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Thread: My car's alternator broke during my long trip

  1. #1
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    My car's alternator broke during my long trip

    Hey guys,

    I go to school in NY but live in NC. Halfway during my trip to NY last night, all my interior lights started to flicker and eventually all the power was lost. I got it towed to a nearby BMW mechanic. He's charging me around $600 with parts/labor for replacement of alternator.

    I've done some DIY work myself and pretty sure I can replace it myself. But the issue is that I need the car for work and school and can't afford to be without it. I am also not home where all my tools are. Lastly, I have like 0 time to actually work on the car. I guess I am in such a pickle that I'm left with no choice but to shell out this amount for a 20 year old car.

    Any other thoughts or ideas?

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    1999 mustang gt
    Hes screwing you. He knows you have no other options. It happens all the time. The part is what? $200 for a Bosch reman? and it takes literally 30 minutes to replace if you're a mechanic. Even at $100 an hour the total should be less than $400 (by a high estimate).

    If I was you I would buy a cheap basic socket set from a nearby store for like $50 and do it myself. That's all youre gonna need. Watch this Youtube video it's really really easy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0RQ-XEpYZw
    Last edited by pimpmyride101; 10-23-2018 at 08:14 PM.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by pimpmyride101 View Post
    Hes screwing you. He knows you have no other options. It happens all the time. The part is what? $200 for a Bosch reman? and it takes literally 30 minutes to replace if you're a mechanic. Even at $100 an hour the total should be less than $400 (by a high estimate).

    If I was you I would buy a cheap basic socket set from a nearby store for like $50 and do it myself. That's all youre gonna need. Watch this Youtube video it's really really easy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0RQ-XEpYZw
    Thanks - so he says he's getting original BMW part which according to realoem.. it is $425... and the rest is labor.

    EDIT: Just called autozone and they have an 80 amp one for $140? Are those reliable?
    Last edited by bonoz; 10-23-2018 at 08:29 PM.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by bonoz View Post
    Thanks - so he says he's getting original BMW part which according to realoem.. it is $425... and the rest is labor.
    Na, get a reman from an auto parts place. Should be less than half. It should last the remaining life of the car. He's likely getting an OEM reman anyway and marking it up. OEM doesn't mean it's not a reman. I've never heard of someone putting a brand new alternator in 20 year old car.

  5. #5
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    Reman alternators should be fine for a good while. If not you can return it for an exchange. Its the reman power steering pump that are bad. I would go for it. It's $140 or $600 easy choice.

    Then drive by and flip him off for taking advantage of you. I can almost assure you he was getting the same alternator from the same place. He's not going to order a brand new alternator from a supplier that's gonna take a day to get it there.

    BTW did your red battery light come on?
    Last edited by pimpmyride101; 10-23-2018 at 08:45 PM.

  6. #6
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    Thanks dude. Here's what happened... when I started my drive, I notice there was a 'hissing' or 'whistling' sound which came on every time I accelerated. After about 3 hours into my trip, I started noticing dimming of my interior lights, headlights, taillights, radio, AC, etc. Eventually, all these lights shut off, windows were no longer going down... and then my car eventually stopped when car stopped at a red light and would not turn back on. All kinds of lights came on in instrument cluster including the battery and airbag light.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by pimpmyride101 View Post
    Reman alternators should be fine for a good while. If not you can return it for an exchange. Its the reman power steering pump that are bad. I would go for it. It's $140 or $600 easy choice.

    Then drive by and flip him off for taking advantage of you. I can almost assure you he was getting the same alternator from the same place. He's not going to order a brand new alternator from a supplier that's gonna take a day to get it there.

    BTW did your red battery light come on?

  7. #7
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    That is typical when a alternator fails, that lights start dimming etc.
    That hissing or whistling sound is probably a different problem. Did you check the belt which drives the alternator? Maybe it was slipping?
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  8. #8
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    Bosch remans have a bad reputation among old Porsche folks.

    When the starter on my 86 911 got sketchy, I wound up taking it to a local vendor who rebuilt it for $90. Still the original unit and it works fine.

    Alternators are rebuilt by the same people who rebuild starters, and there's got to be a vendor in almost any reasonably sized population center,

    I found my vendor by asking at the local Autozone,

    ( Caveat- I have no idea how much BMW has overengineered or complicated the simple alternator)

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