where can I get a GOOD alternator?

blackmaxima88 · 01-06-2005, 07:30 AM

it's time to take my money and frusturation somewhere else, because I'm tired of buying junk parts from the same auto parts store I work for! so far I put a starter in late november-ish and three weeks later it went bad. we don't stock it, so I had to drive the company truck to another store to pick it up. two different starters were used and I picked one at random. it worked. turns out the first starter I bought was boxed wrong (the correct starter boxed as the more expensive starter that wouldn't have fit) and I ended up paying an extra $75 for it when I didn't need to. well this alternator I got, I put it in over the summer, and mid-novemberish it quit on me. so I brought it back under warranty and got another one, and now it's kinda lagging behind and things go dim unless I give it gas. I think we just have junk parts that are remanufactured in different countries. I tested it last night and it only puts out about 45 amps when it's rated for 70.

replacing the alternator in this car isn't the most difficult job, but it's not something I wanna do every 2 months. anybody have any recommendations for a GOOD one?

Dan

**Cutler** · 01-07-2005, 08:58 AM

Get the OEM one from Nissan...

Niku-Sama · 01-07-2005, 06:36 PM

DONT get hte dealer one there are numerous reports comming from all vehicles using the VG motors that they burn out QUICKER than a remanfacturered one from some place else, so to Shucks, Autozone, where ever, buy one of those with a life time warranty and then go from their.

*maximase86* · 01-07-2005, 08:02 PM

Make your own? Though that means you got to mine the ore, process it, cast it, make the electronics, etc.

S

blackmaxima88 · 01-08-2005, 05:47 PM

mine is from autozone. I like the lifetime warranty but I don't wanna be replacing it every 3 months! I got a dealer price of $230 for one of theirs and it only carried a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty. **** that! this alternator does work until you use too much electrical stuff at once. but with the aftermarket stereo and fog lights, on top of the heater and defogger, 70 amps is a little underpowered.

I have a defective one with a bad brush holder that causes the alternator warning light to come on. I wonder if I can beef it up with parts from a more powerful alternator. alternators from the 2nd gen maximas are rated at 90 amps, which would satisfy me, but I think they're physically too large to be installed. I custom-built the one for my blazer (you can tell cos the two end frames are different and the fan is oversized

) and what once was rated at 74 amps now can crank out 130 amps at idle and hover around 14.8-15 volts. let's just say someone returned a tractor-trailer alternator as a core and I parted it out. needless to say, I had to upgrade to 6-gauge wire to go from the alternator to the battery, through an ammeter, to handle that kinda current, cos I have all kinds of lights and stuff that I like to use when I go field hopping lol... and at full electrical load and everything running, I never drop below 14. I love it! but parts to build that alternator were cheap, a new voltage regulator was $12 and brushes were $4. for my nissan, a new regulator costs as much as the alternator itself does.

anyway, I'm gonna check our computer at work and punch in different models of nissan cars and trucks to see what uses a more powerful alternator, and then see if they're physically compatible. I will get through this problem. the SE-R uses an 80 amp, maybe I'll check into that.

Dan

turboast4 · 01-08-2005, 06:04 PM

What kind do you have at AZ? At Pep's, we sell new and reman. Bosch (lifetime warranty on the new). Also I've heard of places around here that will upgrade alternators for like $1/amp. Are there any place like that around you? Might be worth looking into.

blackmaxima88 · 01-08-2005, 07:55 PM

we sell our store brand, duralast. our remans were originally OEM parts, which is why the alternators I get have the nissan emblem on the back. but 100% new parts are available. I'm not sure who remans our parts, I think it's Worldwide Industries (?) the same one that remans Fisher's alternators and starters. I've heard of some shops that do that work, I've thought about having my alternator upgraded. I'll probably let them upgrade the extra one I have with the busted brush holder, this way I still have a vehicle to drive while that's getting done.