Oldsmobile is a division of General Motors. The Oldsmobile uses a lot of electrical power to supply power to it's many accessories. This can take a toll on a battery or even an alternator. The battery provides the power the car needs to function. The alternator has the task of charging the battery and converting the battery energy to a current suitable for the components in this car. The alternator is accessible and will take a few minutes to replace.
Open the hood of the Oldsmobile and locate the battery. Disconnect the battery by unbolting the negative and positive terminal with a socket wrench.
Find the tensioner pulley. The tensioner pulley is located toward the center of the engine. Locate the square notch in the pulley and place a bare 3/8 size socket wrench in the notch. Push the tensioner down in a counter-clockwise motion. While the tensioner is down, slide the belt off the alternator.
Disconnect the wires at the top of the alternator. The positive wires will come off with a gentle tug. The negative wires will require unbolting the stud with a socket wrench and pulling the wire off the stud.
Unbolt the two bolts holding the alternator to the mounting brackets with a socket wrench. Once the bolts are removed, slide the alternator off the mounting bracket and out of the engine compartment.
Position the new alternator to the mounting bracket. Insert and tighten the bolts with a socket wrench.
Push the positive wires on to the connector at the top of the alternator. The wires will click once it is inserted correctly. Take the nut off the negative stud, push the negative lead on and tighten the nut over the lead with a socket wrench.
Push the tensioner pulley down with the socket wrench. Slide the belt over the alternator pulley. Release the tensioner pulley to tighten the belt.
Reconnect the battery to provide electrical power to the car. Ensure the positive cable is on the positive terminal.
Start the car to ensure it will hold a charge. Allow the car to idle for five minutes. Turn the car off and allow it to sit for an hour. Attempt to crank the car after the hour is up. The car will start if the alternator is charging the battery correctly.
