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Old 04-29-2013, 10:19 AM
 
Location: Floribama
18,923 posts, read 43,219,633 times
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I've bought remanufactured ones before that were bad as soon as I installed them. Pay the extra money for a new one, it's worth it for the peace of mind.
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Old 04-29-2013, 10:22 AM
 
152 posts, read 580,572 times
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Always have them test it before you leave the store.

new or reman.

Quote:
Originally Posted by southernnaturelover View Post
I've bought remanufactured ones before that were bad as soon as I installed them. Pay the extra money for a new one, it's worth it for the peace of mind.
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Old 04-29-2013, 10:49 AM
 
2,341 posts, read 11,968,550 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by southernnaturelover View Post
I've bought remanufactured ones before that were bad as soon as I installed them. Pay the extra money for a new one, it's worth it for the peace of mind.
That was probably a part that was rebuilt, not remanufactured.

*NOTE: Rebuilt parts have only had the worn/broken components replaced. They usually carry only a 90-day, or 1-year warranty. Remanufactured parts will have been completely disassembled, cleaned, and all wear-components replaced.

Actually, remanufactured parts are sometimes better than new. For instance, the alternators that came on the 1st Generation GM 3.1 engines had TINY bearings in them. The remanufactured alternators had larger & heavier bearings. The new alternators cost 50% more than remanufactured, and only had a 1 year warranty, whereas the remanufactured ones came with a life-time warranty. Kind of a no-brainer on that particular one.


Moral of the story: Go remanufactured, not rebuilt.
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Old 04-29-2013, 11:08 AM
 
Location: Keosauqua, Iowa
9,611 posts, read 21,138,320 times
Reputation: 13662
There's nothing wrong with buying used as long as it has some type of warranty, the price of a used one is significantly less than new or reman, you don't plan on keeping the vehicle a long time, and the alternator isn't difficult to change for some reason (it's a pretty easy job on most vehicles). Just be sure to test it before you install it so you don't waste time putting one on that doesn't work. Most salvage yards have a bench tester, but if they don't you can take it to pretty much any parts store and have it tested free.

I probably wouldn't buy a used one from anyplace but a local, reputable yard, though. Buying one from an individual would be a gamble, although it might be a worthwhile gamble if you could pick it up for just a few bucks. Shipping will be significant if you buy online, and you will be on the hook for return shipping if you have to send it back.
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Old 04-29-2013, 12:12 PM
 
18,039 posts, read 25,055,259 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit View Post
What vehicle / application?? (this is VERY important in alternators).

I would go NEW if you are planning on keeping this vehicle, and don't like being stranded or changing alternators often.

Often the price difference is minimal (depending on application)
Volvo S70 1999 with 110,000 miles
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Old 04-29-2013, 12:23 PM
 
14,780 posts, read 43,469,826 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dopo View Post
Volvo S70 1999 with 110,000 miles
You're a little limited in options. Pretty much everything out there is going to be a remanned and I would go with that long before a used alternator. Partsgeek has three remanned options:

Pure Energy - $114 + $99 core
USA Industries - $154 + $80 core
Bosch - $212 + $79 core

Bosch is the OE manufacturer, so that explains the price. I looked at the other two options and the USA Industries one is an OE Bosch remanufactured piece and I would take that over the Pure Energy one. The core charge is something you need to pay upfront and then they will refund it to you when you ship/return your old alternator to them.
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Old 04-29-2013, 12:27 PM
 
Location: Londonderry, NH
41,478 posts, read 59,526,017 times
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I go to a small shop that specializes in automobile electrical components and buy one of the rebuilt units. They include new bearings and diode arrays. Everything else is tested and reused. Cost is less than half of new.

Look in or on yellow pages.

Have fun replacing it if your car has a serpentine belt.
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Old 04-29-2013, 01:04 PM
 
Location: Connecticut
470 posts, read 1,652,642 times
Reputation: 402
try www.rockauto.com. Their prices are usually really good even on new parts. I've never had luck with remanufactured alternators. I always end up replacing them within a year. I had one car that would eat a remanufactured unit every 3 months. Since it had a 1 year warranty I was able to replace it for free and got to the point where I could swap it out in under 10 minutes (5.0L Ford... right on top).
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Old 04-29-2013, 01:15 PM
 
Location: The Woodlands
805 posts, read 1,857,007 times
Reputation: 1077
I now buy most parts from Amazon, good prices and 2 day delivery with Prime membership.
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Old 04-29-2013, 08:07 PM
 
Location: Earth
4,237 posts, read 24,690,598 times
Reputation: 2274
I agree, go reman. Or new. Avoid "rebuilt".

Rebuilt = some kids "thought" the used parts "looked" good so they were re-used.

Reman = everything short of the casing was replaced

Buying a used alt at a salvage yard = not knowing what you're getting and w/o a warranty
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