mak23

Long story short, I needed to replace the alternator. No big deal, got it swapped out. The first time I started it, the car ran really funny. Kind of a "surging" idle but the voltage was good. Confused I shut it off and thought about it a little, started it back up and it runs fine. The problem is, there is a just noticeable amount of white smoke coming from under the hood on the driver side. I want to say it smells electrical but I really can't say. I crawl underneath and don't see anything. Can't figure out exactly where the smoke is coming from or if its a serious problem.

I also noticed a constant whistle that I don't remember before but I'm not sure if that's related.

If anyone has any clue, this is kind of an emergency because I'm 4 and a half hours away from work. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Majestic9C1

iTrader: (19)

did you upgrade it or just change it for a new OEM alternator?

01WS6/tamu

iTrader: (37)

Probably paint and internals on new alternator especially if it was a rebuilt unit. they use laquer on the windings and paint on the case and when it all gets hot it's like a new motor. It'll take 30 minutes to hour for smells to go away especially if it's at idle with a low battery and ac on and it's charging at max output.

mak23

Thanks for the help guys. I think you were right, it was only temporary. It was a rebuild and it stopped after a while.