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I recently had to replace my original alternator at about 140K miles. My car just died on the way to work.
So I purchased a reman alternator from Oreilly's Auto Parts. The description mentioned Denso as the manufacturer, so I felt confident in the quality. The fitment was good and it brought the car back to life charging consistently at about 14.3 volts.
Fast forward 3 months to now and my battery light starts flickering at low RPMs. This is what happened with the original about 4 months before it finally died.
I measured the voltage with my DMM and it was fluctuating between 13 and 14.3 volts. To eliminate the possibility of a wiring problem I measured at both the battery positive and the alternator itself.
My assumption is that the voltage regulator is bad and I just have to replace the alternator again. Is there any other explanation here? Anything I may be missing before I do the job over again? I don't like being a parts changer, but in this case it seems to be the most likely problem.
I would just buy a new alternator this time...anyone have experience with Remy?
Yeah reman not really the way to go. In addition, next time it might be best to charge the battery with an external charger and not let the alternator charge it from a cold death. I have heard (no first hand knowledge) that this is not healthy for an alternator. good luck.
Best bet may be to find a used OEM one from a junkyard. Should be much cheaper than a new one.
Not a lot of junkyards nearby, so it wouldn't be worth the drive. I hate having to lug tools out there anyhow...unless it's a part very difficult to source like a trim piece or something.
Yeah reman not really the way to go. In addition, next time it might be best to charge the battery with an external charger and not let the alternator charge it from a cold death. I have heard (no first hand knowledge) that this is not healthy for an alternator. good luck.
I believe I had the battery at least partially charged when I installed the reman alternator. It was around 12 volts.
I happened to find a used OEM alternator on eBay for $45, free shipping . I was tempted to go ahead and buy it, but there's no mileage associated with it and I have no idea how long it will last. If it craps out on me after a few months, worse yet during the winter, I'd have to do the job for a third time. I hate having to do the same job over and over again.
So I decided to pay the extra $ to get the new Remy alternator. I'll probably put it in next week and I'll try to return to this thread over time to discuss my results.
Make sure you have proper grounds at the bolts to the alternator as this is the main ground for it. Belt tight and adjustment bolt at the alternotor not stripped or loose? These are common issues that can cause your symptoms. Personallly have gone through both situations to resolve my charging issues.
Make sure you have proper grounds at the bolts to the alternator as this is the main ground for it. Belt tight and adjustment bolt at the alternotor not stripped or loose? These are common issues that can cause your symptoms. Personallly have gone through both situations to resolve my charging issues.
I will check closer for any problems with the adjustment bolt, but there were no issues that I recall during installation. The belt was tight and the adjustment bolt was working fine. I believe I tightened the bolt holding the lower bracket in place also, but that's the only thing I am unsure of. Maybe I forgot??
How would I ensure the alternator is properly grounded? Just look for any loose connections? Or maybe clean the bolts and bracket?
You should clean the mating surfaces of the alternator/bracket/engine so there is a clear path to the block.
Will do.
Just received new alternator from RockAuto today. The pulley spins fine, but there is a scraping noise inside. That can't be right. I'm thinking of returning it for another since they should be silent as they spin.
Am I correct on this? That's not normal, right?
Last edited by bachands; Jun 8, 2020 at 02:22 PM.
Reason: Missed question
Got the other Remy alternator from RA. For some reason this one was $40 less even though it's the same part number. Weird, but I won't complain
Alternator installed fine and the voltage measured a bit higher than the one from O'reilly's. This one measures close to 14.5 V while the Ultima from O'reilly's measured about 14.3 V. Fully loaded this new one measured 13.6 V. So I believe this one is good.
I brought the Ultima back to O'reilly's for a refund, but they tested it with their in-house tester and it passed twice. I felt like the test was rigged, but I'm probably being paranoid. I bought a new ground strap to replace my current one which is pretty corroded. We'll see if that makes a difference.
Is it possible their test is faulty? What else could cause a fluctuating voltage besides a bad regulator?
I took some time to inspect and clean all the ground contacts. I found nothing that appeared it would cause electrical fluctuations. But just to be sure I brushed all contact surfaces with a wire brush, sprayed everything with electronics cleaner, and replaced the front ground strap.
The front ground strap wasn't as corroded as I thought. It was just the braiding that had separated. The wires underneath the braiding were fine.
At this point, I don't think the various electrical contacts could be any better than they are now. Hopefully I won't see the battery light flickering anytime soon.
So it's been almost 2.5 years and over 30K miles, but the Remy alternator has failed. If I load it up and measure battery voltage I get 10.4 V. The dome light flickering with the engine running is what tipped me off.
The Remy lasted a lot longer than a crappy reman from O'Reilly, and performed better too. But still...only 2.5 years? And the warranty is only 2 years, so I have to buy another new one.
Should I buy another Remy or try a different brand? The Remy is one of less expensive new alternators on RockAuto.
So it's been almost 2.5 years and over 30K miles, but the Remy alternator has failed. If I load it up and measure battery voltage I get 10.4 V. The dome light flickering with the engine running is what tipped me off.
The Remy lasted a lot longer than a crappy reman from O'Reilly, and performed better too. But still...only 2.5 years? And the warranty is only 2 years, so I have to buy another new one.
Should I buy another Remy or try a different brand? The Remy is one of less expensive new alternators on RockAuto.
this
Originally Posted by BrotatoChip
Best bet may be to find a used OEM one from a junkyard. Should be much cheaper than a new one.
From RockAuto...
