Car Problems

[CM Mark]

Okay, I know there are a few car people here on the Bag. (I'm looking at you old man) I think my battery is dead. When I turn the key, I heard no sounds what so ever, not even the starter trying to turn over. Lately I have known something was coming because as I drive to work at night, sometimes when I hit the brakes, the headlights would dim. It would also take a couple of times turning the ignition to start.

So, the question is, is it the battery, or is it something else?

[Three Hole Puncher]

It's probably the flux capacitor.

[Special Eddie]

Sounds like your exhaust pipe is plugged.

[Three Hole Puncher]

Sounds like your exhaust pipe is plugged.

He's not going to fall for any banana in his tailpipe.

[Philly loser]

Once the car is started, I don't think the battery would cause your lights to dim. I'm thinking alternator.

(But I don't know jack shit about cars)

[alclark]

My guess is the alternator or the alternator belt, which led to the battery dying.

[seeinred]

Go to Auto Zone and ask for some muffler bearings, they'll hook you up and that should take care of the problem

[YaHearIHearMe]

Yes I say the battery. Just yesterday my beater has been acting up it wont start with the auto start when I press the button to unlock the doors it just clicks a few times and dosent unlock its self have to do it with the key and start it the the key with no problem. I think it has to do with the COLD weather we've been having.
Give the battery a charge and see it this happen quick, it can be one of two things yes either a dead battery or a bad alternator. But ya gotta start some where so I would start with either giving it a charge or just buy a new battery especially if the car is due for it.

Also check the zimzomertor meter they always go bad in winter on a lot of cars

[Sprite]

Sounds like your car was running off only the battery for some time. This would mean a broken alternator. I'm 90% sure of this because that would explain the dimming lights when hitting the brakes.

[CallmeQtie]

altenator, get a new one!

[THE FEZ MAN]

for 85$ an hour i will be more than happy to fix the problem

[CM Mark]

for 85$ an hour i will be more than happy to fix the problem

With everything else that I know is wrong with my car, $85 an hour would make you more money than I make in an entire year. :(

[THE FEZ MAN]

85 an hr is cheap. most dealers are over 100$an hour.

[CallmeQtie]

Altenator is 2 bolts and a belt I think.. Do it MARK! :) Hope you get here Sunday for RR.

[CM Mark]

Altenator is 2 bolts and a belt I think.. Do it MARK! :) Hope you get here Sunday for RR.

I replaced my alternator not that long ago. When it died, there was at least a little clicking sound coming from the starter when I turned the key. Right now, there is nothing. Things are looking like I may not make it tomorrow night. :(

[THE FEZ MAN]

Altenator is 2 bolts and a belt I think.. Do it MARK! :) Hope you get here Sunday for RR.

stick to making pie and baby's, leave the heavy lifting to the boys :action-sm

[Voss's Tumor]

QT just called you a little girl because you're whining about car problems.

Fix it yourself she says!

If you didn't get how funny that was, I just wanted to hold a magnifying glass over your tiny man hood.

You're welcome!








:action-sm

[d0uche_n0zzle]

Take a gallon container of gasoline and pour liberally on the interior, step away toss flaming book of matches into vehicle.

Then just WALK AWAY.

[CM Mark]

Take a gallon container of gasoline and pour liberally on the interior, step away toss flaming book of matches into vehicle.

Then just WALK AWAY.

Trust me, that thought has crossed my mind numerous times.

[CallmeQtie]

QT just called you a little girl because you're whining about car problems.

Fix it yourself she says!

If you didn't get how funny that was, I just wanted to hold a magnifying glass over your tiny man hood.

You're welcome!

:action-sm

No I said it cause if I can take 4 years of auto shop and know enough about the parts of an American car to make a statment with some knowledge of what I am saying, Hey Fezman maybe your wife can fetch me some pie. I can't cook.

[Zona992006]

Sounds like your exhaust pipe is plugged.

i agree, check to see if someone pulled the banana in the tail pipe gag.

