[marti30]

Just before embarking on a 2,000 mile European jolly I became aware of a whirr/whine from under the bonnet, the volume of which varied according to the engine revs. At tickover it was just audible. When driving in the lower gears it was much more noticeable. At higher speeds in higher gears it was almost hidden by road/wind noise. The position of the clutch pedal made no difference and the noise was only there when the engine was running and was not there when the engine was not running. It also became more noticeable during the trip. Now back in England an independent garage has investigated the cause. Removing the alternator belt got rid of the noise. When the belt was put back on the noise had still gone. I paid £48.00 (one hour's labour) and drove away. The noise then returned. They quoted about £354 to supply and fit a new alternator based on between 2 and 3 hours labour. The suggested cause of the noise is the clutch/bearing within the alternator. It seems that if I can put up with the noise then there's no immediate urgency to have a new alternator fitted as the battery is still being charged and it could a long time before the component fails, but of course it's impossible to know how long.
Given that my UK spec 2009.5 model year 1.6 u2 crdi 6 speed comfort hatch has now clocked up 118,000 miles I don't think I'd get very far with a warranty claim even though the car is only 3 years and 8 months old. In any case I've had it serviced independently at 20,000 mile intervals instead of 12,500 miles as per Hyundai. (Does anyone know if there's a good reason why the early u2 models were sold with the shorter service interval?).
It's disappointing that the alternator seems to require replacement so early on as they've lasted more than 200,000 miles on previous cars such as my Ford Focus 1.6 petrol and Rover 414sli.
Please let me know if the price quoted seems reasonable, whether you think I should have it done sooner rather than later and whether the battery will be disconnected when the work is done. The displays for fuel consumption (currently showing 65.2mpg) and average speed (43mph) have never been reset and I don't really want to lose these figures.
Finally, please don't be annoyed if I'm unable to reply to responses straight away as I can only usually access this forum every few days. 

[eye30]

Given that my UK spec 2009.5 model year 1.6 u2 crdi 6 speed comfort hatch has now clocked up 118,000 miles I don't think I'd get very far with a warranty claim even though the car is only 3 years and 8 months old.

isn't it unlimited miles.

I'd ask and see what response you get.

[Asterix]

As you've done longer intervals between services than Hy requires, I'm pretty sure you've lost the warranty.

Can't say if the Price is good, but an alternator is usually not a cheap part.

The battery will be disconnected if the alternator is replaced.

[Keith]

£93 - £218 part only here http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/alternator/hyundai-i30-1-6-crdi-116hp_v23436_g4.html

[beerman]

As the alternator is not a serviced part, it could be argued that your servicing  hasn't effected the part.

Given you have done nearly 190,000km, it could be argued, however that the failure isn't warranty.

I'm sure the other cars you mention have had other things go wrong, that the Hyundai hasn't. Swings and round a bouts.

[Dazzler]

Alternator failure certainly doesn't seem to be an i30 weakness. Shambles, Asterix and others have done similar mileage without it failing as far as I am aware.

You can usually pick up a reconditioned one a lot cheaper, but it depends on how much longer you expect to keep the car? Or maybe you could get yours reconditioned 

[eye30]

If the alt is producing the charge and no need to replace, to kill the noise have you tried a squirt of lub or wd40 on the bearings.

[Phil №❶]

There are 4 main wearing components in alternators 2 x bearings The voltage regulator circuit which has bushes that wear eventually and the 3 diodes. Refurbished alternators from an auto electrician would be the way to go if it were mine. All of the above components are easily / commonly replaced. However, if you can source a new one, you could install it yourself if you have the tools etc.

Here are the instructions from the workshop manual

1 Disconnect negative battery lead.
2 Turn the belt tensioner anticlockwise with a hex socket and remove the belt.
3 Remove the plug A...... the only plug on the alternator
4 Remove Wire B...... the only wire connected to the alternator.
5 Remove the 2 bolts and withdraw the alternator.

Installation is a reversal of removal procedure.

Torque settings for the 2 bolts are 38.2-58.8 N.m or 3.8-6.0 Kgf.m or 28.2 - 43.4 lbf.ft These are large variations, but that's what the book says. 

[Phil №❶]

If the alt is producing the charge and no need to replace, to kill the noise have you tried a squirt of lub or wd40 on the bearings.

Probably wont work, you can't get to the either bearing, without dismantling the alternator.

[beerman]

I don't know If I would risk leaving it too long.

I had a fan belt tensioners go on both my previous Falcons (they didn't give me the benefit of warning). Sitting on the side of the road is never much fun........Waiting for tow trucks and the like.

Still you might drive another million miles without issue.....

[marti30]

Thank you for your replies to my post (and also for giving it a more appropriate title).
Out of the previous cars I've had over the years the Ford Focus was by far the most reliable and I certainly had many issues with others including the Rover 414sli. My intention is to get my money's worth out of my i30.
Despite the clear alternator fitting instructions I know from bitter experience that in my case even the most straightforward tasks are best left to the experts.
I feel certain that somewhere on this website there's a table showing the limits of our '5 year unlimited mileage warranty' for certain key components that are likely to fail. Could someone point me in the right direction to find it as this will give me guidance on whether to pursue a warranty claim.
As I don't want too much downtime I think a replacement part rather than having my own reconditioned is the best option for me. I might see if it can be combined with my 120,000 mile service next month. I'm fairly sure that my usual independent garage wouldn't have charged £48.00 for the diagnosis. There's quite a wide variance in the parts prices provided but in my case it's the total bill that's significant rather than how it's arrived at.
When the battery is disconnected are the fuel consumption and average speed figures lost or are they held in a memory?
Finally, apart from later u2 models with a 20,000 mile service interval having a Diesel Particulate Filter are they any different from my early u2 which has a stipulated 12,500 mile schedule?

[marti30]

You will perhaps be pleased to learn that the alternator was replaced under warranty by the supplying dealer even though the car had been serviced at stretched intervals by an independent garage. If I had had to pay them then the cost would have been about £283.
Whilst there they carried out the modifications to the headlight wiring and driver's door handle. This was all done without disconnecting the battery so I still have my dashboard displays for fuel consumption and average speed (currently 65.3mpg and 43mph).
It was some weeks before I tried to open the driver's door window. When I did I could hear the motor working but nothing else happened. After a while the glass suddenly dropped a short way but fortunately went back up using the button. There was now more wind noise than usual. I booked it in at the dealer to be checked but before taking it in I again tried to open the window and this time the glass would no go back up. Eventually I was able to re position the glass manually. The dealer put the glass back in the runners under warranty! Whilst I am virtually certain that the window problem was caused by the door work at least I didn't have to pay.

[Phil №❶]

A good result. 

[Doggie 1]

Wattiesed. 

[Dazzler]