alternator croaking on easter vacation
- Thread starter Brybo86
- Start date
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Are you going to have the OEM refurb'd?
I've had no problems with the last Carquest reman alternator I got at Advance Auto, was about $115 after a coupon code and has a lifetime warranty... though that was 4 years ago, looking now it has gone up $10.
I had an alternator fail on 12-26-2016 returning from Nebraska to Colorado. About 75 miles east of North Platte I got the charging light, told my wife who had the flu and was in the back seat we had a slight problem. I shut off all accessories, and limped into North Platte into an Advance Auto Parts Store. Fortunately they had the correct alternator for my Taurus in stock. I removed and replaced the alternator in their parking lot. I dropped and lost the rear bolt and the guys were kind enough to find a bolt that would get me home. The alternator purchased was what they had available, an Advance Auto rebuilt with a lifetime warranty. It is probably now the CARQUEST version. Anyway it has functioned flawlessly for over two years. I think you will be OK for the near future.
Scott
Scott
So I would get the failed alternator rebuilt and swap it in. Then Craigslist the one you just bought.
Originally Posted by Brybo86
No check engine or battery lights on .
Upon removal the old one had a noticeable squeak when the pulley was spun.
I dropped in the Mexican reman car quest alternator. Much quieter now. Everything seems to be working correctly.
I'm sad to lose my whirring supercharger though...
Good to hear you are back on the road !
When I was a teenager , no Chi-Com aftermarket parts to worry about and a re-man alternator or starter was $ 25 ( if you returned the core ) .
Only time I have purchased parts from the dealer is if they could not be sourced any where else .
Noisy bearings are usually easy to diagnose . A mechanics stethoscope will even tell you if it is the front or back bearing .
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-stethoscope-63691.html
No check engine or battery lights on .
Upon removal the old one had a noticeable squeak when the pulley was spun.
I dropped in the Mexican reman car quest alternator. Much quieter now. Everything seems to be working correctly.
I'm sad to lose my whirring supercharger though...
Good to hear you are back on the road !
When I was a teenager , no Chi-Com aftermarket parts to worry about and a re-man alternator or starter was $ 25 ( if you returned the core ) .
Only time I have purchased parts from the dealer is if they could not be sourced any where else .
Noisy bearings are usually easy to diagnose . A mechanics stethoscope will even tell you if it is the front or back bearing .
https://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics-stethoscope-63691.html
Originally Posted by boulderdentist
I had an alternator fail on 12-26-2016 returning from Nebraska to Colorado. About 75 miles east of North Platte I got the charging light, told my wife who had the flu and was in the back seat we had a slight problem. I shut off all accessories, and limped into North Platte into an Advance Auto Parts Store.
75 miles on a bad alternator is impressive!
I had an alternator fail on 12-26-2016 returning from Nebraska to Colorado. About 75 miles east of North Platte I got the charging light, told my wife who had the flu and was in the back seat we had a slight problem. I shut off all accessories, and limped into North Platte into an Advance Auto Parts Store.
75 miles on a bad alternator is impressive!
Originally Posted by spackard
Could get the cheap reman, eat the core charge, and have your original rebuilt at a later date.
This!!!
Could get the cheap reman, eat the core charge, and have your original rebuilt at a later date.
This!!!
Originally Posted by Brybo86
We are 10hr from home visiting FIL and MIL in CNY
Started the car late last night and noticed a whirring noise at various engine speeds.
My rebuilt alternator whined for years before it finally failed completely.
We are 10hr from home visiting FIL and MIL in CNY
Started the car late last night and noticed a whirring noise at various engine speeds.
My rebuilt alternator whined for years before it finally failed completely.
Originally Posted by zzyzzx
boulderdentist said:
Today
1 year and 7 months later,
wife calls and says she noticed the battery light is on when she got to work.
I go check it out,
battery is
12.4 at rest.
12.6 idle engine
13.8 at 3k rpm
13.2 at 3k with all accessories on
Noticeable whirring and alternator is very hot to touch, engine is cold.
Put it on a charger and told her to drive the 15 min drive home after work without radio, seat warmer etc on and to turn off the car off immediately if she loses power steering/belt breaks
Planning on getting a free replacement from advance auto but not really excited about the short life of the next one...
1 year and 7 months later,
wife calls and says she noticed the battery light is on when she got to work.
I go check it out,
battery is
12.4 at rest.
12.6 idle engine
13.8 at 3k rpm
13.2 at 3k with all accessories on
Noticeable whirring and alternator is very hot to touch, engine is cold.