[THE FEZ MAN]

No I said it cause if I can take 4 years of auto shop and know enough about the parts of an American car to make a statment with some knowledge of what I am saying, Hey Fezman maybe your wife can fetch me some pie. I can't cook.

neither can she.

[CM Mark]

neither can she.

I can cook. I'll make the food if you fix my car.

[THE FEZ MAN]

I can cook. I'll make the food if you fix my car.
ummmmm did you shave your beard? i dont like the scratchy on the inside of my thighs

[Voss's Tumor]

You really are kind of a woman aren't you? :D

[THE FEZ MAN]

You really are kind of a woman aren't you? :D
well he is a cunt...........

[CM Mark]

You really are kind of a woman aren't you? :D

Once I know what is wrong, I can fix my car on my own. I just have problems figuring out what if wrong with it.

[NoSurviivors]

Plug it in!

Duh!

[THE FEZ MAN]

Once I know what is wrong, I can fix my car on my own. I just have problems figuring out what if wrong with it.
now that would be the trick wouldnt it.....

and the difference between 20 years of turning wrenches and just yanking your crank....

[fkornre]

Go to Auto Zone and ask for some muffler bearings, they'll hook you up and that should take care of the problem

lol...

i suggest asking for a thermostat for a 65 volks bug...

[THE FEZ MAN]

http://www.alldatadiy.com/

[Sprite]

No I said it cause if I can take 4 years of auto shop and know enough about the parts of an American car to make a statment with some knowledge of what I am saying, Hey Fezman maybe your wife can fetch me some pie. I can't cook.

Oh snap. pwn3d.

[fkornre]

I replaced my alternator not that long ago. When it died, there was at least a little clicking sound coming from the starter when I turned the key. Right now, there is nothing. Things are looking like I may not make it tomorrow night. :(
getting an alternator that is defective used to be very common...when i was a mechanic it was a 50-50 shot when getting a new alternator off the shelf that it would work....also if you did not charge or replace your old battery when you changed the alternator; the old battery could drained the new alternator...

[Ballbuster1]

The basic description does sound like a bad alternator or loose belt,
but if the belt was loose you would probably hear squeeling from it.
You'd need at least a voltmeter to check the alt. If it's not
putting out a minimum of 13 volts, it's taking a shit.

I have seen batteries going bad that will react pretty much the same way.
Hard to tell over the net. If the battery is over 4 yrs old, junk it.
You're on borrowed time.

[Cunt Smasher]

If it will jump start,once it's running take the positive cable off of the battery,if the car stays running your alternator is o.k.

[Ballbuster1]

If it will jump start,once it's running take the positive cable off of the battery,if the car stays running your alternator is o.k.
I try to not do that anymore. I've seen some of the electronic parts on cars
get fried by disconnecting the battery while the car is running. That worked
great years ago but I'd only do that in an emergency situation now. You may
wind up buying more trouble for yourself.

[THE FEZ MAN]

I try to not do that anymore. I've seen some of the electronic parts on cars
get fried by disconnecting the battery while the car is running. That worked
great years ago but I'd only do that in an emergency situation now. You may
wind up buying more trouble for yourself.
x2

thats a bad idea on any car with a computer

[Hey_Asshole]

If you open the door, does the dome light come on? Do your headlights or radio work? Any dummy lights come on the dash before you parked it?

What kind of car is it, year, make?

[CM Mark]

If you open the door, does the dome light come on? Do your headlights or radio work? Any dummy lights come on the dash before you parked it?

What kind of car is it, year, make?

When I tried earlier, I didn't note if lights or anything came on. I did however just go out to check something out, and the lights did not come on when I opened the door. It is a 1997 Chevy Lumina. Last time I drove it, no dummy lights came on at all, the radio and everything else worked last time I drove it. Just that whenever I drove it at night, which is most of the time, I'd notice that the headlights would dim when I hit the brakes, but not always.

