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2000 Altenator blues


rodhharrison
08-09-2004, 06:59 PM
I looked over the forum, and saw no one reporting the level of alternator problems I have experienced. I have in the last 18 months and 30,000 miles (since the warranty expired), put 4 rebuilt alternators and my car, and once again it has gone out. The original alternator made it about 50,000 miles (as I understand it, about average for a Delco alternator). The remanufactured units have averaged less than 10,000 miles a piece, with one unit lasting less than 1 day. Most of these have been Delco. I have a good mechanic who has become quite adept at replacing these, but neither he nor my wife are excited about continuing to use Delco units with a lifetime warranty.

I spoke with a GM parts man I know, but he told me that all of the alternators he gets from GM are of the rebuilt variety. I want to know if any one has found a bullet proof alternator. I am willing to consider purchasing one of the high output alternators (i.e., 160 amps) used for high powered stereos. Any ideas?

jmlangeveld
08-10-2004, 10:23 AM
I'm wondering if there is a problem independent of the alternator, which is causing your alternators to fail prematurely. When was the last time you replaced the battery on the car (a bad battery can kill an alternator). Would it be possible that the Alternator has a bad ground and it is frying it to an early death? I know if the Battery has a weak ground, or if the alternator has a bad ground, it can prematurely fry an alternator.

Maybe someone with more knowledge could elaborate...

paulkramer
08-10-2004, 10:49 AM
One would hope that they would have tested the entire electrical system before replacing all those alternators......if everything checks out OK, I would bet that those Delco parts are the problem. I have read a lot of bad stories on this forum about Intrigue alternators - with the 3.5 - and I would highly recommend using a Bosch unit. Probably outlast the rest of the car (unless you have a DieHard battery!)

rodhharrison
08-10-2004, 09:33 PM
Of course, this morning, the darn thing worked fine. I had two shops check it out, but they could not find a problem. Both times, the battery voltage was right where it should be with a functioning alternator. I do have a 6 month old battery. This evening, however, it is back to its old tricks. My guess is that the alternator is not the culprit. In the next couple of days, I am going to take it the dealer, and have them try to find out what the problem is. I went by there today when everything was working o.k., and they suggested that the PCM could be shutting down the alternator. We'll see what they can find out. Thanks for the suggestions. I am not sure (because the alternator on a 3.5 is not viewable) but I think it is a Bosch. I know the last time, we switched to some non-Delco unit.

illinoiswronski
08-12-2004, 04:18 PM
I read through your post but I don't see you describe the failure mode. Strange electrical problems are often caused by corroded ground connections or damaged wires. If on the other hand the alternators are mechanically failing then I would think it could be due to too much tension or mis-alignment of the serpentine belt.

rodhharrison
08-16-2004, 10:11 PM
Well, I am hopeful I have it fixed. I took it to the dealer (probably should have in the first place). They quickly found that the cable terminal on the back of the altenator was damaged. All told, I spent $77 for an hour's labor. It has been a couple of days...so far so good. Hey, Illinoiswranski, you apparently got it. You get the prize.

illinoiswronski
08-19-2004, 10:34 PM
Glad I could help. You get to email my wife and tell her I was right for once.

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