It's finally fixed!
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 873
Likes: 2
From: Whittier ca
It's finally fixed!
A week or two ago, I requested help on an alternator challenge on my 91 ( http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...30&forum_id=48 ) and received a ton of info. I took the majorities advice and called AutoZone, asked for the manager. He wasn't in) and ended up talking to a customer service guy. I took the car and necessary tools to the store. The guy came out to the car, looked at the flickering dash lights and was kind of amazed. Off came the alternator and on to their bench tester. It passed. So he tested it again with some other kind of parameters. It passed again. At this point, neither of us are real happy. We pulled the unit from the test equipment and set it up against a new one. What we found was a "grinding" in the one from the car that was not evident in the new one. It did not seem like a bearing grind, something much deeper. A quick install and no more flickering lights. Now, the bad part is that it took 3 alternators to find a good one. The good part is, other than the 20 minutes it took to change, they did stand behind the sale without any reservation. At this store at least.
Thanks to all for the input.
Subman
Thanks to all for the input.
Subman
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
When it takes 4 alternators (include the one on your car) to find a good one, then that should be a giant red flag telling you not to use that rebuilt alternator!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The testers in parts stores do not look at the alternator waveform, nor check for oscillating voltage regulators.
The testers in parts stores do not look at the alternator waveform, nor check for oscillating voltage regulators.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,062
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Good to hear they took the time to get you a good one. A friend of mine manages an Autozone and says at least 1 in 10 parts are bad and a higher percentage of electrical compnents are. Most everything is foreign made these days.
I had the same problem right after I bought my 89. Flickering, battery light....Put an Optima in, stil did it. Alternator tested good, etc. Wound up having a cadillac spec alt. built for the car, been fine for almost 2 years now. Whines a bit but I dont mind.
I had the same problem right after I bought my 89. Flickering, battery light....Put an Optima in, stil did it. Alternator tested good, etc. Wound up having a cadillac spec alt. built for the car, been fine for almost 2 years now. Whines a bit but I dont mind.