[Hey_Asshole]

When I tried earlier, I didn't note if lights or anything came on. I did however just go out to check something out, and the lights did not come on when I opened the door. It is a 1997 Chevy Lumina. Last time I drove it, no dummy lights came on at all, the radio and everything else worked last time I drove it. Just that whenever I drove it at night, which is most of the time, I'd notice that the headlights would dim when I hit the brakes, but not always.

As others have said, I would start with the battery if none of the lights work. Cold weather is usually when they will go. If you can, bum a battery off of someone just to see if you can get it to start. If it does, get a new battery and then have the charging system checked, Pep boys, sears, advance auto....most will do it for free. You could even pull that battery out and take it there to have them test it (same with the alternator) ....unless you have a multimeter or a test light to check it yourself.

[Cunt Smasher]

x2

thats a bad idea on any car with a computer

Cars have "computers"? What is this "computer" thing you speak of?
Prolly the points,BL. Got a matchbook? Might be the ballast resistor.

[THE FEZ MAN]

Cars have "computers"? What is this "computer" thing you speak of?
Prolly the points,BL. Got a matchbook? Might be the ballast resistor.



:haha7::haha7::haha7::haha7::haha7:

you giving lessons to my boss?

[Myhairygrundle]

Have a load test done on the battery. The shaved apes at the local Autozone do it for free.

They will also test the alternator for free.

I'm sure Fezman will agree....throwing parts at a car is the worst thing you can do. If you spend 100 on an alternator, when a mechanic could have diagnosed a bad battery cable that cost $10, you just overspent and wasted your own time.


Good luck bro.





.

[sniper2323]

Here is what I would do.

1. Pull the battery cables, both +/-
Being the year of the car, it has side mounts.

1.a. On a side terminal mount, the cable, at the battery it is a 2 part connector. If you take a knife and slice open the rubber boot of the connector, you can remove the screw portion of connector. You might find junk in there. If so, clean with a wire brush. Check both sides.
Also check where it touches the battery, clean that too.

2. While checking the connectors to the battery, place the battery on a charger. Note how much it is charging, and if the rate of charge to the Battery drops off then you can look at the battery, as it would appear the Batt is not taking a charge.

3. Have a charged battery. Have someone help you with a volt meter. Messure the voltage on the battery. Continue to messure the voltage when someone tries to start the car. If you see the voltage drop very low, this could mean the starter is going bad, or you have a bad battery.

3.a. If the car starts, look at the voltage at the battery. It should be 13 to 14 volts, upto 15 volts. If it shows the same or lower volts at the battery then when you tried to start the car, then, I would look at the Alt.

3.b. If the volts are the same or lower, there is a charging lug off the Alt. With the car off, Place a jumper cable from the charging lug of the Alt to the Battery +. and restart the car, and recheck the voltage. if the same.. Alt is the problem. If the volts go up to what they should be, then you have a bad connection, or a fusable link that is bad, (I wonderful wire that is nearly impossible to get to, to repair).

4. The only other thing I would check, is the "Power Lug" on the starter. Check for something loose, or a bunch of green junk there. It is rare, but I have seen that happen before.

Good Luck. I hope I have written this so most people can understand.

[CM Mark]

well, I just tried using a jumper box, and I at least got some beeps when the key was in the ignition, but no turning over. First time I tried I did hear a click. I'm starting to think it might be more than the battery.

[PCLoadLetter]

If your battery is completely toasted, you'll get absolutely NOTHING when you get in the car... No interior lights, no beeps when you put in the key, nothing... You won't even get the dreaded "click click click" when you turn the key. A battery that's MOSTLY depleted will give you some lights and sounds (interior lights, warning beeps, radio, etc.), and shouldn't take long during a jump start to get the engine turning over. If your battery is less than three years old or so you might have a bad alternator that's causing the battery problem, but as someone already said, a quick stop at Sears/AutoZone/NAPA should get you a quick and free diagnosis.

