Absolutely fuming

Submitted: Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 12:40
ThreadID: 110665 Views:3915 Replies:8 FollowUps:6
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My alternator went in the 80 series about 2 months ago, so I got it replaced. I should have known better than to not question what the auto electricians were going to put in it. Cost me $500 to get a new one. First water crossing it died.

Called them today and they said it won't be under warranty because I went through a water crossing. I told him plenty of alternators survive water crossings. He said it's not covered.

Is there anything I can do? Surely if they see a snorkel fitted to the vehicle they must put 2 and 2 together and at least let me know they are not covered.

Josh
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Reply By: HKB Electronics - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 13:00

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 13:00
Clean water, dirty water, mud?

If your lucky it might just be the brushes have stuck, you could try give it a spray with a high
pressure washer while spinning it?

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Reply By: Member - mark D18 - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 13:53

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 13:53
Ironjosh

There are a lot of cheap alternators in the market at the moment . I bet that's the problem with your new one . My mate who is a mechanic got caught by the local auto electrician last year .Ask him what brand the alternator is .

Cheers
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Reply By: member - mazcan - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 15:08

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 15:08
hi
that's stiff luck the auto elects are in it for a $ and aren't all bonified honest
when you don't ask any indebt questions they see you coming and going and yes when they see a snorkel it would be a for-gone conclusion that you have or will take it for a swim even though there are a lot of 4by's that never do a river x-ing
some of the lecky's source the alternators from a wrecking yard and as long as they give a charging read out /give 'em a buff-up and wack em on and a way you go
by the way you could buy a boat with a motor on it for $500 ? cheers
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Reply By: Ron N - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 15:50

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 15:50
Josh - How deep was the water? Up to the window sills? [:-)

All vehicles have a maximum recommended fording depth.
This depth can vary between 500mm (Amarok) and 800mm (Ford Ranger/Mazda BT50).

The 80 series is rated to 700mm fording depth. That's barely the top of the tyres.
If you went over that depth, the auto electricians are right to refuse a claim.
If you can prove the water was below 700mm depth, then you have a genuine claim against them.

Remember a snorkel doesn't automatically mean you can go through water 1.2M deep without a care.
There are plenty of components that can possibly suffer from water immersion damage at 700mm depth.
Wheel bearings are the classic problem after deep water crossings. Brakes are next to suffer. Drive belts will come off if deeply immersed.

Alternators will cope with a little water being splashed around, but they don't cope well with being totally immersed.
A tarp across the front will help prevent the engine bay filling up completely with water, but you have to keep moving as well.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Bigfish - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 18:57

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 18:57
Half the battle is new technology too Ron. Had old troopys and 60 series that would eat 1 meter deep water and suffer no ill affects. Todays vehicles only have to be left out on a dewy night and they,ll have electrical issues..Things are all classed as disposable nowadays..hence no quality goes into them..
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Follow Up By: Slow one - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 21:07

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 21:07
Bigfish,
I was just talking to a mate who lets say is adjusting a uhf radio for me in Cairns, I asked him how the really modern utes are going where he works. His answer was they have stood up to the conditions really, really well and I am now talking about conditions that standard vehicles are not and never have been designed for. 24 hours a day in mud, water, heat and dust.

I have seen one of those modern vehicles do a 1 metre water crossing and survive with no snorkel and I have seen an 80 series engine destroyed in 400mm of water due to a moron.

Many are not as soft as people believe.
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Reply By: Member - Serendipity(WA) - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 20:19

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 20:19
You can be lucky like that guy who took a new VDJ79 across the Condamine flooded river 2008.
I would not like to buy his car after.



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Follow Up By: Slow one - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 20:54

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 20:54
Serendipity the vehicle would be ok as long as he checked his oils and from my experience which involves many, many vehicles that had a long history after the crossings, alternators didn't play up unless mud was involved.

Yep your post shows what a moron that bloke was with but the son sitting in the passenger seat. He had the balls of an elephant and the brains of a flea.


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Follow Up By: Member - Wayne B (NSW) - Sunday, Jan 11, 2015 at 12:50

Sunday, Jan 11, 2015 at 12:50
He had the balls of an elephant and the brains of a flea.

So True. I could not believe he exposed a child to this danger
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Reply By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:26

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:26
I feel your pain. Picked up the Patrol after getting the cruise control switch replaced at the auto leccie. That fixed the cruise problem but not 1km down the road I noticed the charge light, sub tank light and one other on. Was late for a meeting, but turned around anyways and headed back. They couldn't believe it but it turned out the ten year old alternator cacked itself. In went a (slightly) bigger Hitachi the next day and off we went up bush the following weekend. Hope mine lasts thru water, I tend to do a bit of that.

All the best

GWBonz
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:27

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:27
I might add that I have seen literally hundreds of competition 4wd's and they were submerged in mud water and rarely if ever are there alternator issues, sounds like yours was brummy.
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Reply By: Ron N - Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:32

Friday, Jan 09, 2015 at 22:32
Hey, it's got a snorkel, it's good for another half a metre yet, isn't it!!?? [;-)

That bloke is just dead lucky that his 79 series ute didn't end up well downstream and a total write-off.
If it was one of the concrete crossings in the North of W.A., you wouldn't be able to stand up on it, even with only 300mm of water, due to the deadly slipperiness caused by the amount of green algae that covers the concrete.

More than one roadtrain driver has found himself travelling downstream after trying to negotiate what he thought was a modest depth of water over one of those concrete crossings!

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 10:13

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 10:13
Yep, not just any snorkel, its a genuine Toyota "Dust Snorkel" - not sealed so does nothing for water crossings. I hope that kid didn't come away thinking his dad was a hero.
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Reply By: Iza B - Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 06:35

Saturday, Jan 10, 2015 at 06:35
Do we know what is wrong with the new alternator? If the water crossing caused the problem, not too big a stretch for the fitter to deny responsibility when someone immerses an electrical/electronic item in water. Maybe the failure is a coincidence and something other than water ingress is the problem.

Lots of people install snorkels for clean air on dirt roads, not necessarily because they are going to do water crossings every day.

Iza
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