dead alternator: buying parts to repair it or buying a good rebuild (Denso)?

Hi all,

after viewing posts about alternators, i'm asking if it's better to buy a rebuild one or buy separate parts to repair the one in the van.

If i'm buying a rebuild, i will be able to repair the old one and have it for spare alternator, but maybe it will cost more than just change defect parts?


and what about this kit on Ebay? *http://tinyurl.com/p7vtmh3* does someone has already bought one?

thanks a lot!

Whether or not you need these parts is the real question. If your alternator has had power steering fluid dripping on it, then the brushes are likely shot (could be your entire problem). Of course depending on miles, they could be worn out. The regulators are actually pretty tough, so I wouldn't immediately expect that to be the problem (but I've seen them fail). There's also the question of quality, but IMO, the main part effected by poor quality is the diode block (which isn't included with this kit).

In my opinion you can't go wrong getting the Denso rebuilds (actually rebuilt by Denso), but if you are dead set against spending the money, another possible solution could be waiting for you at your local salvage yard. There are multiple year, makes, and models of vehicles that use internally identical alternators. Our Pick-N-Pulls sell entire alternators for around $20, but will sell individual internal parts for almost nothing (they actually do give them to me for nothing if I'm buying lots of other stuff). Another reason for just buying the internals is you can do a visual inspection before purchase. Once you pull the tin cover off the case it's pretty easy to tell if it's OEM or cheap rebuild (Denso puts a gray plastic like coating on the diode block). I typically only grab the OEM parts (better quality). You can usually tell how used they are by the condition of the brushes. Just keep in mind that there's a small chance your alternator has a different problem (stator or rotor), then there's the condition of the front bearing..........but those parts hardly ever fail, so I think it's really likely your problem will be one of the parts discussed above. For more information, here's another thread where these things are discussed in more detail. Tim

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...lternator-woes

Quote:

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Originally Posted by timsrv

In my opinion you can't go wrong getting the Denso rebuilds (actually rebuilt by Denso)

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Tim, what about all these alternator that rockauto have?

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...,parttype,2412

Jerome

Based on my personal experience, I would avoid anything other than a genuine Denso rebuild. Some of these could be okay, but who knows? They used to have the Denso rebuilds (#210-0272) on rockauto, but it looks like they must have sold out. Here it is on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Denso-210-0272.../dp/B000C5SF4Q and here it is again on another site I've never used (probably too good to be true): http://www.carid.com/1989-toyota-van...mF8aAg8d8P8roflroflrofl. Tim

PS: If that 2nd one pans out, let me know and I'll probably order a couple.

well, the price is very cheap.... if i order from them i will buy 2 units!

Have you compared this cheap alternator with one denso sell on their website?

i'm curious if it's a real Denso why is it so cheap... :cnfsd:

Jerome

I actually ordered one. They hit me with almost $14 shipping, but my total was still under $100. Normally I worry about entering credit information on unfamiliar sites, but they accept PayPal, so I figured it was minimal risk. In reading the description it's almost gotta be the Denso unit, but who knows (some of these places are sneaky). Seemed legit with the confirmation emails I got. I'll report back when/if it arrives. Tim

Tim; That is a pretty awesome price; let's hope it is genuine!

Jerome; The best of both worlds may be: if you you were to grab a Denso rebuild to get you going; you can take your current alternator to a parts shop that does free alt. testing (E.g. NAPA, or similar). They can tell you what is bad then you can take your time and repair your old alt. for a road spare.

Salut!

FYI, they won't tell you what's bad. They'll just tell you whether the entire alternator is good or bad. And even then, depending on the machine operators competence, that information might not be accurate. An auto electric shop will be able to tell you for sure, but if it's bad, in order to tell you which component has failed they will likely need to open it up to inspect/test. Most auto electric shops will want to charge you money for this service, but at least they should know what they're doing. Tim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by timsrv

FYI, they won't tell you what's bad. They'll just tell you whether the entire alternator is good or bad.

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FWIW: Every store I have gone to (O'Reillys & Autozone), they have let me look over their shoulder and the testers are in common areas, so there is nothing barring one from watching. (It also clearly says pass-fail on the tester for the regulator and rectifier.)

Judging by Tim's experience; your results may vary!

If the alternator tests good, then it most likely is. If it tests bad, then it might be bad, or it might not be connected to the machine properly. There are some faults they can determine without disassembling (like a shorted diode). A shorted diode would mean a bad rectifier, so I'll agree that could be identified without the need for taking apart. There could also be a test performed that could condemn the regulator, but it would be only one of several possible faults. If the alternator simply doesn't have any output, there would be no way to verify where the problem lies without opening and testing. Tim

Tim: Fair enough, I was really thinking of it as a quick and dirty approach to get some cheap preliminary info before digging in (Dismantling). :thmbup:

Jerome: FWIW, If you are interested in learning how to troubleshoot your alt. for a cheap backup spare: Here's the on-vehicle (Load and No-Load (IC)), and bench testing procedures (Brushes, Stator, Diodes) for the Alt. on a 1994 Celica; all of the diagnostic techniques should be identical.