I just went through this about two munfs ago myself. Had to get a new battery for the first time in ages, and this in a pretty new car (under two years old). The dealer charged me for half the cost of the new battery, at odds with what I was told when I brought the car in ("oh, no, under warranty there will be no charge"), but a tersely-worded note to the manufacturer got me a refund.

[CM Mark]

Well, got the battery checked, it has a low charge, but aside from that it was fine. So I bought an alternator. Gonna put that in tomorrow, see if that fixes it. If not, my car has given me it YMB

[B54]

It isn't the alternator.

If it was the alternator, the car would try to turn over but recieve no power and not start. Most alternators that break is due to bearing loss and you can hear a mechanical click.

If it was your alternator, several things would happen. You would hear the belt spin and probaly jam and your Check Engine light would turn on. The faulty exciter-circuit is easily noticed by the warning light is glowing with the engine stopped.

Listen. Do this before you take out the alternator. I know all about alternator troubles.

You will need a voltmeter. You can get one at Radio Shack, Best Buy, or some other type store for under ten dollars. Here's what you do, start the car, make sure all the air and all other things are off and rev up the motor to a fast idle. Set the Voltmeter to the DC scale and measure the voltage across the battery terminals, red lead of the voltmeter on the positive terminal, black on the negative. The voltage should read around 14 volts. If it reads less than 12 volts you may indeed have a failed alternator. If you do (which I doubt) turn on the heater, the rear window de-fogger, the radio, the headlights and anything else that draws power. Now rev up the motor and watch the voltmeter. It should still be reading around 14 volts. If it reads lower than 13 volts the chances are that your alternator is not working.

[CM Mark]

It isn't the alternator.

If it was the alternator, the car would try to turn over but recieve no power and not start. Most alternators that break is due to bearing loss and you can hear a mechanical click.

If it was your alternator, several things would happen. You would hear the belt spin and probaly jam and your Check Engine light would turn on. The faulty exciter-circuit is easily noticed by the warning light is glowing with the engine stopped.

Listen. Do this before you take out the alternator. I know all about alternator troubles.

You will need a voltmeter. You can get one at Radio Shack, Best Buy, or some other type store for under ten dollars. Here's what you do, start the car, make sure all the air and all other things are off and rev up the motor to a fast idle. Set the Voltmeter to the DC scale and measure the voltage across the battery terminals, red lead of the voltmeter on the positive terminal, black on the negative. The voltage should read around 14 volts. If it reads less than 12 volts you may indeed have a failed alternator. If you do (which I doubt) turn on the heater, the rear window de-fogger, the radio, the headlights and anything else that draws power. Now rev up the motor and watch the voltmeter. It should still be reading around 14 volts. If it reads lower than 13 volts the chances are that your alternator is not working.

One major problem with that idea. THE CAR DOESN'T START!! IT WILL NOT START!! I GET NOTHING WHEN I TURN THE KEY!!

[Hey_Asshole]

Well, got the battery checked, it has a low charge, but aside from that it was fine. So I bought an alternator. Gonna put that in tomorrow, see if that fixes it. If not, my car has given me it YMB

I am not sure If I am explaining this correctly, so maybe someone here could correct me. A couple years back, i went to leave work, and my truck wouldnt start. My dome lights were dim, so i had someone give me a jump, no luck, couldn't get even a click, but I still had a dim dome light. I had it towed to my uncles garage. He called me 15 mins after he got it there and told me it was done, and to come pick it up.

The problem was I lost a "cell" (maybe it was a short) in the battery. This made the battery give me some juice to light the dome light and to show a charge on the meter when he tested it, but, when I would go to start the truck there wasnt enough juice to kick the starter. A new battery and I was good to go. And since I had an Interstate battery, it was under warranty. My uncle said this happens from "deep cycling" the battery. He told me to stop listening to my radio (amp and sub) with the engine off while I was working outside.

