Advice needed on Denso remanufactured Alternators.

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Bill7

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Hi,

Need some advice on remanufactured alternators from Denso.
I've read through the BITOG previous posts on remanufactured Alternators in general, and they reveal a lot of bad experiences.

I need an alternator replacement for my 2006 Honda Odyssey EX-L with VCM.
The genuine Honda part # is:
Alternator Assembly (CSD30) (Denso)31100-RYP-A01

A Honda dealer parts department checked and unfortunately the part is on back order with no date on when it will be available.
There is a chance it may become discontinued.

So, since Denso makes these OEM Honda Alternators, I went to Densoproducts website and found the alternator:

Problem is: The new version is not available, only a remanufactured one by Denso is available.

Goal is to buy an alternator and have it last 10 years (not 10 months).
Does anyone have any experience with Denso remanufactured alternators purchased from Densoproducts website?
Are they as good as new alternators, or do they have high failure rate.

Thanks. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Last edited:
Hondapartsnow.com is where I get just about everything needed for my Accord and Civic, I replaced the alternator on my Civic 2 years ago with a new Denso from them and it has been perfect.

They do list the alternator for a 2006 Odyssey as in stock and it states condition as new rather than remanufactured:

31100-RJA-A02 - Genuine Honda Alternator Assembly (Csd69) (Denso)

HondaPartsNow.com offers the great deal for genuine Honda parts, 31100RJAA02. Alternator Assembly (Csd69) (Denso) for $457.35. All parts are backed by the Honda's warranty.
www.hondapartsnow.com www.hondapartsnow.com

No association with hondapartsnow, just a satisfied customer. Good luck!
 
had the same issue with a 2010 accord, all the dealership had was reman. went with that and it lasted another couple of years till we traded the car. now the o'reillys special that i put in first lasted six months.
 
zzyzzx said:
Denso remanufactured alternators the don't necessarily replace the bearings. It says so right on their webpage:

www.densoautoparts.com

Alternators

DENSO brand Alternators deliver more Quality, Reliability, and Value than any other manufacturer.
www.densoautoparts.com www.densoautoparts.com
Bearings are validated to OE standards and loaded with premium OE-standard lubricants.
Click to expand...
Good insight. So perhaps might have longevity issue if old bearings left in place.
 
I've replaced the alternator on two of my old vehicles (Sienna and Accord) and so far the Denso remanufactured ones have held up fine. No subsequent replacements.

The alternator on my old BMW was replaced once and it was a Bosch. It held up fine too, Bosch uses new bearings I believe. Bosch also gives you two years of free roadside assistance for a failure of their product.
 
Asking any reman part to last as long as a 100% new OE part is a big ask.

Then again, do you also expect a 2006 Odyssey w/VCM to be running in 2034? You do not seem like the type to engage in major repairs yourself - it probably isn't financially feasible to keep this vehicle running for that long.
 
Reman is asking for trouble when it comes to alternators, a/c compressors among other things. You would probably be better off buying a brand new alternator from AutoZone which comes with a lifetime warranty. I have run multiple Duralast (Autozone) alternators without a problem.
 
zzyzzx said:
Denso remanufactured alternators the don't necessarily replace the bearings. It says so right on their webpage:

www.densoautoparts.com

Alternators

DENSO brand Alternators deliver more Quality, Reliability, and Value than any other manufacturer.
www.densoautoparts.com www.densoautoparts.com
Bearings are validated to OE standards and loaded with premium OE-standard lubricants.
Click to expand...

I do find it strange but then again bearing failure is not what leads most alternators to be replaced. From my six years experience at the auto parts store maybe once or twice a year are customers replacing their alternator because the bearings are crunchy. It’s usually because the alternator is not outputting power or the diodes are bad and causing ripple.

I’d trust a decent aftermarket NEW alternator just as much as a denso reman with reused bearings. Both should last many years. At which point who knows if you still have the vehicle. I’m not a fan of parts store remans. Sure they are fine most of the time but after personally having two go bad on me prematurely I’d just rather go new if possible. Of course if you need it right away and that’s all you can get, it’s OK. My Yukon has one of our remans in it and so far so good. And I’m not easy on it, it sits a lot and I short trip it. I would have gone with our new offering but the previous owner put this one.

My coworker just had our parts store reman go bad in his 95 Cadillac after 7 years. He did say this is the second one. 7 years ago the first one he got was DOA. The second one is this one that lasted 7 years. Btw his battery he replaced 7 years ago at the same time with an Econopower (used Interstate) still tests good. Anyway I think is a fair lifespan for an alternator. And it’ll be covered under the lifetime warranty. He just has to do the work which is apparently time consuming on his car. No guarantees if he’d got a Denso reman or OE one 7 years ago it would have lasted any longer. And it wouldn’t be under warranty.

If you can, have the parts store test your alternator before you install it if it’s a difficult one/time consuming install.

Just because the part is OE from the dealer doesn’t mean it’s good. Look up Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics on YouTube, he had two defective Nissan alternators in a row.
 
I don't have personal experience with remanufactured Denso alternators, but you should be able to use their own remanufactured alternator with confidence. Anything but Cardone! I'd use whoever has the best deal: Denso direct or hondapartsnow.com. My experience with original Denso alternators in two Acuras and three Hondas has been positive.
 
Bill7 said:
only a remanufactured one by Denso is available
Click to expand...
After so many years, I really doubt NEW units are being made. Even dealers will be selling remanufactured units.

Rockauto has a DENSO remanufactured one and FWIW, it is the top-seller for your application.
 
Devo242 said:
Hondapartsnow.com is where I get just about everything needed for my Accord and Civic, I replaced the alternator on my Civic 2 years ago with a new Denso from them and it has been perfect.

They do list the alternator for a 2006 Odyssey as in stock and it states condition as new rather than remanufactured:

31100-RJA-A02 - Genuine Honda Alternator Assembly (Csd69) (Denso)

HondaPartsNow.com offers the great deal for genuine Honda parts, 31100RJAA02. Alternator Assembly (Csd69) (Denso) for $457.35. All parts are backed by the Honda's warranty.
www.hondapartsnow.com www.hondapartsnow.com

No association with hondapartsnow, just a satisfied customer. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Thanks Devo242. I put the part # you supplied into the honda dealer's parts website along with my vehicles Vin #, and it said that part doesn't fit my vehicle. Thanks anyway.
 
Hall said:
After so many years, I really doubt NEW units are being made. Even dealers will be selling remanufactured units.

Rockauto has a DENSO remanufactured one and FWIW, it is the top-seller for your application.
Click to expand...
Thanks Hall. But who would be doing the re-manufacturing? A local shop affiliated with Rock Auto, or Denso?
 
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