New (OEM) vs. Remanufactured Alternator
#1
New (OEM) vs. Remanufactured Alternator
Hi all, i have an 88 245...i'm considering buying a new alternator from the dealership (the one that costs ~$400) because after a year of having my Bosch remanufactured one (that cost $120) flickering problems on the dash warning lights started for no reason. After talking to some mechanics and reading online it seems that reman. is kind of garbage-ey and can give out or have problems at any time.
so does anyone know if the new ones from Volvo are the same quality as the OEM Bosch one i had in the car when purchased new and lasted 24 years?
so does anyone know if the new ones from Volvo are the same quality as the OEM Bosch one i had in the car when purchased new and lasted 24 years?
#2
you should be able to get the new volvo alternator considerably cheaper at tasca than at a local dealer.
remanufactured quality is all over the place, some is as good as new, and some isn't. might be worth taking it apart and seeing why its failing... could be the commutator is badly worn, where upon it shouldn't have been rebuild in the first place as it likely ate the new brushes they installed.
see Electrical: Engine Starting, Charging for some useful tips.
remanufactured quality is all over the place, some is as good as new, and some isn't. might be worth taking it apart and seeing why its failing... could be the commutator is badly worn, where upon it shouldn't have been rebuild in the first place as it likely ate the new brushes they installed.
see Electrical: Engine Starting, Charging for some useful tips.
#4
#5
ah, and that alternator at tasca has a core charge, and a $515 MSRP, which i suspect is a *good* rebuild, as opposed to brand new (otherwise, no core charge). a cheap rebuild likely just got new brushes slapped on it, and its exterior cleaned up to look pretty. a good rebuild should have had new commutator, new bearings installed. if the latter has been done, then they should be every bit as good as a new one.
#7
someone corrected me, and oh yeah, alternators have RINGS not commutators, they are AC not DC.
anyways... refurbishing it would depend on what it needs. it could just need cleaning out and new brushes. it might need bearings, and it might need new rings.
this doc has a blow-up of how its assembled.
http://caunter.ca/volvo960/vp14805.pdf
looks pretty simple, but I've never taken one apart
p.s. while its not labeled there, the rings are on the back end of the rotor. unclear if replacement rings are available, or how you swap them.
anyways... refurbishing it would depend on what it needs. it could just need cleaning out and new brushes. it might need bearings, and it might need new rings.
this doc has a blow-up of how its assembled.
http://caunter.ca/volvo960/vp14805.pdf
looks pretty simple, but I've never taken one apart
p.s. while its not labeled there, the rings are on the back end of the rotor. unclear if replacement rings are available, or how you swap them.
Last edited by pierce; 07-08-2012 at 02:50 AM.
#8
#9
#10
well just took it to oreilly and they tested it and said i had a bad diode in the alternator...and i'm pretty sure the one i bought was bosch reman. from fcp a year ago.
anway, i also noticed that when i hit the brake the dimmer switch comes on and it dims my stereo and turns on the gear shift and dash panel lights...would this be caused by a diode?
anway, i also noticed that when i hit the brake the dimmer switch comes on and it dims my stereo and turns on the gear shift and dash panel lights...would this be caused by a diode?
#11
hmm, those latter symptoms to ME sound more like a bad ground somewhere behind the dash... but... a bad diode could mean a whole lot of AC is getting out, which would do all kinda nasty stuff to the electrics.
Hey, if it was just a year ago, it might be worth giving FCP a call, they are good guys... be nice, explain the o'reilly test and symptoms, see what they say?
Hey, if it was just a year ago, it might be worth giving FCP a call, they are good guys... be nice, explain the o'reilly test and symptoms, see what they say?
#13
#15
I'd never replace an alternator. Almost always it's something else rather than that part. There is very little to an alternator that can go wrong in spite of what it looks like, namely two bearings and a regulator, the latter being the part that wears, the former fails after may be 500k miles.
#16
the slip rings can be deeply grooved if they were run too long with bad brushes. I found some website that had these for the very old alternators found in 122's and such, but not for the later model ones. also, diodes can fail... the diode board is separate from the regulator, and requires disassembling the alternator to access.
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sdguy
Volvo 240, 740 & 940
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05-04-2014 06:01 PM
1992, 240, altenator, alternator, alternators, buy, cheapest, cost, good, place, rebuilding, rebuilt, reman, remanufactured, volvo