What are the best remanufactured alternators on the market today?
Bosch?
Beck/Arnley?
NAPA?
Carquest?
Other?
None?
Daniel Stern, the lighting guru, wrote an interesting 2009 essay on reman alternators:
http://ednixon.com/pix/Alternators.html
"..............I've seen what goes into the "remanufactured" parts, and it's pure junk, through and through. Low-bid, low-spec Chinese consumables that don't even come close to meeting the OEM spec. And yes, that's even on the "lifetime" units........................Many or most of them have been through the quick 'n' abusive, low-price-at-all-costs "remanufacturing" process several times. Critical casting dimensions have been blasted into oblivion...multiple times. Low-quality parts have replaced low-quality parts...multiple times. Stators and rotors have been mismatched...multiple times. .........................The latest gimmick is the "100% new" scam. Yeah, you can walk into a parts store and buy a "100% new!" alternator or starter or whatever for your 20-year-old car. Sure...but they're brand-new, very low quality Chinese copycats. ...................Alternator problems like low output at idle, flickery or spiky output, etc. are often greaty aggravated by the installation of a "remanufactured" alternator. These contain mismatched components from multiple different original alternators, which are physically interchangeable but electrically don't work properly together. There are many problems that can affect any alternator and reduce its output, make it flickery, etc..........................."Lifetime warranty" means you get to spend your lifetime replacing failed parts under warranty. Sure, they'll usually give you another alternator (starter, carburetor, brake cylinder, distributor, whatever) but the overall effect is to make the car unreliable, which means the lifetime warranty is nothing but a sales tool....."
Bosch?
Beck/Arnley?
NAPA?
Carquest?
Other?
None?
Daniel Stern, the lighting guru, wrote an interesting 2009 essay on reman alternators:
http://ednixon.com/pix/Alternators.html
"..............I've seen what goes into the "remanufactured" parts, and it's pure junk, through and through. Low-bid, low-spec Chinese consumables that don't even come close to meeting the OEM spec. And yes, that's even on the "lifetime" units........................Many or most of them have been through the quick 'n' abusive, low-price-at-all-costs "remanufacturing" process several times. Critical casting dimensions have been blasted into oblivion...multiple times. Low-quality parts have replaced low-quality parts...multiple times. Stators and rotors have been mismatched...multiple times. .........................The latest gimmick is the "100% new" scam. Yeah, you can walk into a parts store and buy a "100% new!" alternator or starter or whatever for your 20-year-old car. Sure...but they're brand-new, very low quality Chinese copycats. ...................Alternator problems like low output at idle, flickery or spiky output, etc. are often greaty aggravated by the installation of a "remanufactured" alternator. These contain mismatched components from multiple different original alternators, which are physically interchangeable but electrically don't work properly together. There are many problems that can affect any alternator and reduce its output, make it flickery, etc..........................."Lifetime warranty" means you get to spend your lifetime replacing failed parts under warranty. Sure, they'll usually give you another alternator (starter, carburetor, brake cylinder, distributor, whatever) but the overall effect is to make the car unreliable, which means the lifetime warranty is nothing but a sales tool....."