http://bgbonline.celicatech.com/94_6...0regulator.pdf

Cheers!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by timsrv

I actually ordered one. They hit me with almost $14 shipping, but my total was still under $100. Normally I worry about entering credit information on unfamiliar sites, but they accept PayPal, so I figured it was minimal risk. In reading the description it's almost gotta be the Denso unit, but who knows (some of these places are sneaky). Seemed legit with the confirmation emails I got. I'll report back when/if it arrives. Tim

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Just got this email today:


We would like to thank you for your order with us here at CARiD.com!
Upon processing your order, our manufacturing facility has informed us that the following item(s) are backordered with a new Estimated Ship Date as shown below:
New Estimated Ship Date: Feb 20th, 2015
Reason: Manufacturing Delay (Build to order part)
Product Backordered

Denso® - Remanufactured Alternator

Toyota Van 1989, Remanufactured Alternator by Denso®. Contemporary cars employ dozens of sophisticated electronic systems from bumper to bumper, placing heavy demands on the charging system. The...
Price: 79.54
Qty. 1
Total: 93.43

They tried to encourage me to choose a substitute unit (rebuilt by somebody else), but I chose the option of waiting for the Denso unit. I'll keep you all posted on how this plays out. Tim

I just ordered a Denso one from Carquest for $160

Hey Thank you Cadin! i will probably go with a rebuild from Denso or if Tim comme back with good feedback about his cheap rebuild at around 85$ i will go for it.

Did someone ordered parts from this website?

https://www.toyotapartscanada.com/account.html

I have ordered on 7th january alternator harness for 46$. I wrote yesterday to know what's happening with my order, still no news from them. We are january 14th...

I have cancelled my appointment with my mechanic to change my alternator. I think i can wait till this spring to de the job by my self... it's -20 celsius here south shore of Montreal and i dont' have a garage. brrrrrr!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by timsrv

Just got this email today:


We would like to thank you for your order with us here at CARiD.com!
Upon processing your order, our manufacturing facility has informed us that the following item(s) are backordered with a new Estimated Ship Date as shown below:
New Estimated Ship Date: Feb 20th, 2015
Reason: Manufacturing Delay (Build to order part)
Product Backordered

Denso® - Remanufactured Alternator

Toyota Van 1989, Remanufactured Alternator by Denso®. Contemporary cars employ dozens of sophisticated electronic systems from bumper to bumper, placing heavy demands on the charging system. The...
Price: 79.54
Qty. 1
Total: 93.43

They tried to encourage me to choose a substitute unit (rebuilt by somebody else), but I chose the option of waiting for the Denso unit. I'll keep you all posted on how this plays out. Tim

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Tim: I did not read your message. Is it a good idea to ordering one unit to be on the list when the alternator will be available?

Just found this one for my 1988 van:
: http://thmotorsports.com/denso/denso.../i-571146.aspx
for a 1989 van, the price is 93$ but they don't ship to Canada :no:

this one is 83$ but it's a Bosch (good brand?)
http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/198...lternator.html
no shipping to Canada

Jerome

That 1st one looks like it's an OEM Denso unit, but the price displaying for me is $126.69.

Bosch is probably good, but after trying several brands and having them fail miserably, I now only trust Denso (not sure if I ever used Bosch brand). FWIW, I'm pretty hard on my alternators as I run down my battery while I'm on job sites. The alternator then has to recharge it (RV/Marine group 27 battery). My trips are typically less than 20 minutes from one job to another, so at least this limits the stress/heat on the alternator. That being said, I was going through an alternator about every 6 months while using the cheap aftermarket rebuilds. Once I started insisting on OEM Denso units they started lasting for years (same stress and abuse). Come to think of it, I haven't killed an alternator since I switched to Denso about 5 years ago. If you don't stress your alternator (normal use only), then I suspect the cheap aftermarket rebuilds may work just fine. If you're hard on alternators, unless you want to experiment on what brands may hold-up, I'd recommend Denso only :yes:. Tim

The link is for a '87-'88 application part# 210-0115. If you search 210-0272 it does come up at $93.17. Tim, any updates on your order? CARiD lists $34 core charge. Did you get this charge? That will add to the cost to ship a core back.

No core charge for me (just $79.54 + $13.89 shipping). Of course I had a feeling it was too good to be true when I found this. I'm probably the 1st one to order this item from them and they updated the listing after I ordered??? I'm actually a bit surprised they didn't raise the sale price too. I still haven't received mine, but the new promised ship date hasn't arrived yet. I'll post an update here when something changes. I'm half expecting to get another "shipping delay" email on or around Feb 20. I'm thinking their listing is simply a "bait and switch" tactic. We'll see how it goes. Tim

Thanks for the reply. I totally missed the new shipping date in your previous post. I emailed Denso to satisfy my curiosity as to the specifics on the different applications for '86-'89 as I discussed here in post #4 and#8: http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/s...3463#post13463 Rockauto has the '86 part# available but not the other two. I know they all interchange but it has really piqued my curiosity to know the difference. I'll post their response if/when I get it.