A couple of weeks ago I was working away from home when I got a charging failure warning and, in the 15 miles to the hotel, had the experience of the car starting to light up like a christmas tree as system after system was disabled due to low power.

The AA came out and checked that it looked like alternator (annoyingly all my tools were at the place I was working, 15 miles away). I had a couple of days on site before heading home, with some colleagues there so didn't need the car. The AA failed spectacularly to take it to a garage with enough time for it to be fixed (if you don't accompany it you are low priority, and they won't guarantee it arriving in under 48 hours), so I got the big yellow taxi ride home at the end of the week.

Today I had time to sort out. Not a particularly difficult job technically, but there's an awful lot of stuff needs to be removed to get at the alternator. There is a special place in hell reserved for car designers who haven't got a clue about making something that is capable of being repaired easily! (and a place reserved in heaven for whoever it was who came up with ratcheting spanners - Mr Bahco, I love you!).

Just to add insult to injury, my next door neighbour asked me to have a quick look at his Audi, which wasn't starting in the mornings. Opening the engine bay, there was his alternator, on top of the engine, waving at me. Just needing a couple of bolts and a couple of wires disconnecting, probably a 30 minute job - although in has case it was just a duff battery.

Still, I got to see far more parts of my RR. And on the way through replaced the two drive belts and tensioner. Took all afternoon to do, but I lost a lot of time trying to get the fan cowl out, and trying to line up the new alternator so the bolts would catch. At least doing it myself I saved about £300, and got to check a lot of stuff on the way down there. I think I need to buy a stool to work on this machine; I'm 6ft tall, but it's a stretch reaching the bottom of the engine bay over the front when it is up on axle stands.

Now need a warm bath though - my back isn't as young and strong as it used to be.

Top man and good effort though - I applaud you - get into the hot bath but I bet you won’t wipe the smile off your face!

Regards

John

He who dares wins

My tensioner has failed so I'm here researching if it's a job I should attempt myself - I'm quite competent with DIY mechanical work and have a decent set of tools. I'll just be replacing the tensioner, idler pulley and belt, so not as involved as you with the alternator as well. Any hints/tips/pitfalls in doing this job please? Why did you need to jack the car up - was it to get to the alternator from below? I'm shorter than you and have a small selection of stools to help if necessary!
Thanks

Tensioner: NorthernMonkeyJones did his and wrote a guide, have a look I think it's in the wiki Cheers, Greg
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2011 Vogue SE 4.4 with lots of toys in Stornaway

To get access, you need to remove the fan. The fan won't come out without the shroud being removed (at least I couldn't find an angle that worked). The shroud is attached all the way around, including the bottom edge (and there is some pipework bolted to the bottom nearside corner, and another bolt head underneath that). To remove the lower bits, you need to take off the front half of the covers underneath, which means getting under it. If you are organised, you could do all the underneath work first, then drop the car down and do the top bits.

It's not difficult, just a lot of parts to remove and replace. You'll lose some coolant too, as you have to remove a couple of hoses on top to get the fan out. The aircon pipe across the front face of the shroud can be unscrewed from the shroud, then lifted over the top of it so the fan and shroud can slide out together.

Once you have the belts in view, a 21mm socket on the tensioner lets you release tension and pop the old belt off, the tensioner itself is easily removed with a couple of bolts, the new belt threads on easily and using the 21mm socket again releases enough length to pop it on (I took off/put on over the alternator pulley). If you replace the stretch belt on the fan at the same time a stretch belt tool is really needed to put the new one on.

Thanks - I've found it and am having a thorough read.

Apologies for my laziness in posting before searching further!