What is the best way to replace alternator brushes. Detailed replacement description

The generator brushes are important element automotive system supply of electricity and its removal. Without their participation, the car's generator will not be able to generate voltage.

Generator brushes - element information

The brushes we are interested in are made of graphite, which is why they are often called carbon brushes. They are used not only on cars with an engine internal combustion, but also on a wide variety of mechanisms and machines equipped with electric motor(machine tools, lifting devices, urban public transport etc). Brushes are the most common EG-4.

This brand is suitable for installation on many cars of different years of manufacture, as it has standard operating parameters. Rarely used other products (for example, EG-61), which are characterized by a high margin of safety due to their impregnation with special compositions.

Generator and brushes on it domestic cars located under the right front headlight of your iron horse". Finding them is easy. It is enough to open the hood to see the generator - its winding and two lids that look like tin cans come to the surface.

When should alternator brushes be changed?

It is noteworthy that you can check the brushes (and change them if necessary) without dismantling a rather bulky generator. In addition, the following symptoms may signal the need to look under the hood of a car and check the graphite brushes:

• unpredictable shutdown electronic devices in a vehicle that occurs for unknown reasons;
• reduced illumination of the car interior and external light sources;
• voltage reduction;
• discharging unreasonably quickly, which, moreover, is then very difficult (and sometimes impossible) to charge.

Any of these symptoms tells the motorist that he most likely needs to remove the old brushes and install new ones instead. You can check old products for functionality very simply. It is necessary to fold the "minus" from the battery, remove the voltage regulator and visually assess to what height the graphite parts of interest to us protrude from their "shelter". Brushes need to be changed urgently when their height is less than five millimeters.

Alternator brush replacement - from A to Z

We must say right away that this operation is very simple and does not require special skills from the driver. First, as already mentioned, you need to discard the "minus" from battery, then dismantle the regulator (it is located on the opposite side of the generator), and then perform the following steps:

• Thoroughly clean soot and dust from the holder seat, as well as the clamping springs and slip ring. This operation is performed with a soft bristled brush. Sometimes it may be necessary to grind the graphite brushes to the commutator with glass fine sandpaper (its grain size should be about 100).
• Install new products and check that they move freely in the brush holder.
• Assemble the assembly in reverse order, and then connect the previously wrapped wire to the battery.

If you bought a prefabricated structure (regulator plus brushes), its installation also does not cause any problems.

Disconnect the “minus”, remove the cap made of rubber from the “positive” wire, and then dismantle the block by unscrewing the fastener nut. Then you will need to remove the plastic casing and remove the three spring clips located around the perimeter of the block. Using a Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the brushes along with the voltage regulator, and disconnect all the wires leading to it. Mount the purchased prefabricated structure in the vacant space. Operation completed!

In order for the replacement of the generator brushes to be carried out clearly and quickly, it is necessary to be able to accurately find and dismantle them. With the first point, everything is very clear: the brushes, like the electric generator itself, on almost all domestic-made cars, are located on the right side of the hood, directly under the headlight. Therefore, when you open the hood, you will immediately see the generator case, on which there will be a winding and two small cylindrical covers - these are the same brushes, or rather their upper part. See video "Changing the alternator brushes" below

When replacing this mechanism, use one of its two brands:

• Standard brushes brand EG-4;
• Brushes brand EG-61, with a large margin of safety.

How long can the generator brushes run?

According to operational parameters set by the manufacturers, the alternator brushes are subject to mandatory inspection and, if necessary, replacement after 50,000 km. However, in each specific case, the brushes may require immediate replacement even earlier, and the main thing here is to know those “symptoms” that will signal to us about the malfunction of these particular parts.

Here are four main reasons to check the generator brushes for operability:

• The car's electronics begin to give unexpected failures;
• A drop in the level of illumination of all lighting fixtures;
• Decrease in voltage in the electrical network of the car;
• Fast battery drain.

Checking and replacing the generator brushes

Checking the generator brushes is performed without removing the generator itself, which significantly reduces the time and complexity of the work. This is done as follows:

• Disconnect the "minus" from the battery;
• We dismantle the voltage regulator located on the other side of the generator;
• We make a visual assessment of the height of the brushes from their nests.

If the lift height does not exceed 5 mm, then the alternator brushes must be replaced. If the lift height of the brushes is greater, then they can be returned to their place, since the problem of a malfunction in the car lies in something else.

PROCEDURE FOR REPLACING THE GENERATOR BRUSHES:

1. After the brushes have been removed and checked, it is necessary to carefully remove all dirt from the socket in which the holder is located. The slip ring and pressure springs should also be cleaned. This is done with a soft brush. V rare cases you may also need a little lapping of the brushes to the collector, using an emery cloth;
2. Then new brushes are installed, simultaneously checking their unhindered movement in the holder;
3. Install the voltage regulator;
4. We connect to the battery, the previously disconnected wire ("minus").

