Re: Alternator/ Voltage Regulator woes....

[Don Hoefer <hoefer@eng.pko.dec.com>]

human wrote:

> 
> One, isn't the "local starter rebuilder" a holdover  from the old days when
> everyone drove drof, yvehc, or relsyrhc?  The guy only ever had to deal with
> five different oem parts and one units system and could get good at it....?
> 
> Us people with "foreign jobs" had to take potluck or order parts from far,
> far away.
> 
> Two, when my starter died 2 years ago [it happened *on the lift*!  I put the
> car up to check out my new straight pipe sound and when it came back down,
> no starter! - so be nice to mechanics when your car goes bad on their watch]
> I discovered that it was some ghastly Matsushita part!  The replacement from
> my local import specialist was a Bosch for $155 and was *totally different*.
>  Bigger body, more positive solenoid action and faster crank/faster start.
> This was at 163,000 miles.

Well, yes and no.  There are several "Authorized Bosch" automotive
electronic shops around here who do excellent work for less $$ than
mail ordering the same part.  Besides, most mail order places have
the stuff rebuilt at a place local to them anyway.

My Matsushita starter died at 55,000 miles.  I replaced it with a
Bosch also.  100,000 miles later I had to have the solonoid replaced
for 65$.  Sure beats >$150 for a mail order rebuilt starter.

Audi has used non-Bosch suppliers on and off because Bosch could not keep
up with the demand.

Don Hoefer
'82 Coupe