My question is this alternator is only 3 or 4 months old-was it just a bad alternator or what else could cause the alternator to fail?
2006-10-14 16:05:50 · 11 answers · asked by James W 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It is actually my sons car and being a teenager he had to have a nice stereo. We added a pioneer cd player. I am thinking that may be the cause. As far as the type of battery I have it is probably the most inexpensive available. I am thinking he is in the process of adding a amp booster for the bass. This worries me. At least we had the guys at circuit city install that, but he wants to do it himself on the booster.
2006-10-14 16:32:40 · update #1
Unless someone shorted out the alternator I can't think of anything that would "burn up alternators." The regulator has benn a part of the alternator on all GM products since the early 1970's.
They don't make parts like they used to: they just cover up poor quality control with good warranties. One electronic parts supplier caused a scandal a few years ago because they were willing to put up ith a 10% "no good rate" on their output: In other words up to 1 out of 10 of their new stuff was no good!
It was cheaper for them to send another part than to test the stuff they put out!
The poor Mexican woman who rebuilt your alternator was probably going into labor when she put yours together. She couldn't take off work because there are no unions and no medical leaves.
I'm assuming the alternator was under a warranty: get a lifetime one if you can.
2006-10-14 16:26:15 · answer #1 · answered by econofix 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The voltage regulator is inside the alternator, so if it failed,- it probaly isn't our fault! Now you could have made the mistake of hooking up the batery backwards, - in which case it would have failed then, not months down the road! So it is possible that the alternator itself was partially defective when you bought it,- or maybe there was a piece of "trash" loose inside,and one day it let "go" and wiped something out internally. the only way you would know this would be to take it apart and check everything, (the manufacturer/rebuilder sure won't let you know!!)
2006-10-14 16:24:53 · answer #2 · answered by guess78624 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to run an amp draw check on the system first of all to determine if the alt can keep up with the existing demands before you add additional draws to the system. As far as the part failing in short time I would blame the part its not uncommon at all for remanufactured parts to fail like that and most part stores will only replace them three times thats why they call it a limited lifetime warranty. Tell your parts house you are going to file a labor claim and see what happens then. The biggest thing on a 12 volt system is CLEAN TIGHT CONNETIONS.
2006-10-15 02:49:19 · answer #3 · answered by Danno 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A short circuit or reversing the battery terminals is the most common cause of a failed alternator by far. Getting a defective new one is highly irregular though not impossible.
2006-10-14 16:10:58 · answer #4 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i own a repair shop,and it is possible you just got a bad alternator,i bought 3 on one day before i got a good one,and all came from a good parts source too, maybe it was just a bad one,but id try and talk him in to having the rest of what he wants done to his car,,,done by someone that knows a little bit about doing that type of work,he may wire it wrong and burn his car up,i have seen it happen before,especially on these amp,s and things that use high voltage ,good luck with It i hope this help,s.
2006-10-14 16:55:06 · answer #5 · answered by dodge man 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Another thing that can cause an alternator to fail is a bad battery. The regulator will burn itself out trying to charge a battery that can't take a charge.
2006-10-14 16:31:18 · answer #6 · answered by Steven C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are putting a high amp in the car, you need to up the amperage on the alternator
2006-10-18 15:21:22 · answer #7 · answered by Maria S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many after market replacement parts are sub-standard. If additionnal "stuff"is added to the cars electronics,problems could occur if improperly installed..Its always best to buy quality parts!
2006-10-14 16:24:47 · answer #8 · answered by Hank 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i'm able to't stand the slamming of doors...that's one effective way of having me rather p1ssed off. in the time of her teen years, my daughter did it as quickly as too oftentimes, so I had her door got rid of, (purely for a little while). We lived in a brick homestead for crying out loud and he or she might slam that door so annoying, the homestead might shudder!
2016-12-16 07:55:05 · answer #9 · answered by pynes 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How good is your battery, and what kind of, if any aftermarket accessories do you have, sound systems etc.?
2006-10-14 16:25:30 · answer #10 · answered by B H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