pzookey Posted December 13, 2021 Report Share Posted December 13, 2021 I have a 2016 Journey SXT that has an odd issue. Every once in a while starting cold the alternator does not charge. Shut the car down and restart and before this morning it would start charging and continue with no further issue. This morning it took 4 tries and shutting down and restarting before it decided to start charging. Once charging is is a solid 14.6 volts with lights and heat running. Has Chrysler finally gone to an internal regulator in their alternators? I know into the 90s they had an external regulator or one built into the ECM. Is there something that can cause this intermittent issue or is the alternator the culprit? I walked away from auto mechanics back in 2000 and have been driving an 86 D150 up until a couple weeks ago so I am a bit behind the times. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5rebel9 Posted December 13, 2021 Report Share Posted December 13, 2021 NOPE, they still have ECM regulator. IF yours is the 2.4 motor, they use a clutch drive alternator pulley(or decoupler pulley) and they are known to go bad before the actual alternator goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzookey Posted December 13, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2021 A clutch drive pulley. Is the pulley available separate? An intermittent clutch could explain the issue. so could a loose connection to engage it unless it is a viscous type. I need to dig a bit into that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5rebel9 Posted December 13, 2021 Report Share Posted December 13, 2021 It's available, but takes special tools to R&R and alt has to be removed from the engine to do it. Also for the cost/labor. Would be better off getting a good reman alternator which will come with new pulley. We have similar personal backgrounds and I would suggest the whole unit if you have around 80k miles on it. 2late4u 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzookey Posted December 16, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 16, 2021 Thanks for the advice, Special tools are not an issue for me but the time to pull the alternator just to change a pulley would have me leaning to replacing the whole unit considering the Journey has 105,000 on it. Now the issue is finding a good reman, there are so many crappy ones out there and a lifetime warranty doesn't help if it needs constant replacement. I like to do thing once and have it go a while before repeating the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted December 17, 2021 Report Share Posted December 17, 2021 best to go with OEM mopar part, my dad yrs ago bought an alt from a local auto part store and had it installed on his caravan and kept having problems with it and the mechanic changed it out several times with a replacement from the store, and finally took it into the dealership and they told him on the engine and yr he really needed to go with a mopar alt ,so he said do it and got his money back on the auto part store one and he never had any other problem with that van or the alt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John/Horace Posted December 17, 2021 Report Share Posted December 17, 2021 https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/dodge,2014,journey,3.6l+v6,3300354,electrical,alternator+/+generator+pulley,2448 The factory alt is Denso brand. A very good manufacturer of car components. Some dealers stock reman units at competitive price. Maybe parts store with tool loan it program will have the removal kit. It’s around $100 ish for whole thing on Rock for a Gates set. Removing alt is not a difficult job really, around an hour when I changed it on my wife’s 3.6 engine. Have to dump glycol to get hose out of the way. Removing pulley in place doable but awkward. My 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5rebel9 Posted December 17, 2021 Report Share Posted December 17, 2021 @John/Horace , The 4 banger is a bit more involved due to location of alt on the motor. The 3.6 you are correct about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John/Horace Posted December 18, 2021 Report Share Posted December 18, 2021 By coincidence I have daughter in laws 2.4 in driveway right now visiting. Removing clutch pulley in place looks crappy. Very little room to frame rail for tools, , but removing alt up through top or bottom decent room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John/Horace Posted December 18, 2021 Report Share Posted December 18, 2021 (edited) Here is wife’s 3.6 engine, the alt has the plastic cover held on top top studs with two nuts. That cover was added on all models by FCA in 2015 I believe. Prevents oil or glycol from contaminating alt assembly. Alt will only come out through bottom easily. But clutch pulley is not against frame rail, so changing just pulley I think would be a lot easier than the 2.4 engine. On 2.4 if the engine mounts were partly removed and engine raised from below, you could do the pulley with alt still mounted in place. On both alternator changes I think it’s easiest to remove the closest surpentine belt idler pulley for more room. Edited December 18, 2021 by John/Horace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzookey Posted January 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) Well I had missed a few of the posts and due to the alternator just quitting yesterday I ended up getting a reman from advance. Not my favorite place but they had one and I needed it. Thanks for all the good info. With a $10 core I held onto the old one and I will have an alternator shop check it out. If it is just a pulley I will replace it and keep the old one as a spare Edited January 4, 2022 by pzookey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5rebel9 Posted January 4, 2022 Report Share Posted January 4, 2022 Well at least the problem is resolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pzookey Posted January 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2022 Well that problem is resolved and a new one cropped up and is in a different thread.... But you knew that already..lol I need to find a rear for my old truck. parts were a lot cheaper for it and the alternator was easy to get to...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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