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Automotive starters and alternators: diagnose and repair

Name: Automotive starters and alternators: diagnose and repair
Rating: 4.3 (156 reviews)

Learn to carry out high-quality diagnostics and repair of starters and car alternators

Created byMSG Academy

Last updated 7/2022

English

What you'll learn

Pinciple of operation of the alternator and starter
Diagnostics of the alternator and its components
Automotive alternator repair
Starter repair

Course content

4 sections • 26 lectures • 4h 13m total length

Alternator design4:57
Explore how an alternator combines a generator with a built-in voltage regulator to power the vehicle and charge the battery, maintaining about 14.5 volts.
Mechanical malfunctions3:22
Diagnose mechanical malfunctions in alternators by inspecting bearings, pulleys, and overrunning clutch; replace worn parts and check front and rear caps to prevent belt and compressor damage.
Stator coil design6:46
Explore how starter coils interact with rotors in automotive alternators, including three-phase stator windings (A, B, C) and delta or star connections, with laminated steel cores to reduce losses.
Stator coil malfunctions6:40
Test stator windings with the MZ zero 14 bench in a three-phase setup, assess phase activity, and replace the coil if imbalances exceed 10% to ensure about 14.5 volts.
Stator coil testing8:07
Learn stator coil testing for automotive starters: assess phase differences and insulation to metal core with a test bench, identify good coils, and preview rectifier checks.
Diode rectifier design2:46
Explore the diode rectifier design for three-phase alternators, including six diodes in a bridge, heat generation, high-current operation up to 200–220 amps, and heatsink cooling and waterproofing options.
Diode rectifier testing18:05
Diagnose diode rectifiers in automotive starters and alternators by locating the common point on six-contact bridges, testing with a multimeter, and replacing faulty diodes or bridges.

Voltage regulator principles4:58
Explore how automotive voltage regulators manage alternator output, from simple 12.8–14-volt schemes to advanced and smart protocols using PWM, duty cycle, and CPU control.
24V voltage regulator test13:48
Learn how to test 24-volt voltage regulators using a test bench and voltage relays, check pinout schemes, and interpret lamp indicators under varying load and rpm to assess regulator performance.
RLO protocol8:20
Learn to diagnose automotive alternator regulation with the RLO protocol, verify rotor resistance and wiring, and achieve a stable 13–14.5 volt output across RPMs.
P-D protocol6:22
Test a P-D protocol voltage regulator on a bench, revealing output around 13.13–14.5 volts with up to six amps load, and confirm suitability for installation on the alternator.
Lamp type voltage regulator4:12
Diagnose and test a 12-volt voltage regulator with an indicator lamp, wiring the lamp and related pins, and assess the output stability around 14.5 volts for installation on the alternator.
LIN/BSS protocol11:43
Learn how to diagnose and test automotive voltage regulators using LIN/BSS protocol with a dedicated tester, including on-car and separate-regulator testing.
Testing voltage regulator on the test bench8:30
A test bench demonstration diagnoses alternator voltage regulators, wiring B+, B−, and brushes, and tests voltage regulator and line protocol modes, with start and emergency controls.
Testing alternator on the test bench11:33
On a test bench, check the alternator’s digital voltage regulator by connecting B+ and B−, then verify 14 V output and AC under 10% of DC under load.
Testing alternator with tester6:15
Test the alternator on the car with a four-wire tester cable, without disassembly, wiring B-plus and GC (FR on some models) to the ICU, start it, and verify a stable 13.8-volt output.
Testing alternator with a defect (part 1)9:11
Test a BMW e36 alternator on a bench to diagnose rectifier bridge faults and bad stator coil contact, using B-plus and lamp-regulated output around 14.5 volts.
Testing alternator with defect (part 2)8:53
Inspect the alternator on a test bench to diagnose stator faults. Check body to stator wiring, overheating, voltage output, and lamp illumination to determine the fault and rewinding or replacement.
Testing alternator with defect (part 3)6:54
Diagnose an alternator with an internal fault by wiring D+ and FR to the regulator and observing the yellow lamp, indicating a faulty starter stator coil requiring rewind or replacement.
Testing alternator with defect (part 4)10:10
Diagnose a faulty alternator with a damaged rectifier diode, identify D-plus and B-plus on a two-pin voltage regulator, and test for noise, high current, and low output.

Automotive starter design and principles7:47
Explore how the automotive starting system converts battery energy into mechanical motion to start the engine, including the starter solenoid, armature, gear, and flywheel.
Automotive starter faulties (part 1)17:33
Diagnose automotive starter solenoids by inspecting the circuit and using the MZ zero 31 test bench to measure pull current, hold current, voltage drop, and dropout for verification.
Automotive starter faulties (part 2)15:43
Test a starter on the bench by evaluating the solenoid and electro motor, inspect brushes, and compare DC versus AC current, ensuring AC does not exceed 10% of DC.
Automotive starters fix tips14:31
Disassemble and inspect automotive starters, verify overrunning clutch and pinion gear engagement, inspect or replace brushes, and clean magnet surfaces to ensure reliable engagement and operation.

Requirements

Basic knowledge of electronics and mechanics

Description

Training in diagnostics and repair of starters and alternators from MSG Equipment

Repair of starters and alternators is a fairly common service on the market for two reasons: the repair of these units is economically beneficial for the client and the number of failures of these units is quite high, for the most part caused by untimely maintenance of the car and monitoring its technical condition. After completing the course of mechanics for the repair of starters and alternators from MSG Equipment, you will learn how to assess the technical condition of the power supply and start-up system of a car using modern equipment and maintain these units in a quality manner. If you already have requests for the repair of a car generator, but you cannot provide this service, the course will solve this problem.

This course includes the following topics:

1. Overview of the vehicle's electrical system

2. Principles of operation of the alternator

Classification of mechanical malfunctions of the generator - causes, consequences, remedies.

- Excitation winding: device, diagnostics.

- Stator winding: device, classification, diagnostics.

- Diode bridge: device, classification, diagnostics.

Electric circuits of generators

Voltage regulators: device, classification, diagnostics;

- tube regulators and regulators with feedback (MFR);

- PWM regulators

- Regulators with LIN control.

Typical malfunctions of generators and methods for their detection.

Checking generators of various types on a diagnostic stand.

3. Start-Stop alternators: device, operating principle, diagnostics.

4. Starters: purpose, principle of operation

Starter design and operation

Operation and maintenance of starters

Typical malfunctions of starters and methods for their detection

Repair of starters using modern equipment

Who this course is for:

Mechanics wishing to upgrade their skills
Service station owners who want to expand the range of services

Automotive starters and alternators: diagnose and repair

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Chapter 17 lectures • 51min

Chapter 213 lectures • 1hr 51min

Chapter 34 lectures • 56min

Chapter 42 lectures • 36min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: