, removed the holding bolts, and removed the upper and lower radiator hoses, it gave me more room and the alternator came right out. I did not have to remove radiator but I did remove the holding bolts. Simply removing the hoses gave me the extra needed room! IF you don't have a hose removal tool, get one. It is so wonderful for that lower radiator hose clamp. I'm done and my granddaughter gets her RAV4 with the towing package back. It did require the 130A alternator.
Can you show me the exact diagram for the serpentine belt for this exact model?
EXCELLENT VIDEO OF A LOT OF HELP TKZ TEZ
You are very welcome! I'm glad it helped you out!
3.5 rav4 v6 harder to work on... wasn't fun fixing this job.
AGREED!
Great, Helped out a BUNCH....
Camera movement makes me notious
I understand the camera angles were bad, so hopefully my narration is able to make it more clear. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I will be happy to assist!
it makes you spell bad too
Good informational video & I’m sure you’ll get better at recording video. Eventually you will learn how to edit & use multiple go-pro’s for a quality video. Keep it up & create more video’s!
Yeah good job just never heard anyone refer to bolts as screws
Nice tools you got coin
But yeah it’s a bitch of a job you did well and good clear explanation
Thx
Thank you. Huge help.
Tim This That my pleasure!
Dizzying with the GoPro on your head. Much of what you are saying is not visible. You should strive for a fixed camera wherever possible.
Thanks I appreciate the advice! I really know I did a terrible job with the video, that's why I tried to help out with commentary when the video was garbage. This was one of my very first video, by the way. When I realize how terrible it was, the car was already fixed and I wasn't able to have another chance with it again. I hope the video was able to help you in some ways though.
Got all 3 bolts off but the alternator wont go down. Its loose but wont go down a bit in order to detach from the top bolt area. Why wont it come out after all screws are gone?
You were a big help but these wires that got ripped out we’re connected to the bottom of the alternator and I did not know that
1 second ago
Read my post below from 3 months ago about the wires you ripped. My post is a little long, but it goes into detail if you can follow it. Quickly, those wires go to the Crankshaft position sensor located under the A/C compressor on the engine block. You can reach it by partially removing most of the front grill assembly, and a smaller (has four bolts) frame cross member beam under the car. Take the four bolts holding compressor and swing compressor out of way to access sensor. Radiator does not need to be drained, nor do A/C line need to be opened to accomplish this. Couple hidden bolts/screws here and there, just take your time, use your brain.
Well done..
Thanks a lot bro I will try That!!
Hey Tez, fellow RAV4 V6 here. Thanks for posting the vid! What symptoms were you showing that clued you in to the failing alternator? I've been having my engine shut off semi-randomly, seemingly whenever any significant power draws on the electrical system (turning on lights, accellerating in particular). Anything similar in your experience?
The symptoms you had mentioned, it seems like it may be fuel, spark, or both are weak, you may need a tune-up with fuel cleaner and a fresh set of spark plugs. Alternator failing usually feels just like a dying battery at first. it wont crank over because battery is completely drained, but even with a fresh battery, it literally will just die again the same day or within 10min of running the engine. That's an indication the alternator isn't charging the battery any more. But before actually dropping money on an alternator, I would do a voltage drop test (if the engine can still run) or a resistance test if it doesn't run, from the positive cable attached to the alternator to the red terminal that sits on the battery. Do so with negative cable disconnected from battery. I ran into a situation where the positive cable was corroded all the way through, causing high resistance and eventually stop charging the battery. The alternator had no issue but symptoms just like a dying alternator. Do the same resistance test on the negative battery cable to the housing of the alternator. If any of that reads high resistance or open circuit, that's your issue. If those checks out okay, then you need a new alternator. Good luck!
@@bluice619 Thanks for the reply! Ran through the gambit of tests you listed and a bunch of others but at the end of the day it ended up being an improperly installed grounding cable that had been knocked just a tad loose!!