Features of working with a prefabricated structure

Often, motorists prefer to buy both the brushes and the regulator at once, which come in one set. In this case, replacing the generator brushes for this entire system will also be easy:

• We disconnect the wire going to the "minus" from the battery;
• We remove the rubber cap from the wire from the battery going to the "plus";
• We dismantle the block by unscrewing the fixing nut;
• We dismantle the casing made of plastic;
• We take out three spring retainers, which are located around the entire perimeter of the old block;
• Using a Phillips screwdriver, unscrew the brushes (at the same time, the voltage regulator is also unscrewed, while all the wiring connecting them is also disconnected);
• We carry out the installation of a new design, on a completely free space for it.

Video: Replacing generator brushes

Each driver should know that during the operation of the car it is active. This is especially true for those who buy used cars, where a significant number of parts are already in need of repair. If there are interruptions in the voltage of the car's network, it may be necessary to replace the brushes of the VAZ-2114 generator.

Device operation

The operation of the generator system is also necessary to ensure the operation of the electronic parts of the car. At the moment the engine starts, the starter is turned on, which is necessary for operation. vehicle. If you do not carry out periodic repair work, frequent battery discharges will occur and the overall voltage will decrease. Because of this, first of all, it will be necessary to replace the system brushes with a VAZ-2114.

V modern cars generators with three windings are used to create an alternating voltage. Due to the electromagnetic field that arises in them, an electric current is created, which is transmitted to consumers. In such a system, a special brush mechanism is installed that relieves stress from slip rings.

Finding a problem

As a rule, the replacement of the generator brushes on the VAZ-2110 is carried out in a complex manner. Often one failure can lead to other failures or new part quickly fails. The main breakdowns in the car system:

• arbitrarily lowered (less than 14.3 V);
• instantaneous discharge of the battery as soon as the ignition is turned on;
• uncontrolled increase in charge;
• the device is not charged.

Often these problems are caused by faulty brushes. This can be recognized by the following signs:

• breakdown from poor-quality care products;
• mechanical wear;
• rectifier broken.

Replacing the generator brushes for the VAZ-2110 can be done by hand. This process is not financially expensive, but it takes a lot of time due to the large number of actions.

Breakage fix

Before you begin to replace the brush in the model 2110, you need to disconnect the negative terminal that supplies electricity to the vehicle system. Dismantling is carried out through the release of the tension bolt. To do this, it is better to use a large screwdriver, which moves the generator away. Next, you need a mounting bolt, which has a 17 head. After that, the part can be freely removed. Be sure to unfasten all cables from the system.

To change the brushes, you will need:

• disconnect the terminal from the battery;
• all wires are detached from the system;
• the power wires and the protective nut are removed in the same way;
• the clamps are removed (usually there are 3 of them);
• under the cover are the brushes themselves;
• remove them by unfastening the bolts;
• insert new elements, having previously equalized the dimensions of the protruding contacts (the protrusion is at least 1 cm);
• if everything matches, the reverse installation is performed in the same order.

In the process of reassembling the brush, you can carry out a complete one. At the end of the work, you need to check the belt. Its tension should be up to 10 kg. To check this, use special devices or determined "by eye". The belt should sag slightly when pressed on, and quickly regain its position under tension.

Replacing the brush elements is done by hand and requires special attention to the details. The system is quite complex, so there is a high risk of errors. Using the instructions, this can be done as correctly as possible. This guarantees stable work generators in VAZ vehicles and optimal energy supply to consumers.

Replacing brushes in a VAZ generator requires following the instructions and caution. There are many small components in this part, the work of which must not be disturbed. At all stages, you need to check the performance of the elements.

Brushes are an element of an alternator designed to remove the resulting voltage. It is made of special graphite, which is why the brushes are called "coal". Their application is mastered not only on car generators, but also in various other electrical machines, for example, engines. Such engines are used everywhere, from elementary machine tools to complex lifting mechanisms. Regardless of the type of construction, brushes are an important part, and therefore, their presence is mandatory for the operation of the equipment.

On the automotive alternators there was a single standard for the production of brushes. A striking example of this was the EG-4 brushes, which had normalized parameters and could be used on almost any automotive generator.

Another development of brushes was an increase in their margin of safety. So, for example, generator brushes appeared, which were marked EG-61. Their new properties were provided by the impregnation of the entire material with special components.

When is it necessary to replace alternator brushes?

When carrying out various activities related to car maintenance, various small details attract very little attention. The brushes themselves are no exception, the failure of which almost always comes very unexpectedly.

