I'm cursed with alternators....Help!

[nick7764]

Ok, first let me say I'm cursed with alternators-no, I mean I'm really cursed. Any used car I've bought, the alternator had died the first week. But now with the Festiva, things are getting a little ridiculous...
When I first got the Festiva (gave it a new battery), after a few days of driving, the alternator dies. Not a big probem...so I call up my mechanic, and we get a new alternator and replace the old one. A month goes by....caput. Replacement alternator dead. Ok...kinda odd :? ...mechanic checks everything else that could affect it, everything's great, says it has to be the alternator. Ok, new replacement for the replacement. About a week goes by....caput. Not again! But yes, the replacement of the replacement of the alternator is dead. :shock: New replacement...for the replacement...for the replacement...for the alternator. A few weeks go by...NO! NOT AGAIN! :x But yes...again. This time, since the store we were getting these from (actually a good store) kept giving us bad ones (luckily the alternators had warantees), and they wouldn't give us our money back, only store credit, after talking to the manager, they gave us a more expensive, nicer alternator...Finally...Or so we thought. A month goes by...A few days ago, pull into grocery store, notice battery light kinda on (it was hard to see in daytime), come out....caput. NO! :evil: Yes, the replacement for the replacement for the replacement for the replacement for the alternator is dead...I'm now onto getting the replacement...for the replacement...for the replacement...for the replacement...for the replacement...for the alternator (or something like that :? ). At this point, we're thinking about just getting a different brand alternator online or somewhere, and try to get our money back from the store. They said the car was probably killing them, but our mechanic (great guy-works on our vintage bug, and other vintage vws too) says everything is fine. Voltage is going to the alternator, but not coming out. Everything it fine, all wires, etc... Can this really be a COINCIDENCE? :shock: I mean come on, 5 dead alternators??!! Right now, we're manually charging it, driving it a day or two, charging it, driving it, etc...as we have done before lol. Anyways, any help, advice, or diagnose would be appreciated! I really am cursed!

[miami man]

well i have had my 91 festiva for about 8 years and my 93 for about 5 years and both i have not changed alternators yet. on my 86 sunbird i had 2 bad alternators from autozone but i go to junkyards to get replacements because in my opinion it is better to get a really good used original than a bad new one meaning i do not think they rebuild them that great.

[htchbck]

does the alternator still spin fine with now squeaky bearings or anything? or is it wearing out belts quicker than normal? it could be that the alternator bracket has gotten bent a little and the tension from the belt is kinda pulling at an angle, wearing out the alternator bearings or something like that. Did the store test the alternators each time, because sometimes if there is a problem with the bracket then the belt can get a little loose not spinning the alternator fast enough and therefore not charging the battery. I had this problem with my silver car because the screw was slightly stripped and it wouldn't lock down tight enough and eventually it would get loose and the "batt" light would come on. I finally just swapped for another alternator and a non-stripped screw and its been fine ever since... just throwing some suggestions out there, hopefully they help

[WmWatt]

I'd take the alternator to an auto electrics shop and ask what went wrong with it. They might be able to diagnose your problem. Alternately you can check it for some problems yourself with a voltmeter. Go to the public library and look in books on auto mechanics for the testing procedure.

[miami man]

i remeber a friend of mine that had a cab that was an ex police car and he could not find a high output alternator so he had a shop rebuild his.

[muscle_Car1]

I'm not a electrical wizard or anything but, how are the wires going to & coming from the alt?

[Safety Guy]

I think five alts in a row going bad is too much of a coincidence. I'd be checking your brackets for straightness, and the electrical system for abnormalities that are normally hard to find.

If you have access to another Festiva, put your next new alternator in that car for a month. Then if it's still alive, put it in your current "problem car." If it dies soon after, then you can be pretty sure it's something with the car.

Karl

[mooseheadc]

I think five alts in a row going bad is too much of a coincidence. I'd be checking your brackets for straightness, and the electrical system for abnormalities that are normally hard to find.

Or buy an Alt that has a lifetime warrantee.

[Dave G]

It's gotta be something else; no way you'd have gotten 5 bad ones in a row.

[packrat427]

If they had a load of bad diodes or regulators that they rebuilt several thousand alternators with , it could be possible .

I had a truck , I went thru 8 starters in less than a year , they were all defective , went with another brand , rated at a higher torque , never had another problem .

Where did you get them , what brand was it ??

You did have the battery load tested right , a bad battery can kill a alternator.
and where did you get the battery from too ?
.
I am sure if the belt was loose the mechanic would have seen that and corrected it .

If the bracket was bent a little , it still going to take the alternator out in several days