That’s how to replace the voltage regulator with the alternator still on the car, by Volvo repair superman RSPI. This is for the Volvo P80 family of cars, namely 850, S70, V70, XC70 up to model year 2000, and C70 up to model year 2004.
So we can replace components of the alternator instead of the whole thing? Yes! If you want to save money, you can replace only the subsystems in the alternator. You must buy the right replacement parts and it can be difficult with all the part numbers. So that’s where this Volvo Forums post comes in. It helps you find the right parts.
Save money when your alternator needs replacement
This alternator replacement forum topic has videos in it that show how to replace the alternator’s subsystems, like bearings and brushes, for those inclined to save money this way. It also has a fair bit of discussion on which method is best for you: replace the whole alternator, or only the failed alternator components.
MVS Forums member Redneck speaks about the differences in parts per region of the world:
Each Bosch alternator is different. There are about 50 variants or more. The same situation is with Bosch starter motor. It is important to find your Bosch part number. Volvo PN is irrelevant here. Bosch alternators/starters are in many other auto brands and are the top, most popular brand around the world. Having that Bosch PN, you look for parts for it and verify it with various aftermarket manufacturer catalogs for compatibility that you can easily search for online. This is a tedious task, but that is what you need to do to do it right.
When it comes to rebuilding our alternator/starter, the problem we have is that we are in a wrong country. USA is a rich country where people throw away things and buy new, or refurbished ready to install. You don’t really see any American online store selling individual alternator/starter components. What you have on eBay from USA sellers are overpriced, no name expensive aftermarket parts with suspicious quality. Stuff they got in huge quantity from Alibaba (and 40 thieves:) from China. The solution is to look in European online stores, better look for Eastern European online stores. It is a big industry in Eastern Europe to sell stuff like that. People there actually fix things instead of throwing them away as in the USA. They don’t really have any Chinese stuff there. Mostly German or other European aftermarket manufacturers.
The good thing about USA is that you can easily find used parts cheap on eBay from junkyard pullers and get those components to fix them from Eastern Europe. So that is what you do! You get German or Italian aftermarket brands! I am sourcing all my alternator/starter components directly from Latvia most likely. $100 in Latvia is a lot of money and they treat you well if you spend that much there. American eBay sellers often treat you poorly. If you ask too many questions before you buy, they block you:) because they are scared:). That is my experience buying stuff from US eBay junk yard hyenas:)
Volvo 850, S70, V70 alternator repair, replace regulator.
Last Updated on May 30, 2021
