Alternator air duct importance?

JTripper · 10-04-2012, 11:54 AM

How important is that air duct to the alternator?

Mango · 10-04-2012, 11:55 AM

pretty important considering it was put there.

JTripper · 10-04-2012, 12:02 PM

OK my fav cousin einstien I too came to that conclusion.... aside from that fact I was looking for more of a technical answer. I've never had a car (out of 8+ in my lifetime) that had such a setup! I was just wondering WHY?

choxor · 10-04-2012, 12:04 PM

Why do you think

Zell · 10-04-2012, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTripper

OK my fav cousin einstien I too came to that conclusion.... aside from that fact I was looking for more of a technical answer. I've never had a car (out of 8+ in my lifetime) that had such a setup! I was just wondering WHY?

Have you seen how tight the engine compartment is? There's a lot in there. There's a whole lot of heat soak.

Mine does not have this duct. I do not know why. Maybe they changed to cooler alternators later.

Solidjake · 10-04-2012, 12:19 PM

Just buy the duct for it. If you don't have it buy the two elbow pieces and the brake duct that has the hole for it.

JTripper · 10-04-2012, 12:28 PM

Duct bought..
I just had to further satisfy my curiosity!

Mango · 10-04-2012, 12:34 PM

bmw probably found that during testing, their temperature probes on the alternator showed to be too hot. why not direct air into it. voila.

jdstrickland · 10-04-2012, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTripper

How important is that air duct to the alternator?

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very important, it's about a 2 or 3.

JTripper · 10-04-2012, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zell

Have you seen how tight the engine compartment is? There's a lot in there. There's a whole lot of heat soak.

Mine does not have this duct. I do not know why. Maybe they changed to cooler alternators later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Solidjake

Just buy the duct for it. If you don't have it buy the two elbow pieces and the brake duct that has the hole for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdstrickland

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very important, it's about a 2 or 3.

I like that answer....

JTripper · 10-04-2012, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by E46Mango

bmw probably found that during testing, their temperature probes on the alternator showed to be too hot. why not direct air into it. voila.

LOL @ VOILA!

now yuh talking patnah

Alex323Ci · 10-04-2012, 01:01 PM

It's actually rather beneficial and important. There are a few posts where people removed it and alternator died in high demand cars. I know the Technik ASA supercharged cars because of piping left this off. Several owners noticed their alternators died soon after. So a reroute and ducting of cool air back as originally designed by BMW was done.
It's often not noticed how important some designs are until when removed the difference they make.

325CiMaN · 10-04-2012, 01:09 PM

It's important mine died cause it was missing. And plus why do you think there are water cooled alternators? High demand means high temps, high temps mean shortened life span, so keep it cool and lengthen life span.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Bimmer App

jdstrickland · 10-04-2012, 01:20 PM

I replaced a duct that had a huge hole in it, and the alternator was good for a long time when the hole was there.

Obviously it helps keep the alternator cool, but it is not a fatal event for the duct to be missing or have a hole in it.

RayPooley · 10-04-2012, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JTripper

How important is that air duct to the alternator?

I guess its there to improve access to cool air flow? However the word "cool" has to be taken in the context of ambient temperature. If you lived near the North Pole you would probably be looking to block up every orifice to keep the heat in. Well, to a certain extent. At the equator the opposite. So its difficult to say really.

330ciandr6 · 10-04-2012, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdstrickland

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very important, it's about a 2 or 3.

I very much disagree.

Alex323Ci · 10-04-2012, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdstrickland

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very important, it's about a 2 or 3.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 330ciandr6

I very much disagree.

x2

adaseb · 10-04-2012, 01:40 PM

If you remove it, your alternator might overheat and start a fire.

When the insurance company looks at the car, they will deny your claim because you removed the duct.

Mango · 10-04-2012, 01:46 PM

The E39 V8 has water-cooled alternator.

330ciandr6 · 10-04-2012, 01:51 PM

And they are expensive as ****.