I have also seen lose and corroded battery cables cause this, clean the posts and connectors with a mixture of baking soda and water, and make sure they are good and tight.

One more thing, don't even bother with the alternator at this point. It has absolutely nothing to do with a car starting or not. I drove my car 50 miles with a dead alternator. It had to stop twice and hook jumper cables up to my wifes car, who was following me, and let it recharge for 15 mins or so. From what you have described, you don't have any juice. And you said your lights and radio don't work, so i wouldn't even go for the starter either. Get your hands an a battery, even if it is a loaner, and throw that in and check all the cables. Follow them from the battery to the were they go, make sure they are tight and have no breaks.

After you are positive you have a good battery and good cables, and it still wont start, check the fuses.

[THE FEZ MAN]

buying an alternator was a waste of money with out checking every thing else first.

[maz]

ask Qtie to come fix it

[d0uche_n0zzle]

And fuck her in the ass, because she's silly like that.

[maz]

Damn , Douche

:icon_eek:

[THE FEZ MAN]

ask Qtie to come fix it



:haha7: i was thinking the same thing

[PCLoadLetter]

One more thing, don't even bother with the alternator at this point. It has absolutely nothing to do with a car starting or not.
It does if the alternator isn't (or, more accurately, WASN'T) recharging the battery when the engine is (was) running and the battery is dead as a result.

[Sinn Fein]

If you replace the alternator and that appears to fix the problem, I suggest re-testing the battery as previously described.

[THE FEZ MAN]

It does if the alternator isn't (or, more accurately, WASN'T) recharging the battery when the engine is (was) running and the battery is dead as a result.

but he never bothered to check the output of the alternator, many charging problems stem from bad wiring especially on older cars in the north east, a car will run off a jump pack even if the alternator is disconnected (not recommended but it will work)
if that car came in to my shop the first thing that i would do is jump the car, then check the output of the alternator, if that is less than 13volts i would then check the wiring, plugs wires connections ect, after that, a load test on the battery, because of the cold i wouldn't doubt that the battery had a bad cell, but that era of chevy is notorious for having bad cables, once the salt gets into the actual cable it starts to split and ruin the cable to the point that it will turn to dust and not flow power, i do a LOT of charging system work, alternators do go bad, rebuilds go bad even faster, but its only one link in the chain and almost never fails on its own.

[NoSurviivors]

make it really easy...

go buy a battery & clean any cables leading to it. Forget the alternator. Return it.

If that doesn't work, I'd be really surprised.

[THE FEZ MAN]

make it really easy...

go buy a battery & clean any cables leading to it. Forget the alternator. Return it.

If that doesn't work, I'd be really surprised.

yep, i would also check the impedance of the cables and the integrity of the plug on the back of the alt, if someone else has already replaced it i would bet that its a shitty cable or connection along with a shitty battery. the extreme cold plays hell on batteries

[PCLoadLetter]

but he never bothered to check the output of the alternator
I didn't say that the alternator WAS the problem. I said it was incorrect to say that the car not starting had "absolutely nothing to do" with the dead battery. The situation may, in fact, be a bad alternator. MAY. Obviously the whole system needs to be analyzed.

[THE FEZ MAN]

just between me and you, if they put a shitty rebuilt alt on it last year, and the battery was shakey , my bet is the "new" alt fried the rest of the battery then fried its self. rebuilds are crap, we burn up at least two a year on some of the police cars i service. even some of the brand new "factory" ones ive put on shit the bed some times. its been a 70/30 crap shoot for about 4 years. the industry needs to go to a 24volt dual battery system to enhance reliability, the best bet is to replace both and throughly inspect all connections and cables, cables really dont like all the salt that they dump on the roads, and the insulation on most of them sucks, it cracks just enough to let the water in then all hell breaks loose inside it. ive done a shit load of break lines lately also because of corrosion

[Sinn Fein]

In the past (10+ years ago) when I turned wrenches, Napa's remanufactured stuff was better than anyone else's. I don't know if that's still the case now.

