Bosch vs ACDelco alternator for 97 Maxima

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It looks like my Maxima's alternator is on it's way out. OEM alternator is Hitachi. I'm going to try and find something at a junkyard this Sunday, but I expect to come back empty handed.
No new Hitachi units are available anymore AFAIK, and remanufactured units are about $235 + core charge.
For about $140 I can get supposedly new Bosch or ACDelco alternators. If you were to choose between the 2 which would you pick?
 
Those new alts are more than likely Chinese copies of the Hitachi design. There was a thread there about a TYC Denso clone overcharging a battery.
 
I would be inclined to get one locally with a lifetime warranty.

FYI I bought an alternator around 12 years ago at autozone (I couldn't remember where I bought it). The bearing started making a squeak 11 years later, so I called the autozone several states away where I may have bought it, and they were able to look it up and told me to take it to any autozone for warranty replacement. So when they ask for your name and phone number, give it to them. Advance auto told me that they don't keep the warranty info for very long, and it's not a national database.
 
Bought a reman for my wife's Jag at Napa years ago. Went out like 5 years later. They just looked it up and gave me another, no questions asked
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I'd go that route again on any reman. New - Bosch, but Delco is making the identical alternator under license, so either will be good
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There is a 31 years old Bosch alternator still getting the job done on my '87 Mercedes. Voltage regulator on the back was replaced, but that's all I have done to it.

It is up for debate on old Mercedes forums whether or not Bosch is still what it was, or if they are just a name trading off a past reputation. Bosch distributor caps, in my experience, don't appear to last any longer than Bremi or Beru despite having a higher price tag.

I wouldn't say Bosch is putting out bad electrical/ignition products. I'm just not convinced they are now any better than quality alternatives.
 
The AcDelco starter that I bought came defective from the factory, making a loud noise every time I engaged it. The replacement starter worked, but had a melted cable on it... Personally, Nissan tends to use Hitachi or Bosch for their parts so I would go with any of those.
 
I was in Autozone yesterday to request an alternator test and wouldn't you know it, the two guys in front of me at the line were holding Duralast alternators. One said his alty failed after 2 hours while the other had it working for a bit over a week. They were back for their replacements.
The Maxima alternator is not easy to replace.

Originally Posted By: JamesBond
I would be inclined to get one locally with a lifetime warranty.

FYI I bought an alternator around 12 years ago at autozone (I couldn't remember where I bought it). The bearing started making a squeak 11 years later, so I called the autozone several states away where I may have bought it, and they were able to look it up and told me to take it to any autozone for warranty replacement. So when they ask for your name and phone number, give it to them. Advance auto told me that they don't keep the warranty info for very long, and it's not a national database.
 
RA has a reman'd Hitachi for $220 after messing with the core, but the new Bosch is only $124 with no core charge.

Pick your poison, but I'd get the Hitachi.

FYI, I have an AZ alternator on my Jeep.
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Haha, yeah there is the risk that they are junk out of the box, but anymore it sounds like the risk is there with any off the shelf alternator. I'd prefer a dealer unit or a locally rebuilt one by a pro but I'm sure the price is much higher than I want to pay.

The only upside to the autozone one is that you can likely get one warrantied the same day, no shipping.

Also don't worry too much about what the people in line at autozone are doing, I'm guessing that alternators get replaced and warrantied all the time whether they are bad or not as a result of mis diagnosis.

Plus it may be hard to change on the maxima but the second time is always faster!
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Either one of them, go with the cheaper one. Don't worry about Chinese produced brand name new ones, some of their stuff is very well done and I prefer it to some cheap reman garbage like Cardone.
I had a 2012 Subaru in with a Subaru dealer installed Subaru labeled reman that had failed after 3 years so high price does not necessarily equate to longer life span.

The tar is all coming out of the same pot and going on with the same brush it seems.
 
Originally Posted By: Jett Rink

It is up for debate on old Mercedes forums whether or not Bosch is still what it was, or if they are just a name trading off a past reputation. Bosch distributor caps, in my experience, don't appear to last any longer than Bremi or Beru despite having a higher price tag.



Their wiper blades used to be good when they were made in Belgium. Their electrical stuff I would still trust and their brakes are decent.

I think for a European car, it's still worth buying Bosch. From what I've heard for rotating electrical on older German cars, Bosch is having trouble finding quality cores and it will be a matter of time before they give up and start selling "new" Chinese stuff probably made by them over there.
 
Thank you for the great replies everyone!
I ended up picking a junk yard alternator; I installed it yesterday, so far so good.
I would have went with the Bosch based on the replies here.
 
I happened upon this discussion and even though aged and resolved, I figured I weigh in. Probably best you found that alternator at a junkyard. My experience with alternators over the years is hit or miss.

I remember an original alternator going out at about 65K miles on a Buick I bought new. I replaced with a reman'd Remy which only lasted 35K miles. I replaced that one with the cheapest reman'd one they had at NAPA. Their standard alternator. That lasted until I sold the vehicle at 228,000 miles.

All things considered I'd have gone with the least expensive out of the ACDelco or Bosch. Junkyard even better.
 
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