@@bluice619 I knew my alternator was gone by two methods. First, I could smell the burnt electrical smell above the alternator. It was pretty distinctive. Secondly, I put a volt-ohm meter between the battery posts and it was showing less than 12V, thus, the alternator was not sending a charge back to the battery..
Sorry my freiend but i dont see any thing wht you do i just see the top of the motor and were you work my freiend
So how does the low pressure ac line come up?? 3:56
Friend of mine wants me to do this tomorrow, just ain't no way I'm doing all this on the ground outside in -5°c.
Any heads up on what to look for before buying a used one?
Hey Tez,remember u said don't forget to replace the hood latch cable haha I did forgot,what did you do to open it again?
Oh my goodness sorry for the late reply, hopefully this will help you out... so here it goes.... From the passenger side of the hood above above the headlight, I used a brake caliper expander (or anything that will expand) to create space inbetween the hood and the headlight then stick a fat screw handle in to keep it open. Using a 48in long pry bar and about 30minutes of time, I managed to pop the 1st stage of the latch by pushing in from the passenger side. Keep in mind the harder you pull the hood open, the harder the tension is on that 1st stage latch so you have to find a good balance between to two. I wish you the best of luck bro!!!!
It would be nice if we could really see what you are doing
Thanks a lot bro
JOHNNY'S my pleasure
Ok i just did mine on an 07 same motor you failed to mention a few things for 1 you dont need to drain rhe coolant at all not even unhook hoses youre able to move the lines around enough to get space another thing you dont have to remove the hood latch at all which will save money on a replacement i took off the core support and moved everything aside, all in all its about a 4 to 5 hour job its a bitch but you dont have to drain coolant and shit
Very good I am so thankful you share this info with me! Keep in mind when I approached this, I had no other resources to guide me, which is the exact reason why I made this video in the first place to document my process. True I might've done a few things extra, because if you actually read the Toyota service manual, it says you need to do all that. I am glad you were able to do it with even fewer steps than I did!
I ran into a serious problem I was pulling the alternator out of my 2007 RAV4 and it rip the wires out that were underneath the alternator caught on the bracket and rip them out and I don’t know where they go maybe you can help me I would appreciate that very much thanks
what wire secures to the bracket (red and green wire) on the alt. I didn't catch that and pulled the wires out of their socket and I can find their origin. plz help...thx
sh!t...crank position sensor....now my rav won't start. thought is may be for the ac....but no...it is not:(
What did it happen with the a/c line ? (3:55) The section of line on the back of the engine is rigid...
Hey Tez did u have to drain the radiator? And did you have to remove the upper coolant hose with the aluminum neck attached? Thanks
When I attempted this, yes I did drained the radiator and remove the upper radiator hose because I wasn't sure if I had to take it out the radiator.
How did you move the aluminum A/C tube out of the way? That seems to be a solid metal tube to the firewall. The only rubber hose is in front.
That A/C tube is aluminum which can flex to a certain degree. It is held down by two round plastic pieces with teeth, and it can be undone by using a flat head screw driver. Once you free the aluminum tube from those two plastic holders, go ahead and lift the A/C tube up gently. The way I had the tubes shouldn't damage the tube itself at all, since the A/C is still fully functional at the moment. Hope this helps!
So what’s the labor price to replace that alternator?
My Toyota dealership said it would be about $1,100 (labor)
It took me about 3 hours and it is a VERY tight fit to get the old one out and new one in but it can be done.
Take the radiator / grill mounting stuff loose and pull it out of the way while shoving (or pulling) turn it hold your mouth right bleed a little and the dang thing will fit (just barely). It is not easy but it is possible and removing the radiator is not necessary.
your camcorder is moving too fast duk...can't realy see it crear
I know and I apologize. I hope the narration can help understand it better. If you need any clarifications, feel free to let me know. Willing to help.