Wouldn't this mean you have a lifetime warranty since it was ordered before 10/1/2020?
If not, I would recommend getting a used OEM one from a junkyard or buying one with a better warranty. BBB brand says 3 years, TYC and FVP both say lifetime. Even the FVP reman says lifetime warranty.
From RockAuto...
Wouldn't this mean you have a lifetime warranty since it was ordered before 10/1/2020?
If not, I would recommend getting a used OEM one from a junkyard or buying one with a better warranty. BBB brand says 3 years, TYC and FVP both say lifetime. Even the FVP reman says lifetime warranty.
Right? It should be covered, but RA doesn't give the warranty option in my Order history. It states the warranty has expired. Weird.
I would call, but I think their customer service is mostly online. I'll have to look into it more.
So I bought a used OE alternator off ebay...about $56 total. It's from an 05 Civic EX with manual transmission and coming from Colorado. I don't know what the mileage is, but as long as it works...
I was pretty surprised how many used OE alternators were available. Most of them had around 150K miles, but some as many as 300K...pretty crazy. Some sellers offered a 6 month warranty, but most are just 30 day.
Hopefully this one will work better than the reman I currently have installed.
I now have the used OEM alternator installed. The unloaded voltage is 14.5 V and pretty constant. Fully loaded, I measured 13.2 V. So I'm pretty happy with that.
However, there is noise coming from the alternator bearing or elsewhere inside the casing. It's not horrendous, but noticeable. I may replace this one next summer if it gets worse, we'll see.
I now have the used OEM alternator installed. The unloaded voltage is 14.5 V and pretty constant. Fully loaded, I measured 13.2 V. So I'm pretty happy with that.
However, there is noise coming from the alternator bearing or elsewhere inside the casing. It's not horrendous, but noticeable. I may replace this one next summer if it gets worse, we'll see.
The alternator lasted the winter, so that's good. I had no electrical problems at all. At no time did I see the battery light come on during normal driving/idling. The bearing noise is still there, but it hasn't gotten any worse.
Having to hear the bearing noise for several months, I've decided to replace the alternator again and keep this current one as a spare. I originally wanted to buy a new unit off Rock Auto, but the prices are a bit steep at around $150 total. I actually considered a new eBay unit for less than $100, but I abandoned that idea quickly. So I just bought another used OEM alternator. This one is from an '04 Civic, 114K miles, and located in Texas (less salt and corrosion). $70 for this one, so not bad at all.
If this recently purchased alternator works out, I was thinking of combining the other two somehow. The Remy unit has bad guts, but good bearings and a clean casing. The used OEM one has good guts, but bad bearings. I don't know if this is possible or not. Alternator rebuilds aren't common so I couldn't find a YT video specifically for this alternator. I may just have to take some pictures and start disassembling to see if it can be done without having to destroy the bearings.
The alternator lasted the winter, so that's good. I had no electrical problems at all. At no time did I see the battery light come on during normal driving/idling. The bearing noise is still there, but it hasn't gotten any worse.
Having to hear the bearing noise for several months, I've decided to replace the alternator again and keep this current one as a spare. I originally wanted to buy a new unit off Rock Auto, but the prices are a bit steep at around $150 total. I actually considered a new eBay unit for less than $100, but I abandoned that idea quickly. So I just bought another used OEM alternator. This one is from an '04 Civic, 114K miles, and located in Texas (less salt and corrosion). $70 for this one, so not bad at all.
If this recently purchased alternator works out, I was thinking of combining the other two somehow. The Remy unit has bad guts, but good bearings and a clean casing. The used OEM one has good guts, but bad bearings. I don't know if this is possible or not. Alternator rebuilds aren't common so I couldn't find a YT video specifically for this alternator. I may just have to take some pictures and start disassembling to see if it can be done without having to destroy the bearings.
My experience with remanufactured alternators is that they seem to reuse the voltage regulators without even testing them, as if that couldn't possibly be the reason the thing got replaced. Can be pretty frustrating when remans are the majority of the retail supply.
The latest used OEM alternator I purchased arrived damaged, so I didn't install it. I just used it as a sacrificial part to practice disassembly. It didn't go well. I also tried disassembling the other two in an attempt to check the bearings. That didn't go well either. I basically destroyed all three of them (two were bad already though). I just couldn't release the rear bearing from the rear housing without breaking the windings from the rectifier. And even when I got them all apart, none of the bearings seemed bad anyway.
Long story short, I wasted a whole lot of time and money just to do what i should have done to begin with...buy a new alternator. I didn't want to pay for a new alternator, but ended up buying one anyhow with an expedited shipping cost tacked on, also two used OEM alternators, and also an alternator rebuild kit. And the only thing I learned is that I have no skill in rebuilding alternators. So that was fun!!
woah, so that tells us why re-manufactured alternators are not good...
new aftermarket are already known to cause issues, if they difficult to rework, well...
I've now got the new alternator installed. This time I went with the BBB Industries brand. It comes with a 3 year warranty as opposed to Remy's 2 year warranty. It seems to be performing the same as the Remy did when it was new. It did however let out just a bit of smoke upon first start, so that was concerning. We'll see how long this one lasts.
I feel like I missed an opportunity to get a Lifetime Warranty. Most of the alternators available through RockAuto are 1-2 year warranty. The BBB Industries is a 3 year warranty. And then finally the TYC brand is a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Also, the TYC alternators must be located closer to WI where I live because the expedited shipping was faster and the same cost. The BBB Industries alternator came from California. So, the TYC should have been my choice...whoops.