[Hey_Asshole]

I didn't say that the alternator WAS the problem. I said it was incorrect to say that the car not starting had "absolutely nothing to do" with the dead battery. The situation may, in fact, be a bad alternator. MAY. Obviously the whole system needs to be analyzed.

We are trouble shooting a problem here. And at this point in the process, the alternator will have nothing to do with his car not starting. The alternator doesn't do a damn thing unless the car is running. So as I said before, the alternator has nothing to do with his car not starting. A car will start up just fine with a dead alternator, provided the battery has a good charge.

After he gets the car to start, then he can test the alternator and see if that is what lead to the dead battery in the first place, but at this time, the alternator is not keeping his car from starting. Replacing the alternator is a waste of time and money.

[THE FEZ MAN]

In the past (10+ years ago) when I turned wrenches, Napa's remanufactured stuff was better than anyone else's. I don't know if that's still the case now.

we call it "napa crapa" but they all have been destroying themselves. for the police cars we even bought some fancy after market ones, and they fried, we have narrowed it down to two possible causes, one is a dust shield that is put over them from the factory, all they do is trap heat, the other is the size of some of the wires, and there condition, oh and then there's the un determent factor where they just fry for no apparent reason

[B54]

One major problem with that idea. THE CAR DOESN'T START!! IT WILL NOT START!! I GET NOTHING WHEN I TURN THE KEY!!

Then buying an alternator was a waste of money.

[Sinn Fein]

Not if he ran it down to nothing while driving it around for a few days on what was left of the battery's charge...

[PCLoadLetter]

After he gets the car to start, then he can test the alternator and see if that is what lead to the dead battery in the first place, but at this time, the alternator is not keeping his car from starting. Replacing the alternator is a waste of time and money.
I never said that he should go and replace the alternator without testing anything. Which part of "obviously the whole system needs to be analyzed" did you miss? :arrrh:

My point was simply that you shouldn't discount the alternator completely, because that could've caused the dead battery. I know that a bum alternator wouldn't keep the car from starting by itself, so don't put words in my mouth. I never suggested that replacing the alternator without TESTING the alternator would fix the problem.

[Hey_Asshole]

I never said that he should go and replace the alternator without testing anything. Which part of "obviously the whole system needs to be analyzed" did you miss? :arrrh:

My point was simply that you shouldn't discount the alternator completely, because that could've caused the dead battery. I know that a bum alternator wouldn't keep the car from starting by itself, so don't put words in my mouth. I never suggested that replacing the alternator without TESTING the alternator would fix the problem.

My intention was not to put words in your mouth. I only quoted you to keep the conversation flowing.

[PCLoadLetter]

just between me and you, if they put a shitty rebuilt alt on it last year, and the battery was shakey , my bet is the "new" alt fried the rest of the battery then fried its self. rebuilds are crap, we burn up at least two a year on some of the police cars i service. even some of the brand new "factory" ones ive put on shit the bed some times
Me no unnerstand this rash of faulty alternators you're referring to. In over 400,000mi of driving spread across the eight cars I've owned, I've needed to replace a total of two batteries (one just a couple of months ago on a car with under 19,000mi) and one alternator (at around 130k miles on the car in question). You seem to suggest that alternators fail more or less ALL the time... And throwing in my immediate family, I can add exactly ZERO alternators to this pile of bum OEM crap in the last 20 years.

Now, I don't WORK on cars and don't see as many as you do, but really, if this problem was as bad as you imply the alternators would be nearly THROWING themselves out of engine compartments. Could it be that Police use is far more demanding on alternators than regular consumer demands (even allowing for higher-capacity units in Police work) and THAT is why you're seeing this proliferation of bad rebuilds and OEM units?

