Why Did My Truck Eat Two Alternators in One Month?

It is not Vatozone around here... It is Dangerzone.

Be afraid, be very afraid.

Our local O'Reilly parts guys call the cheap reman starters and alternators "Boomerangs". They throw 'em out the door, and they come right back.

problemaddict wrote: Does the alternator use an internal or external voltage regulator? If its external, check it and/or replace it. I fried a couple alts due to a bad external regulator...

I think the voltage regulator is part of the alternator but I'm not 100% on that.

Most alternator failures are the voltage regulator. Also brushes get worn and lose contact with the rotor contact rings. As someone mentioned, take it to a shop that specializes in alternator repair. I don't know why the re-man failure is so high. Maybe they didn't train the monkeys enough or give them enough bannana's

My luck with Vatozone has been a little better. The first one went a few years. The current one, replaced under warranty of course, has been in the truck for quite a year years. I wish I had had the original one rebuilt, but it failed on a weekend and it is my work truck.

thatsnowinnebago wrote:

problemaddict wrote: Does the alternator use an internal or external voltage regulator? If its external, check it and/or replace it. I fried a couple alts due to a bad external regulator...

I think the voltage regulator is part of the alternator but I'm not 100% on that.

For that application, the voltage reg is installed on the back of the alternator, however it is replaceable. About $40 for a new one.

I don't know why the re-man failure is so high.

The re-man failure is high because the 4-year-old Chinese girl who built it gets her cardboard box taken away if she doesn't bang out 20 an hour.

I have found the best place to shop for a remanufactured alternator (or starter, etc), is to go to the salvage yard and get a used one. Sure they replace them for free, but still its annoying to never know when they are going to fail.

Thought we had 3 bad remans on my 97 Navigator. Turned out to be a bad wire at a connector block on the firewall. Fix that sucker, and we had enough juice to run an electric chair

Yup good ole Autozone. I have had them last anywhere from a few days to a few years, good thing the warantee is lifetime. I'm pretty good at changing them out in their parking lot.

i went thru 5 delco remans to get one good one, the box was delco reman'd in china, i'm thinking they are just chincy rebuilds

because you are replacing them with re-manufactured units. Those only fix what is broken and do not test the rest. Had the same problem in my hardbody back in the late 90s using kragen alternators. finaly broke down and bought a rebuilt one and never broke again. Still had it when I sold the car last year.

I went to the local auto parts store and bought an alternator from them. I trust their stuff more than one of the chain stores so we'll see how long this one lasts.