10-04-2012, 11:54 AM	#1
JTripper OEM ///Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 308 My Ride: 325ci View My Garage	Alternator air duct importance? How important is that air duct to the alternator? __________________ Ride or DIE! in my *#BavarianBeast* Maintenance before Mods! Trying to do this MOD asaphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj-_o...rT_5bRlRc6GfPA My lil Beast http://youtu.be/DT6FzACDskM

10-04-2012, 11:55 AM	#2
Mango Platinum Plus Quality Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 16,467 My Ride: M54B30 View My Garage	pretty important considering it was put there. __________________ Cooling \| Maintenance \| Vacuum \| Suspension \| Costs "Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." -Steve Jobs

10-04-2012, 12:02 PM	#3
JTripper OEM ///Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 308 My Ride: 325ci View My Garage	OK my fav cousin einstien I too came to that conclusion.... aside from that fact I was looking for more of a technical answer. I've never had a car (out of 8+ in my lifetime) that had such a setup! I was just wondering WHY? __________________ Ride or DIE! in my *#BavarianBeast* Maintenance before Mods! Trying to do this MOD asaphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj-_o...rT_5bRlRc6GfPA My lil Beast http://youtu.be/DT6FzACDskM

10-04-2012, 12:04 PM	#4
choxor Fully Deeked Out Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,830 My Ride: An Automobile View My Garage	Why do you think __________________

10-04-2012, 12:19 PM	#6
Solidjake Mod Join Date: May 2008 Location: NYC Posts: 19,921 My Ride: 2002 330i View My Garage	Just buy the duct for it. If you don't have it buy the two elbow pieces and the brake duct that has the hole for it. __________________ Follow my cross country drive to Bimmerfest West 2013 http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=987217 Youtube - Electric Fan Swap/Aux Fan Removal - Projector Retrofit - E46 Bulb Guide

10-04-2012, 12:28 PM	#7
JTripper OEM ///Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Brooklyn Posts: 308 My Ride: 325ci View My Garage	Duct bought.. I just had to further satisfy my curiosity! __________________ Ride or DIE! in my *#BavarianBeast* Maintenance before Mods! Trying to do this MOD asaphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj-_o...rT_5bRlRc6GfPA My lil Beast http://youtu.be/DT6FzACDskM

10-04-2012, 12:34 PM	#8
Mango Platinum Plus Quality Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 16,467 My Ride: M54B30 View My Garage	bmw probably found that during testing, their temperature probes on the alternator showed to be too hot. why not direct air into it. voila. __________________ Cooling \| Maintenance \| Vacuum \| Suspension \| Costs "Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." -Steve Jobs

10-04-2012, 01:01 PM	#12
Alex323Ci Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Huntington Beach -Surf City USA Posts: 15,111 My Ride: M3 & 323Ci (sold) View My Garage	It's actually rather beneficial and important. There are a few posts where people removed it and alternator died in high demand cars. I know the Technik ASA supercharged cars because of piping left this off. Several owners noticed their alternators died soon after. So a reroute and ducting of cool air back as originally designed by BMW was done. It's often not noticed how important some designs are until when removed the difference they make. __________________ OEM CSL WHEELS - OEM CSL BRAKES - OEM AUTOFOLD MIRRORS - CSL TRUNK - CSL DIFFUSER - AA SPORT TUNE - AA PULLEYS - BILSTEIN PSS9s - AUTOSOLUTIONS SSK CF CSL RACE LIP - NAVI HU - BMW PERFORMANCE CF STRUT BAR - BMW GROUP-N MTRMTS - UUC SS BRAKELINES, TRANS MOUNTS, RTABs - 4.10 BMW M-SPORT DIFF

10-04-2012, 01:09 PM	#13
325CiMaN Registered User Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Napa, California Posts: 380 My Ride: 01 BMW 325ci 3.0L View My Garage	It's important mine died cause it was missing. And plus why do you think there are water cooled alternators? High demand means high temps, high temps mean shortened life span, so keep it cool and lengthen life span. Sent from my DROID RAZR using Bimmer App

10-04-2012, 01:20 PM	#14
jdstrickland Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Murrieta, CA Posts: 4,974 My Ride: '94 325iC & '00 323i View My Garage	I replaced a duct that had a huge hole in it, and the alternator was good for a long time when the hole was there. Obviously it helps keep the alternator cool, but it is not a fatal event for the duct to be missing or have a hole in it.

10-04-2012, 01:40 PM	#18
adaseb Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 857 My Ride: 2002 BMW 320i View My Garage	If you remove it, your alternator might overheat and start a fire. When the insurance company looks at the car, they will deny your claim because you removed the duct.

10-04-2012, 01:46 PM	#19
Mango Platinum Plus Quality Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Southern California Posts: 16,467 My Ride: M54B30 View My Garage	The E39 V8 has water-cooled alternator. __________________ Cooling \| Maintenance \| Vacuum \| Suspension \| Costs "Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." -Steve Jobs

10-04-2012, 01:51 PM	#20
330ciandr6 Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: . Posts: 6,593 My Ride: . View My Garage	And they are expensive as **. __________________ Have a oil or coolant leak? Click here!:http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...732&highlight= ABS/DSC/Brake/Airbag light on?? Click here!:**http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...648&highlight=

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