"Vital" spares for starter motor and alternator

[Peaklander]

I want to hold a spare regulator pack for my alternator and brushes and solenoid contacts for my starter motor. This is so that I can carry them on our trips. I have had a regulator pack fail before and was very lucky to be in a town in mid-Spain where I could source one.

However I now have a Hella 100A alternator YLE10113G with CA1337CF 140432170918 on the labels but I can't find the regulator pack.

My starter motor is, I think (the original) ERR5009 (0 001 218 168), so one day soon the brushes will fail or the solenoid will burn out. I have looked for a solenoid repair kit but the 'hits' all seem to be for TD5 motors. Are they the same?

 

As I say, the reason for doing this is to save time, especially when we are away. I may find I have a missing tool but to have the spare part would help if I got to a repair place.

Can anyone help? Honestly I'm going around in circles.

 

[western]

TD, 200Tdi & 300Tdi all use the same starter, I only replaced my 200tdi starter recently because I thought it was faulty & pulling the main battery down, but not the case, that starter is or was 27 years old, so don't think you have much to worry about. 

Can't help with the alternator rectifier pack. 

[Peaklander]

I decided to whip the back off the alternator, thinking it would help. It doesn't as that number doesn't exist anywhere.

 

[Maverik]

So my thoughts...

You don't need spares for these items. You just do preventative maintenance. 

If you've got doubts on either/any component you change it out prior to any sustained trip.

The chance of an alternator or started failing under normal conditions will be minimal. Slightly higher if your dunking in water or hi dust environment.

My experience with starters is that they do give warning of a failure in one way or another never have I had one just stop one day without warning.

[Peaklander]

Appreciate that @Maverik and thanks but as I said at the top, the only breakdown I have had in eight years, when most of my driving has been around Europe, was a failed alternator regulator. I was lucky to be near a town and they had a motor factors with one in stock. This is the only reason - it's a small item and easy fix.

The reason for thinking starter motor is that I seem to remember people discussing using repair kits for failed solenoid contacts. Again I thought small, cheap and why not. However I don't want to strip mine to find spare components needed and the only kits I could see (easily) on-line are for TD5 starters.

What preventive maintenance would you suggest for these two possible failures?

[Bowie69]

TD5s have a particular weakness in respect of the solenoids, that's why all you can find are for them.

A regulator/brush pack foe the alternator should be easy to get, does the existing pack have a number of any sort on it?

[Maverik]

32 minutes ago, Peaklander said:

Appreciate that @Maverik 

What preventive maintenance would you suggest for these two possible failures?

Log your running hours/miles on the components, remove the starter/alternator, you can inspect the brushes, bentix clutch bearings, alternator bearings. If in doubt change it out. Have a look at service manuals and give yourself an idea how long you think they should last and change it out before it fails rather than run it to failure. 

Alternators can be sensitive things, I've given up repairing so I just do service exchange on them now. (My 200 has a slightly more common alternator I reckon, which is easier than you).

My starters I have 2 units one in service and one on the shelf, if I suspect any problems then it gets removed and exchanged, I'll then inspect the removed one, replace any parts test then put it back on the shelf.

To summarise, change the component out prior to failure and accept its not the cheapest way to maintain your vehicle, but you have piece of mind your getting the highest reliability you're going to get out of it.

For example I've pretty much moved now to changing my water pump belt at every service. It's cheaper and more reliable for me to do so in the long run.

[Maverik]

Here is the solenoid for the starter

STC3715 - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Starter-Motor-Solenoid-for-Land-Rover-Defender-300Tdi-OEM-STC3715-/293032473371?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

 

 

[western]

Is that a 65 or 100amp alt or a 80 or 120 amp from a non LR vehicle.? 

No number for a rectifier in LR parts book for a 300tdi,

I would reckon a decent auto electrics place can source a suitable rectifier. 

[Maverik]

Could I ask why you upgraded to the 100amp alternator?

[FridgeFreezer]

JASM might be able to help: https://jasm.co.uk/

I've not considered a starter motor an essential spare, you can almost always work out a bump / tow / push start in a pinch (or short the terminals with a spanner) and starters or solenoids are heavy lumps to lug round.

Alternators I figure either you can buy a replacement in most civilised places, or since we live in a modern and connected world, get one couriered out if the need is dire - or adapt something local to fit if needs must. Again, they're a big heavy lump to lug around and these days are pretty reliable and affordable.

[Peaklander]

On 4/16/2022 at 8:14 PM, Bowie69 said:

TD5s have a particular weakness in respect of the solenoids, that's why all you can find are for them.

A regulator/brush pack foe the alternator should be easy to get, does the existing pack have a number of any sort on it?

On 4/16/2022 at 9:08 PM, Maverik said:

Here is the solenoid for the starter

On 4/16/2022 at 10:05 PM, FridgeFreezer said:

I've not considered a starter motor an essential spare,

 you can almost always work out a bump / tow / push start in a pinch (or short the terminals with a spanner)

Thank you all - yes I can find the solenoid but don't particularly want to carry one. It was simply that I thought the components were easily available but the TD5 comment explains that..maybe all the solenoid woes I've read about have been on TD5s. As for shorting the terminals, I did just that on a tractor I occasionally drove as my father-I-L didn't want to repair it (£). He kept a chunky screwdriver in the cab for that very task.

@Maverik that sounds like a comprehensive approach to planned / preventive maintenance. I thought you were specifically referring to the regulator failure I had on the alternator. I can't see that being predictable but the stater solenoid - maybe. The last one I had fail was on a Honda CRV, when I started the car three or four times within a minute or two when I was purging the steering fluid after a pipe change. Yes, on reflection that might have been too aggressive. There was no warning except that on the third turn of the key, nothing happened, the fourth was OK and on the fifth it died.

My alternator was changed for a 100A Hella (YLE10113G) just over two years ago and the cables upgraded at the same time. I had been watching the voltage during some cold, wet and dark drives, with everything switched on and felt that the standard one was struggling. I have heated screens and mirrors, with filament bulbs in the headlamps and front spots. Also i have a leisure battery which has a 100W solar feed but in the Spring or Autumn, needs a good swift charge after we have stopped for a while with the space heater and fridge on. If we aren't moving far, which is often the case, then I think the plentiful amps helps.

On 4/16/2022 at 8:14 PM, Bowie69 said:

A regulator/brush pack foe the alternator should be easy to get, does the existing pack have a number of any sort on it?

I thought so too but as you can see in the photo, although there is a number on it (07-004 YY18809) is doesn't respond to a search. However I have now used the LR part number  (doh) and have a few results which appear to be correct, such as this one https://as-pl.com/en/p/ARE4010. It's too late to get it for our forthcoming trip but handy to have the part number.

I understand the comments about it not being the end of the world if a starter fails or indeed an alternator but as I said, these 'vital' spares wouldn't take-up space yet would make a repair quicker and easier.