When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My 2001 c5 coupe with 46k mi was having issues starting and was draining the reserve power on the battery. The charge system light came on and I took the car to the dealer for a diag , paid over $400 for what was supposedly a reman France by Valeo unit Alternator. I have a chrome cover for the alt. Charge system light came back on and set codes 1637 & p1638 and dealer states pcm now needs to be replaced, Keep in mind this is same dealer and only dealer to service the car bought brand new off the lot from them in 00/01
After getting the car back home from the dealer i noticed this alternator which i believe is wrong according to threads on the ac delco units. Can others please shed some light on this
I hate to be the bearer of bad news however, you are getting that message because you put an aftermarket alternator in your corvette, not the OE GM alternator. AC Delco has two different lines of parts: GM OE Parts and AC Delco "Professional" Parts (I use this term quite loosely). The GM OE Parts are provided by the original manufacturer or GM's designated replacement supplier that has been through all of the engineering and review process. AC Delco's "Professional" line is an Aftermarket supplier that meets AC Delco's price and lesser quality standards for this line. This is why YOU MUST be careful when going to either a dealership or an aftermarket parts store, most times they either do not know or do not care about this difference and do not tell the customer (Also the dealerships have a greater margin, as well as parts stores, on the "Professional" parts). There are a few ways to tell what you are getting for example most internal OE GM part numbers DO NOT start with 19XXXXXX , these are normally indicating an aftermarket "equivalent" part (I say normally because there are some OE parts that start this way). Also the AC Delco website will tell you which parts are which:
ACDELCO GM ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT
GENERATOR ASM
Part Number: 10316182
Product Notes:
Alternator
110 AMP GEN(K63) ; VALEO IR & IF ; AMPS 110 ; 1 Per Veh
Per Vehicle: 1; Years: 1997-2002
Vehicle List
GENERATOR ASM
Part Number: 10353440
Product Notes:
Alternator
HOLES NOT TAPPED-BRACE NO LONGER REQUIRED ; VALEO IR & EF, 14V ; 6; Groove Pulley ; AMPS 110 ; 1 Per Veh
Per Vehicle: 1; Years: 1997-2002
Vehicle List
ACDELCO PROFESSIONAL
REMAN ALTERNATOR (VALEO IF 110 AMPS)
Part Number: 334-1280
Product Notes:
Reman Alternator
Family VA-IF, Unit MFR VA,Amps 110, Pulley 6S, Fan IF, REG IR, Clock; 1:00; 334-1280; 6Y1; 0050A, 1 Per Veh
Per Vehicle: 1; Years: 1997-2000
This is the reason that i tell most people not to but AC Delco parts from advanced auto parts - all are the "Professional" Line. KOI auto parts is one of the few parts stores left that carry the OE GM AC Delco line.
That one is listed as a Valeo rebuild so you'd think it would be ok. The 19134273 does work and it's also listed as a Valeo rebuild. This one is the same as a 334-1280.
I wouldn't be surprised if you have a wiring issue that the dealer missed.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Sep 16, 2015 at 02:57 AM.
huge cost difference between the two. the normal delcos are around 200 on amazon which for some reason states the 1280 is not correct for an 01+ manual and instead lists the very similar remy 13381 as the correct part
either way $200 alternators and 10 minutes to install
the actual Gm or valeo are around $350
i can't tell what the difference is between remy 13381 and delco 1280
The 19134273 has been confirmed to work on here. It's supposed to be a 110A alternator with a 1-way clutch.
I'm not sure about your number, it appears to be a Valeo rebuild which should work. Hence my comment about the dealer missing bad wiring.
You have to remember, the C5 had 110A alternators with and without a clutch as well as 140A alternators in the later years but I'm not sure if these came with and without a clutch though. So, at least 3 different units over the years and any of them will work on any C5. Hence you can find variations in part numbers which could all work.
Which unit do I actually need for my auto 01 c5 which part item do I need from the dealer.
I'll say it again... if you have the OEM alternator... take it to a starter/alternator shop and get it rebuilt...it's usually cheaper, better, more reliable, less hassle... as you can already see, rebuilt from Parts stores can be a nightmare....
I'll say it again... if you have the OEM alternator... take it to a starter/alternator shop and get it rebuilt...it's usually cheaper, better, more reliable, less hassle... as you can already see, rebuilt from Parts stores can be a nightmare....
OK, is the alternator actually performing it's job of charging? Do you have around 14 volts when running?
Many alternators will work fine on the C5 but throw charge faults since they are not correct to interface with the PCM.
The PCM interface does two things. On start, the PCM provides 5 volts to "turn on" the alternator. This initiates a rotating magnetic field in the rotor which in turn induces voltage in the stator for charging. The other is the PCM receives the "duty cycle" alternator output which is a ratio of the time the alternator is producing voltage and when it is not. This on and off is based on what is needed to provide the correct level of charging. The alternator does this by monitoring what it is providing out to the car and battery. The PCM looks for an acceptable duty cycle range.
The codes you have indicate you have a issue with both of these PCM interfaces. I am NOT saying the PCM is the issue.
Need Alternator charge system help