Put it on a charger and told her to drive the 15 min drive home after work without radio, seat warmer etc on and to turn off the car off immediately if she loses power steering/belt breaks
Planning on getting a free replacement from advance auto but not really excited about the short life of the next one...
Last edited:
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
Yes their alternators tend to have short life always. I have had great luck with the new ones though but never the reman ones.
I had a lifetime warranty on an alternator, I used that warranty many times over ~15 years.
The last time it failed the retailer claimed to have no record of me ever having bought an alternator from them.
I bought a new Alternator from Autozone( different retailer) , a different design alternato with internal fans, but the same 50/120 amp rating.
Arrived to door in less than 24 hours. Made in malaysia. It does not make its rating, about 32 amps hot idle and 109 amps max. but off idle upto its max the power band is pretty good.
I took apart my failed 'lifetime warranty' unit. Pretty easy to access rectifiers and brushes via tailcap. The brushes were not aligned with slip rings, with the lower brush bridging the gap. I lowered brush holder and thickened the parallel AC straps with fatter copper, and sanded flat the rectifier plates and the casing where they attach for better thermal transfer, and removed the New AZ unit and returned the non lifetime warranty unit.
When the alternator failed I was 20 minutes into a 2:15 hour drive at night. I knew I had enough healthy battery capacity to get there, but kept a close eye on my digital voltmeter, and arrived with 12.23v or so. Expecting to see 14.7v and seeing 12.7 alerted me to the issue. I also have a digital ammeter showing amperage into and out of the battery. I was up around 25 amps of load, which is how a battery's reserve capacity minutes are measured. I turned off stereo and blower motor for about 20 amps of load. Also had a jumper pack for 18 additional amp hours of capacity, but it was not required.
Good luck on your next reman, as it is luck of the draw.
The last time it failed the retailer claimed to have no record of me ever having bought an alternator from them.
I bought a new Alternator from Autozone( different retailer) , a different design alternato with internal fans, but the same 50/120 amp rating.
Arrived to door in less than 24 hours. Made in malaysia. It does not make its rating, about 32 amps hot idle and 109 amps max. but off idle upto its max the power band is pretty good.
I took apart my failed 'lifetime warranty' unit. Pretty easy to access rectifiers and brushes via tailcap. The brushes were not aligned with slip rings, with the lower brush bridging the gap. I lowered brush holder and thickened the parallel AC straps with fatter copper, and sanded flat the rectifier plates and the casing where they attach for better thermal transfer, and removed the New AZ unit and returned the non lifetime warranty unit.
Remanufactured alternator brush alignment
Looks like they missed, badly. Surprisingly it worked fine for 4.5 years like this~25k miles, and often, it was told by my adjustable voltage regulator, to make everything possible towards its 120 amp rating, feeding a large depleted low resistance AGM battery, over a thick copper circuit.
bobistheoilguy.com
When the alternator failed I was 20 minutes into a 2:15 hour drive at night. I knew I had enough healthy battery capacity to get there, but kept a close eye on my digital voltmeter, and arrived with 12.23v or so. Expecting to see 14.7v and seeing 12.7 alerted me to the issue. I also have a digital ammeter showing amperage into and out of the battery. I was up around 25 amps of load, which is how a battery's reserve capacity minutes are measured. I turned off stereo and blower motor for about 20 amps of load. Also had a jumper pack for 18 additional amp hours of capacity, but it was not required.
Good luck on your next reman, as it is luck of the draw.
Just put in the reman alternator , battery is at 13 resting, car kinda turns over a bit but won't start...?
how far does battery voltage fall when cranking the engine?
Put DMM on battery terminals, have someone else watch it closely, or turn the key while you watch.
If it falls below 8, new battery time.
13v resting does not mean it is fine and dandy. it usually does, not always.
Put DMM on battery terminals, have someone else watch it closely, or turn the key while you watch.
If it falls below 8, new battery time.
13v resting does not mean it is fine and dandy. it usually does, not always.
Voltage drops to 6 when I crank it over... I appreciate your fast reply. I'm gonna run to Wally world quick
The new reman alternator I just got is completely locked up???
it was spinning in the store but the engine wont start because the belt couldn't overcome the friction of the alternator pulley.
New battery same problem.
Not a click dead battery but a grunt like the starter is having a really hard time
What causes the alternator to seize ?
it was spinning in the store but the engine wont start because the belt couldn't overcome the friction of the alternator pulley.
New battery same problem.
Not a click dead battery but a grunt like the starter is having a really hard time
What causes the alternator to seize ?
Last edited:
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What is their to reuse in an alternator? The bearings will need to be replaced, the voltage regulator will need to be replaced too, and I would assume the armature is probably toast too.
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