First off, I admit knowing better, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. So yesterday, the alternator on our newly purchased old 2001 Chevy Tahoe starts taking a dump on a roadtrip up to BC. Always fun at 6am when your kid has a hockey game at 9!It was the voltage regulator taking a dump and it would switch to not charging, then tap on it a bit and she’d work again for a while. Made it to the first game on time though so that’s good. I go to get a new alternator in the afternoon and figure, not messing with swapping just the voltage reg out on a parking lot repair and chancing that I’m wrong in my diagnosis. Thing was 19 years old anyway....I go to Napa rather than Lordco or Princess Auto and spend the extra money in hopes of a quality part. Technically I know better and have seen the same quality (bad) reman stuff from Napa as well. Well after spending almost $100 more from Napa than the discount joints on an alternator (and passing a private starter and alternator shop about 1/2 mile past the Napa, lol.) I’m reading the box it came in while returning the core. It says new brushes and bearings, great. Then it says 100% fully tested voltage regulator and rectifier! Seriously?The only reason I got a new one was for the d@mn new regulator. And now I have another 15+ year old $300 voltage regulator with a warranty? Piece of shat, cheap azz, low buck, high dollar reman. Heck, I gave them back a perfectly good alternator. I should have kept the core, tossed a new regulator in it next week and returned the “100% fully tested” one I bought!They must expect people to do that if they put $30 worth of bearings and brushes in an old alt, clean it up and put it in a new box......and sell it “good as new.”

Yeah, not all remans are the same. It depends on their tier. For example, we carry Bosch starters and alternators in many of our locations, but branded under our own label. There are different tiers of products that Bosch offered us in our private label line from a very good quality that very closely meets production specs to lower quality products that did not replace everything and/or did not use as good of parts were used. Being that our private label is our "value" line meant to target price sensitive customers, we opted for a tier closer to the bottom. We do have a premium private label line that uses tier 1 product meaning that it comes from the same factory and quality that the OE gets it from. It is the exact same part that you would get from the OE for considerably less which tells you how much of a markup the OE puts on these parts.There is also a difference between a "production" spec part and an "aftermarket" spec part for many parts manufacturers. A production spec'ed part is what is sold to the vehicle manufacturer and an aftermarket spec'ed part is what is sold to the public. Generally, production parts have to meet more stringent quality standards(tighter bell curve) than aftermarket parts even if it is an OE part. This is why the stock OE parts on your vehicle will usually last longer than the very same OE replacement parts.

Sadly have to agree. Napa used to be the professional place to go. Parts might cost more but they were the gold standard. Now they're junk like everyone else and the stores are often a mess and poorly stocked.I guess it's what they had to do to compete with the other cheapo parts stores.

I’ve had failures of reman Napa alternators too. I put a new (not reman) Bosch alternator in my wife’s 2005 Acura MDX almost 3 years ago and so far so good. I bought it from Lordco and the guy at the counter said they rarely see those come back but not so for the reman units. I paid about $100 more for it but I really don’t want to change it again.I think my 2001 GMC Yukon is on the original alternator at 265k kms though........:(

Couple years ago alternator in my 2001 Ford gave up 1500 miles from home. Picked up a NEW one at O'Reilly's in Gillette WY with a lifetime warranty. Working fine so far. You can bet they will get it back if I have issues.

Same here. When I was running the shop, I had a ton of remand starter and alternator failures. Remans are fine for getting back on the road, but for my personal cars I just buy new OEM-grade parts. Worst one was the AC compressor on the van. Original got oil started from a tiny pinhole leak where a loose line rubbed the firewall. Went through a couple of remans before finally putting in a new Denso compressor. It's a big jump in price, but since you have to replace the filter/drier each time, the reman gets more expensive fast.

Remanufactured parts rant..... | Good Sam Community

BenK
Explorer
Dec 24, 2019
This thread has got me thinking about my OEM 120 amp, CS144 alternator. It no longer can hold 14.6 volts when everything is on...drops to about 12.6 volts and can hold that on very hot days

just asking if you folks know of this source for a rebuild kit, or recommend another that you have had success with. No duty cycle info and assume regular alternator duty cycle...think around 20%-30%-40% like most of the OEM's ratings

Delco-Remy Type CS144 Series Alternator 200 Amp Upgrade Kit

and this Youtube HOW2 rebuild a CS144

How to rebuild a CS144-411

Wondering exactly what is going south

Min would be new bearings (sealed), brushes, diode bridge and regulator to keep it at GM's 120amp rating (don't know the duty cycle, but a continuous 200amp would be nice

Not an urgent need, just looking to the future upgrades and rebuilds
Grit_dog
Navigator
Dec 21, 2019
^Good advice. I shoulda done that.
1320Fastback
Explorer
Dec 20, 2019
Never ever ever give up your OE parts. Find a rebuilder and have them go through it or do it yourself if your not near a major city. If your on the road and in a pinch buy whatever the local parts jockeys have but keep your original and have it rebuilt by the pros, youll get another 19 years out of it.
mapguy
Explorer
Dec 20, 2019
opnspaces wrote:
Can you post a link to, or part number to the voltage regulator to your Yukon? I can't seem to find anything on Amazon or Autozone.

