pennink

Thawa, thanks for the info. I took a closer look, and the thing definitely slides out. I guess I was following the Chilton's (yeah, I do have one, not that it's helped much) too closely-it says to take the connectors off before loosening the belts/removing the alternator, but there's no room to work until the alternator is off its mountings. No matter though; my parents have decided to come visit this weekend, and my dad is bringing tools, so he can do his mechanic thing, and I can pass him the wrenches, just like old times! And thanks again for the info. I spent all afternoon wrestling with that sliding connector. I guess I'll have to be more of a rule-breaker next time. Marina

My '91 Legacy won't start, not even a click. Unless it is connected to a generous donor battery, in which case it starts up just fine, and holds a charge for 10-15 minutes to an hour. To make the first part of this easy, I'm pretty sure I need a new alternator. I talked to my dad, looked some things up, and it makes sense. To make things not so easy, I decided to do it myself. I have to remember something from helping my dad work on the family cars as a kid, right? I managed to take off the belt cover and started loosening the belts, when I realized I needed to disconnect the wires from the alternator. But these connectors don't look anything like the flattish things I remember from childhood. Which, conveniently, are the ones in my Chilton's. Instead of being flat and connecting to the back like the ones in the picture, they are more cylindrical and sit on top, at the rear. I've tried to push, twist, and slide these things, but nothing happens. Is there anyone who can tell me an easy way to get them off? You'll be helping me fix my car and recapture fond childhood memories all at once. (Instead of just getting greasy and swearing, which, while enjoyable in its own way, just isn't the same.)