[PCLoadLetter]

My intention was not to put words in your mouth. I only quoted you to keep the conversation flowing.
Well I didn't pull the possibility out of thin air. The only time I had to replace an alternator was initially diagnosed by the battery crapping out. There was no voltmeter and apparently a burned-out bulb in the idiot-light, so when the alternator went bye-bye it took the well-aged battery out with it. Replacing the alternator was a quick cure but the battery was so well-fucked by the bad alternator that it, too, had to be replaced less than a week later.

THAT was where I was going with this idea... Not that new alternators fix every charging system problem.

[CrazyMrPoopSex]

Prolly the muffler bearings

[Hey_Asshole]

Well I didn't pull the possibility out of thin air. The only time I had to replace an alternator was initially diagnosed by the battery crapping out. There was no voltmeter and apparently a burned-out bulb in the idiot-light, so when the alternator went bye-bye it took the well-aged battery out with it. Replacing the alternator was a quick cure but the battery was so well-fucked by the bad alternator that it, too, had to be replaced less than a week later.

THAT was where I was going with this idea... Not that new alternators fix every charging system problem.

Im just trying to keep things simple for CM Mark. I think he is like me, cant afford to take his car to a mechanic like Fez Man and pay $85hr :D. We are left fixing it ourselves. Even if that means changing a fuel pump in your driveway with a floorjack in the middle of a snow storm. We dont need him worrying about the alternator yet, when there are simpler things that need to be checked first. If he gets a new battery and it gets the car to start, then he better drive his ass to the nearest place he can get his charging system tested. Start simple....then get in over your head.

[PCLoadLetter]

Im just trying to keep things simple for CM Mark. I think he is like me, cant afford to take his car to a mechanic like Fez Man and pay $85hr :D.
Seems like it was but 20yrs ago it was only factory-trained Porsche mechanics that could demand these kind of rates... Oh, wait, it WAS 20yrs ago. :icon_evil

Obviously GWB's fault, just like everything else.

[Voss's Tumor]

Prolly the muffler bearings

This man speaks truth

[CM Mark]

Okay, new alternator in, and the car is running like a dream. When I got the old one out, I took it to Autozone where I bought the new one from, they tested it, and it failed miserably. Never was I so happy to see something fail a test. When I have a chance, I'm taking it somewhere where I can get the whole charging system checked. Thanks for all the "advice" people.

[THE FEZ MAN]

Me no unnerstand this rash of faulty alternators you're referring to. In over 400,000mi of driving spread across the eight cars I've owned, I've needed to replace a total of two batteries (one just a couple of months ago on a car with under 19,000mi) and one alternator (at around 130k miles on the car in question). You seem to suggest that alternators fail more or less ALL the time... And throwing in my immediate family, I can add exactly ZERO alternators to this pile of bum OEM crap in the last 20 years.

Now, I don't WORK on cars and don't see as many as you do, but really, if this problem was as bad as you imply the alternators would be nearly THROWING themselves out of engine compartments. Could it be that Police use is far more demanding on alternators than regular consumer demands (even allowing for higher-capacity units in Police work) and THAT is why you're seeing this proliferation of bad rebuilds and OEM units?

yea the cops are super hard on there equipment, at idle with all there gadgets running they are drawing 130+ amps on 150amp alternators all the time, they almost never shut them off and when they do there "stuff" will draw a battery down in two days, it plays hell on the systems, there are so many improvements that they could make with there police packages but most municipality's don't want to spend the extra money up front. on my own personal cars i dont think ive ever replaced an alternator because it wouldn't charge, i junked one because it made noise but that was a bad bearing in my old truck that was about 14 years old. most of my experience comes from working on 10 or 15 cars a week,

[PCLoadLetter]

on my own personal cars i dont think ive ever replaced an alternator because it wouldn't charge, i junked one because it made noise but that was a bad bearing in my old truck that was about 14 years old. most of my experience comes from working on 10 or 15 cars a week,
This more or less backs up my experience. It didn't seem to me that alternators were such garbage in general, just that the coppers tend to trash theirs far more frequently.