Include

[imsolidstate]

I've read here about people having problems with remanufactured alternators from chain parts stores, but dismissed most of it as bad luck or bad diagnostics. But I am now a believer, and you should be too; here's why:

I have had a battery light flickering on and off in my truck for almost a year. It never got worse, and the truck started and ran just fine so I have been keeping an eye on it and saving some cash. A few nights ago, the truck was slow to start so I put a meter on the battery (engine running) and got 11 volts. Time to change that alternator! I had to drive to the next town because no one locally had an alternator (inluding Ford). I changed it the next night, and went for a test drive, but still got the battery light. I tested the system voltage, and it was still low so I figured that the batteries were probably going out too. (I have about 90k miles) So I drove to the parts store the next day, and bought two batteries. The truck died in the parking lot, so I ended up changing them in the parts store parking lot. Two new batteries, one new alternator, and I still drive home with a battery light.

So I get up the next morning, put a voltmeter on the battery, and an ammeter on the alternator output wire. I turn on the key, and check for B+ at the alternator. B+ is good. Start the truck, and battery voltage goes DOWN. From about 12.4V to 12V. Ammeter reads 0. I am now forced to believe that I got a bad alternator out of the box.

I called the parts house, had them keep my core, and went up there. They bench tested the alternator, and it failed. They pulled another one off the shelf, all the while with "we've had really great luck with Brand X alternators", tested it, and it failed too. So I went to Ford. Luckily, they got in a shipment and had one. It was 50% more expensive than the parts house, but it actually says motorcraft and the quality was significantly better. Believe me, I build automation equipment and design prototype systems for an aerospace company. The difference in quality was visibly apparent. The epoxy coating was actually coming off of the new parts house alternator and when you spun the pulley you could hear it crackling inside. The connections from the windings to the internal diodes were tenative, the pulley was some crappy steel that was about four times heavier than the stock one, and the rear half of the alternator was actually sitting crooked relative to the front half. The bolts that hold the core together were actually crooked and looked bent. By the way, it didn't work.

So, long story short, don't be like me and try to save money on a part that will leave you stranded if it doesn't work. Don't support these parts manufacturers that send their manufacturing processes to other countries to be made by the cheapest labor. Buy it from Ford because it really is better. And it works.