"Will with a W8 races an E30" (hi-im-will)
02/18/2015 at 11:03 • Filed to: Germans, Alternator, Water Cooled Alternator, w8
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"Will with a W8 races an E30" (hi-im-will)
02/18/2015 at 11:03 • Filed to: Germans, Alternator, Water Cooled Alternator, w8 | 2
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Are surprisingly common. The one in the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was just my first encounter with one.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
It turns out they have been around since ~1998, and were popular with Ze Germans in the early 2000s.
The main motivations are heat management, packaging, and NVH. A 150+ amp alternator generates tons of heat, which must be dissipated. In a tightly packed engine compartment, there is little available air to cool it. Adding liquid cooling allows the alternator to be placed in warm environments without any ambient cooling air, and survive. Deleting the alternator fan also reduces noise from the engine compartment, which is very important in the luxury cars these are designed for.
Water cooled alternator explainer
505Turbeaux
> Will with a W8 races an E30
02/18/2015 at 11:08 |
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Another reason I love to hate working on a W8 Passat.
Water/electricity/heat/Germany is not a good mix.
Even done any power steering work on it?
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Will with a W8 races an E30
> 505Turbeaux
02/18/2015 at 11:32 |
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Nope, although it looks pretty conventional so far. And the car is not bad to work on - most jobs require a few more steps than on other cars, but they are generally straightforward and offer good tool access. The OEM fasteners are on the mid-high end of the spectrum, so and the car is relatively new, so stripped/rounded/broken fasteners are uncommon. I honestly find it easier to work on than most older American cars, just because VW actually put some thought into service and some money into the fasteners.
Sweet Trav
> Will with a W8 races an E30
02/18/2015 at 11:35 |
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Please tell me the irony of VW, the progenitor of the air cooled car, having a water cooled alternator is not lost on you.
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505Turbeaux
> Will with a W8 races an E30
02/18/2015 at 11:39 |
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you are a bold soul making that statement. I spent 7 hours replacing the power steering hoses on one once. They didnt think that one out very well. I think I had to lift the motor about 4 inches to clear it.
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Will with a W8 races an E30
> 505Turbeaux
02/18/2015 at 11:44 |
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7 hours?? I've never spent that much time on anything in there. It doesn't seem too outlandish with the steering rack position. And like I said before, anything on this car will take a few extra steps, but you will generally have tool access and not have to deal with failed fasteners - which saves a ton of time over "easy" jobs on other cars.
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Will with a W8 races an E30
> Sweet Trav
02/18/2015 at 11:48 |
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Technology and requirements advance. TLC used to be "The Learning Chanel." Korean cars used to be considered universally crap, and fuel injection and ABS used to be a big enough deal to merit a badge on the trunk.
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Sweet Trav
> Will with a W8 races an E30
02/18/2015 at 11:59 |
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This is technology for technology's sake. it offers no added value
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Will with a W8 races an E30
> Sweet Trav
02/18/2015 at 12:07 |
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It offers a 150A alternator that is quiet and fits into a incredibly limited package space. That is very valuable. Many of the electronic features in the car could not be supported without that large of an alternator, and water cooling enables it.