[Vwdiesel] Changing alternator on 03 TDI

[Tad]

Val - rebuild quality aside, you seem to have terrible longevity from your
alternators.  Is there something about your environment or usage that taxes
them excessively?

On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 5:02 PM, Val Christian <val at mongo.mongobird.com>wrote:

> I replaced my OEM Bosch alternator on my 03 TDI at 45,000 miles.
>
> I used an Autozone sourced "lifetime" warranty alternator,
> which subsequently failed, although not as catastrophically
> as the OEM one, at 99,000.
>
> The second Autozone alternator is now in the car with 129,000
> miles, and I am expecting that sometime in the next 10 to 20,000
> miles I'll be replacing it again.
>
> In my 91 IDI Jetta, I replaced the brushes in the OEM alternator
> at 38,000 miles.  Again at 61K and again at 83K, and again at 110K.
> At 128K, I replaced the alternator with a Autozone lifetime alternator,
> which was subsequently replaced at 152K, 191K, 239K and 288K.  Since
> I still own the car, I expect to put another in sometime in the next
> 30K.
>
> I am sure that there is some difference between the various rebuilds, and
> I'm sure that I have had poor rebuilds in various parts I've gotten, but
> I have had reasonable luck with Autozone and other lower-end retailers.
>
> I can also tell you that I went through 4 starters for the TDI from
> Advance auto, and recently found out that they were supplying a 1.1 kW
> starter, rather than the 2.0 kW starter that application requires.
> Fortunately, the starters were easy to swap out.  A real pain.  Turns
> out that Autozone spec'd the correct 2.0 kW starter, but I went to
> Advance because their price was $20 less.  Because they had the wrong
> starter listed...
>
> I'll stop, as this is long, and perhaps it doesn't matter much to most
> people.  They get their parts where they can, and were it works timing
> wise.  I get from my local Autozone and Advanced, and they all know me
> by first and last name, and my cell phone number.  I also order from
> several mail-order places specializing in VWs and similar parts.  In
> general, I'm very happy with my suppliers.  Then again, I could be
> unusual.
>
>
>
>
>
> >
> > I have a place several miles from me that rewinds our "small" 100 hp
> > electric motors, I haven't taken anything to them myself but I think
> > they do automotive alternators as well, might be worth a shot the next
> > time my $200 vw alternator craps out.
> > On Nov 15, 2009, at 12:39 AM, William J Toensing wrote:
> >
> > > Loren's point is well taken. The one point I wanted to make was if you
> > > have a GOOD auto electric repair shop that does their own repair &
> > > does not farm their work out, you are probably better off having them
> > > overhaul your alternator, starter, etc., rather than buying a
> > > "rebuilt" unit.
> > > Bill Toensing, Nevada City, CA
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