Land Rover Repair: Alternator replacement, serpentine belt, fault indicator

Question
I have a 2000 Discovery II.  A few days ago the electric fault indicator came on.  I had the battery tested and recharged -- the battery is in good condition.  I re-installed the battery.  Started the Discovery, disconnected the positive battery cable to see if the alternator would keep the vehicle running and it died right away.  I have heard that means the alternator is  bad.  I want to change the alternator myself.  I have not changed one before, although I have changed a serpentine belt.  Is there a good place to find a diagram or drawing to show how to change the alternator?

Answer
Hi Gary,

one thing you should check before you purchase a new alternator is how the serpentine belt is fed around the pulleys.  Even seasoned mechanics can get this wrong on Land Rovers - hopefully not seasoned "LR" mechanics. :)

IF  you changed the serpentine belt on the Disco, it is possible that the belt was installed incorrectly and this would prevent your ALT from charging the battery properly.  IF you did not touch the belt and you are certain no one else has either, then the problem may rest elsewhere.  BTW: The best way to test the ALT is with a multimeter and watch how it is charging the battery.

IF you wish to change the ALT, send me an email and I'll respond with some diagrams that instructs you how to do this.  I'll include the important diagram showing the correct feeding of the serpentine belt.

Best of luck,
JohnMc
jmcinnis64@hotmail.com