This car is possessed!!

[Liamk]

So after all the faults I fixed recently on my x5 and despite being up all night till 7.45 am this morning fixing other little faults and oil leak finding, I go to drive home and I get the next fault in the saga. All lights on dash lighting up like a Christmas tree when I rev anything over idle, multimeter showed 16.8v 😳. So I’m guessing despite the alternator being only 10 months old it’s gone pear shaped? Plus I’ve still to fix the oil leak which turned out to be the valve cover and I’ve run out of ideas for the lumpy idle 🤬🤬

[andrewwynn]

Unregulated power can cause any sort of problem. Your voltage regulator is not. (Regulating)


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[Liamk]

The alternator is still under warranty but they want the old unit back before they will send a replacement, best get on with removing that now ��. The thing is every time I fix something, another 3 things go bad, I cannot believe this car ��

[crystalworks]

What brand was the alternator? Rebuilt or new? I've found it's very hard to get a reliable rebuilt unit of any real quality (at least here in the States) so I just buy new now. Even if it's from a "no name" brand it's usually better than a "name brand" rebuilt. I went through 3 "rebuilt" alternators on one of these before throwing in the towel and buying a new unit for ~$190. That one worked first time.

[Liamk]

It was a brand new unit, RTX brand, £195, Bosch ones were astronomical prices I could fit a fair few rtx ones for the same cost. I have had a word with the supplier of the alternator and they will send a no quibble new unit out on receipt of my old one. Good of them I suppose but does leave me without the car for nearly 2 weeks in between, good job I have another 4.6is hehe. $190 damn that’s cheap.

[EODguy]

Or....

You could slap a new voltage regulator on there

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[Liamk]

If the new alternator wasn’t under warranty that is exactly what I would be doing! But seeing as though it is going to cost time only I will just remove and refit, that is unless a regulator costs less than the antifreeze and postage of my alternator ... to be continued

[EODguy]

Try this thread.

Costs about $20 USD.....

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...9&share_type=t

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[oldskewel]

If considering just a VR swap (good idea), you need to know what kind of alternator it is. Sometimes the no-brand ones seem to purposely clone a Bosch / Denso / Valeo whatever down to the individual part level, so in those cases swapping a Bosch VR into a no-brand (e.g., RTX) Bosch clone would work. But you'd need to check first if it's a clone and that parts are fully interchangeable.

For example, on my 3.0i, the car was shipped with either Bosch or Valeo alternators; the entire alternator can be swapped out for the other type, but at a part-level, nothing at all is interchangeable, not even the pulley.

So never having heard of RTX I did a quick google, and the first two links contained:

"RTX Alternator-Eurocarparts AVOID at all costs!"
RTX Alternator-Eurocarparts AVOID at all costs! - General car chat - E46 Zone Forum

and

"Was it by any chance an RTX alternator? If so, push the boat out and just buy a Bosch, Delphi, or Lucas and it will be reliable."
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com....php?t=4988246

So you're not the first one with problems like this.

And yes, 16+V is no doubt at all a problem with the VR, which could damage all kinds of other stuff in your car. So get that out of there, and good luck.

[Liamk]

Ha seems like they have afew problems, will look into the voltage regulator, I still have my original Bosch alternator in the garage will take it in bits and have a look, I could get a vr for that then happy days!