Great content, but get the camera off your head....it was typically point above the point of interest and moving way to much to focus.
Great video!
What size is that mysterious 3rd screw? I'm hating it
You should include the bolt and nut sizes and what tools to use. It would help make it really dummy proof.
Eric Heranandez you are totally right. Obviously i didnt plan the entire video very well. I wish i had done more planning, but it is what it is, i wont have another chance to do this again anytime soon.
Hey Tez sorry to bother u again,so if u where to do this again,would u drain the coolant and remove the top coolant hose or Not? I'm working on mine right now
JOHNNY'S thinking back now, I would still do it because the radiator needed the wiggle room and removing the top radiator hose gave me a little bit more space and opening as well
Wife has an 09 sport 3.5 and I've got it loose, but something on the bottom end of the alternator is hanging it up. Any clue?
Check around to make sure all wires are disconnected and not snagged, there is also a bracket where the wiring harness hooks onto, that's off too right?
@@bluice619 there was an extra bracket on the backside closest to the engine.
For future viewers with an 09, this could be an add on... If you're looking at the backside of the alternator from the front of the vehicle and see the oil dipstick, look between. It's on the bottom side to the backside of the alternator.
How to take out a/c
Wow, I'm dizzy watching this. Also, try dropping the angle of your camera a bit so we can see exactly what your hands are doing.
I feel like I'm working on the car while drunk
Largo Ranch I am guilty of that sometimes
I used this video to help me with my own alternator replacement but I think your information about that 3rd screw is incorrect. I was wailing on the alternator with a screw driver and hammer and it didn't budge. Then I found a hidden screw on the right side if the alternator with its head facing right. Was a bitch to take off.
Information seems decent, video was making me seasick watching though... too much movement, not always pointed at the objects in question.
I'm regretting my life choices now...
Looked this up to get to the ac, ac bracket, and tensioner... car is half apart, have to put it together for Tuesday runs, and... yeah, this hurts my soul a bit.
Toyota needs to stop with longitudinally mounted engines.
Dude the camera is so shaky. Cant even tell what you are trying to show me.
Good Video but the camera person needs to focus more on where the work is taking place and less on the surroundings as well as move slower.
Well, they are the same guy haha. I was so focused on fixing the the alternator I didn't think to check the footages until I was done with the job. Hope the voice over helped where it lacked visibility.
how much was the alternator and part number?
I don't have that information any more but I do remember where I got it from. I called a local Toyota dealership and asked them for the Denso remanufactured alternator part number with 140A output (the one with tow package), then I went online to find it cheaper. If I remember correctly, the price I got it at was between $200 - $300. Sorry I couldn't be more specific. Hope this helps!
Tez C how many hours it took you?
about 5-6hrs but if I wasn't recording it, I think I would've gotten it done around 3hrs.
Tez C what mileage did the alternator go out? 200k?
it had about 150k on it but my neighbor's RAV4 had some work previously done to it (incorrectly) that led to the alternator to fail. Best of luck to you!
Get yourself some seasick medicine this guy's full of apologies.
you are making me dizzy watching the camera move so much.
I can't find the third screw
czcams.com/video/4w3LfzymjdI/video.html I made a new version of the same video to be more clear. Hope this helps!
Pain in the ass
You added way too many unnecessary steps. Was this your first time?
There weren't any other videos that was available when I attempted this. I believe mine is the first ever on the V6
@@bluice619 that sucks man. Hate it when that happens.
Here is an excellent video on replacing the alternator on the same engine but from an avalon/camry. It shows everything quite well with good descriptions. there are some differences in getting to the alternator though. czcams.com/video/FX3zpP1u7EA/video.html
Bad camara angles bad recording
The camera movement makes this unwatchable.
Dale Mac I totally understand and I tried to make it up by having commentary to clarify what I am doing. I did not realize the poor angles until after I had recorded everything. If you have any specific questions, feel free to to reach out. I will be more than happy to assist!