Only a "real" automotive parts person will know how to lookup internal alternator parts at a typical parts store like autozone, napa, carquest……

You have to know the alternator model and look it up in a paper parts catalog.

If you know the alternator model -this website can help:
https://store.alternatorparts.com/general-motors-alternator-parts.aspx

Good luck with Amazon - gave up on these type parts from Amazon due to getting the wrong items with correct part numbers many times.
opnspaces
Navigator II
Dec 20, 2019
Can you post a link to, or part number to the voltage regulator to your Yukon? I can't seem to find anything on Amazon or Autozone.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Dec 17, 2019
blofgren wrote:
What a saga, but I admire you for your sense of humor, bud! I think I would have lost my mind on this one.

A few weeks ago I ordered a new AC Delco alternator for my 2001 Yukon for $176 Cdn. off of Amazon. So far so good, but we'll see as time goes on. It was noticeably lighter than the OEM one I removed (I kept the old one in the garage for now).

We still haven't lined up a time to meet for a beer BTW....:B

Lol, yeah. Honestly it took longer to type it out than that little ordeal took. Thanks to some very nice ladies at the store
I was kinda hellbent on getting an alternator out of the deal since I had to overpay so much the first time , lol.

Well, we’ll be in North Van Fri night, Canlan Rink has a bar!
And back up Sunday afternoon, idk where yet, somewhere further south though. Clover dale or Abbotsford I think.
I got my Cdn debit card loaded with loonies. I’ll buy you a cold one.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Dec 17, 2019
BenK wrote:
Thet went away about the same time national parts stores took over local parts stores

2 buddies worked for one local alternator
rebuilders. Tried it too, but being paid by the number built, minus any that failed testing wasn't for me

For direct sales to local mechanics...better bearings and diodes...for parts stores...ranged from same as mechanics to cheaper bearings and cheaper diodes...dependent on how much the parts store was willing to pay...

It is kind of hard for a small shop to compete with mass production with used parts like most "re-manufacturing" is done. Especially when the employees insist they get paid by hour, even when doing sub-standard work.
drsteve
Explorer
Dec 17, 2019
GDS-3950BH wrote:
Cummins12V98 wrote:
Unfortunately NAPA has been going down hill way before AMAZON came along! They used to state in their adds "good as or better than OE"

LOL, Napa No Parts? That's what my shop guys call them. Nothing ever in stock but "we can order it". So can we.

What ever happened to the local starter and alternator rebuilding guys? Not many around anymore, at least in these parts. Used to have 3 or 4 in one small little town in VA, not a one today.

NAPA stores around here (mid Michigan) are usually well stocked, and if it's not on the shelf they can usually have it there in a couple of hours.
blofgren
Explorer
Dec 17, 2019
What a saga, but I admire you for your sense of humor, bud! I think I would have lost my mind on this one.

A few weeks ago I ordered a new AC Delco alternator for my 2001 Yukon for $176 Cdn. off of Amazon. So far so good, but we'll see as time goes on. It was noticeably lighter than the OEM one I removed (I kept the old one in the garage for now).

We still haven't lined up a time to meet for a beer BTW....:B
GDS-3950BH
Explorer
Dec 16, 2019
Grit Dog, when time permits I have had good luck (with the limited parts I do buy) buying stuff at Rock Auto. Out of curiosity I looked up a 2001 Tahoe with 5.3. They list 14 alternators as "new" (take that for what it's worth) and another 13 as "remanufactured". I think I would roll the dice on "new", either AC Delco, Remy, or Bosch on what they list if I needed an alternator.

A lot of times you can cross reference those by part number to other places such as Jeg's or Summit and beat the **** out of their prices, just did that on Powerstop drilled and slotted rotors for my GMC. Free shipping and a SANTA discount code.

My BIL had his own shop and just retired after 35 years. He was always butting heads with Autozone, Advance, Napa, and some others over garbage parts they would send him, including some of the big 3 dealer parts departments. A crapshoot at best.

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