I have a Bad alternator on my 1998 Coupe. All searches for the part has only rebuilds with no new manufactures. Most vendors have a "life time warranty" but my repair attempt is one and none.
Looking for suggestions on brands/vendors that were used for a purchased replacement of this part and what was purchased. GM part is the highest at around 400.00 for rebuild. Other retail parts shops were 170 to 200 dollars....Thanks

 

Try Gene at www.gmpartshouse.com

 

How do you know it's bad? They're pretty easily rebuildable. $50 will get you new bearings, brushes, voltage regulator, and diodes.

 

not to rob the thread, but do they make a big/stronger alternator for our Vettes?

 

Pulled the alternator and took it to three parts shops for testing. All three shops stated the alternator was bad.

 

I replaced mine a month or so ago and I go it from Carquest

 

I usually find a local mom 'n pop repair shop for alternator and starter work.

Look in the phone book under "Generator Repair" or something similar. You'll get a better final product than a Chinese sweat-shop.

 

I have TWO very good Alternator/Starter shops in my area. I ALWAYS take my OEM alternator to them and get back a quality product! Look in the yellow pages under AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL.

BC

 

Im a little curious about this too. Anyone have any ideas?

 

I will be glad to buy your old alternator. How much you want for it?

 

I have a orginal alt I took off my 38k 2000 vert. My car, when I bought it had the dreaded "exhaust vibration" at low idle. I was told a new alt with the black "bull nose" and a new belt tensioner would solve the rumble/vibration. Well, $800 later, no change with changing those parts so I just live with it. I'd need $200 plus shipping for the unit, it works fine, nothing wrong with it. Ron

 

I agree with others, get it rebuilt at a local shop as opposed to a generic "parts store" rebuild. When I was younger, I worked at Murray's and I can clearly recall what pieces of crap the rebuilds were....That being said, Napa has decent rebuilds...Still, your cheapest (and best) option in to get it rebuilt locally...

 

Some Info that will help you understand the C5 Alternator


Credit goes to – Evil-Twin (Bill) Retired Corvette engineer


http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1285146 (See Post #2)

Starting about June last year I had intermittent 'Charge System Fault' messages on the DIC. Some were accompanied by 'Low Voltage' warnings but the voltage stayed steady and soon recovered. In Dec, the alternator finally failed after multiple other message - 'Traction Control System Fault', 'Stability Control System Fault'.
The alternator was repalced, but the 'Charge System Fault' message still happened. I took it to the dealer who insisted the new alternator was also fault and repalced under repair. I picked it up this morning, drove 100yds and got a 'Charge System Fault' message again.

Anyone else had/ getting this message?

Any ideas on what this could be? I was wondering if Grounding through the engine may be a cause. Aluminum can oxidize and cause bad electrical contact. anyone had other Ground faults?

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

From ET-

It has been well documented here, and your dealer unfortunately has no clue...Very typical of many dealerships.... GM spent two years trying to ram this New Alternator down pre 00 C5's throats. Supposedly they have finally wrote a re flash program to address this issue, but then they said they had a cure for column lock issue too.
Your original alternator was a French made Valeo with a 110 amp output. The new alternator is made in Mexico and is a 140 amp alternator... your 99 PCM thinks the alternator is 110 amps. it communicates constantly with the PCM. Without a re flash of the PCM, you will be getting this constant charging system fault message. I have suggested to many, to have their original French made Valeo 110 amp alternator rebuilt by a competent re builder. This alternator has special switching not found on similar alternators.

here is how the C5 alternator works, I ve posted this many times:

The L-terminal circuit from the generator is a discrete circuit (a discrete circuit has no splices and only one source and destination) into the PCM. The PCM applies ignition voltage to the generator L-terminal circuit. A small amount of current flows from this circuit through the generator windings to ground to create a magnetic field which starts the generator process. When the generator is at operating speed and producing voltage, a solid state switch for the L-terminal circuit in the generator opens and the PCM detects that the initial startup current flow has stopped.

The PCM expects to detect low voltage on the L-terminal circuit prior to the generator rotating at operating speed and conversely expects the circuit to be at ignition voltage potential when the generator is operational. When the PCM detects a fault (circuit shorted to ground, or circuit shorted to voltage), the Driver Information Center will display Charging System Fault.

The generator has an input to the PCM called the F Terminal to indicate the percentage of total capacity that the generator is producing. This signal is detected by the PCM as a duty cycle from the generator and displayed on the scan tool as a percentage. The PCM can monitor the generators output under all conditions to determine if it is functioning normally.

When there is low demand from the electrical system on the generator, a low duty cycle percentage will be displayed. As more accessory load is placed on the generator, the duty cycle output detected by the PCM will approach 100 percent. A normally functioning generating system will never reach 100 percent as indicated on the scan tool.

The L and F terminals are the red and Grey

I hope this helps make understanding this alternator interaction with the PCM.
Good Luck
Bill aka Evil-Twin

 

PM'ed you.

 

I have rebuilt several alternators, though none of them from a Corvette. It is actually very easy and the parts are very cheap. Also having it apart gives you an opportunity to clean it up......or paint.

 

I know nothing about the following company, just bookmarked their site some time ago for future reference:

http://www.nationsautoelectric.com/h...-corvette.html

 

Look for a local "Armature Works" shop to get yours rebuilt. If you happen to live near any kind of plant (power/chemical etc) they will probably have one nearby.