The constructors have exhausted the necessary resource of this element. At the moment, it is about 50 thousand kilometers. Others compare this distance with 4 years of operation of the car.

In addition, there are certain rules that govern allowable size generator brushes during operation. The fact is that they are prone to abrasion, as they have constant friction with the collector and during operation, they decrease in size. For their constant contact, springs are provided that ensure their tight touch, even if they are erased. However, sooner or later their length is limited, and the springs are no longer able to provide tight contact between the brushes and the commutator.

Before the driver opens the hood and removes the brush assembly, initially, the failure of the brushes will be reported by the corresponding malfunction symptoms:

• Reducing the on-board network of the car. If a voltmeter is provided on the instrument panel, then its readings will not correspond to the norm - the voltage will be less than 12 volts.
• Poor performance of light sources. For example, or the interior lighting lamp will begin to acquire low shades during operation.
• Inadequate behavior of all electrical consumers of the car. Possible shutdowns, reduced work efficiency. Examples would be a light bulb or an electric fan motor that runs intermittently or runs too slowly.
• Fast battery drain. This is also in place. The fact is that the voltage removed from the brushes becomes smaller and insufficient to charge the battery. Because of this, also, many consumers begin to use part of the battery energy, which has a limited capacity and, as a result, sits down.
• The last and most obvious sign is the inclusion of the corresponding lamp on the instrument panel. She says that the battery has stopped receiving power, and diagnostics of the generator elements is necessary.

How are alternator brushes replaced?

After detecting all of the above signs, it is necessary to assess the condition of the problem node. To do this, remove the brushes and check their length. It is worth noting that any work related to the generator brushes is absolutely not difficult to carry out and does not require any special skills and abilities from the driver.

Procedure

1. Open the hood of the car and find the location of the generator. Usually, it is installed near crankshaft and attached to the engine itself.

2. Disconnect the negative battery terminal.

3. On the generator, pull out the plug with the wires that are installed in the "tablet" of the brush assembly. On older cars, the presence of a “tablet” is not provided, however, they have such a plug.

4. Unscrew the screws on which the brush assembly is fastened. Once it's free, pull it out. When performing this operation, the brush holder should be slightly bent, as the brushes will interfere with its free exit from the socket.

After that, evaluate the length of the brushes. Usually, 5 millimeters is considered the norm. It is to this minimum length that the brushes protrude from the holder. If this parameter is noticeably reduced, then the brushes must be replaced.

In case the brushes are of relatively normal length, but the voltage still disappears, look at their working part. If one of the brushes has a polished surface and the other does not, this means that only one of the brushes is in tight contact with the commutator. In this case, they also need to be replaced.

If the brush assembly has a normal length of brushes, then the problem is most likely not in it.

5. Clean up seat and install the new product in the slot. To do this, press the brushes with your finger against the brush holder and push the knot into the socket. Once they are inside, they can be released. Check their density of contact with the collector.

6. After that, tighten the screws securing the brush holder to the generator.

7. Insert the plug with wires back into the socket. You should also check the reliability of the contact connection. If the contacts are rusty, clean them. In some cases, such a problem can also cause a decrease in mains voltage.

8. Reinstall the battery terminal.

This completes the replacement of the brush assembly. To avoid unnecessary problems with on-board electronics, try to diagnose and replace brushes in a timely manner. This will save you from the most unexpected troubles along the way and ensure the smooth operation of the car.

There can be many reasons for poor battery charging, one of which is worn out alternator brushes. To check their condition, you need to remove them and inspect. All this can be done on Kalina with installed generator, but for clarity I will show on the filmed. So, in order to remove them, we need:

1. 8 wrench, or socket with small ratchet
2. open end wrench 13
3. Flat screwdriver

Detailed replacement description

First you need to disconnect the negative terminal of the battery to avoid a short circuit. After that, remove the protective plastic cover by slightly depressing the three latches on it, as shown in the photo:

Then you need to pry off the small power plug with a screwdriver, and pull it up with the force necessary to remove it. Personally, in my case, the wire was very tight on the contact, so I had to try before removing it. It is better to do everything carefully so as not to tear off the soldering from the voltage regulator.

After that, you can unscrew the two small bolts, as shown in the photo:

And the last will be a large bolt, which does not need to be turned out to the end, you can just slightly loosen it:

And freely remove the voltage regulator along with the brushes, as shown below:

The minimum allowable height of the brushes must be at least 5 millimeters. If this value is not reached during the measurement, then the part must be replaced together with the voltage regulator.

If the part needs to be replaced, we buy a new one and install it in the reverse order of removal. The price of a voltage regulator along with generator brushes for Lada Kalina will be about 350 rubles.