My journey of the alternators:

As a few at the Yorkdale meet will be aware, as I came off the 401 my logger is showing an unusual voltage drop to low 12's then 11.8 by the time I left with no recovery. Crap the Alternator that I had replaced at Can tire for the fourth time a week ago is faulty :rolleyes: . Luckily I have a relatively new top end battery so I take it easy and make it home @ 11V. Make it to Can tire today on fumes @ 10.7 V

Go back into the Dundas and Dixie location and they confirm what I already told them, yes the alt is bad . Have to go through my records to find the original invoice number because they cant find it. The part isnt in stock as usual and no part at the warehouse either. So it will take 2 days to get the part while my car sits and waits.

So for my original mistake of thinking that having an alt replace at Can tire across the street from where my car had stalled and rolled to a stop I have paid so far $1046.91 not including any premature battery failures. Chrysler wanted $800+ a tow...look how much money I have saved by going the Crappy way

-38912 Km
-5 Bosch alternators and 2 failed within 90 days
-averaging an alt every 8000 Km
-$1046.91 includes the labour and AVR tests even though the parts are free under warranty and they wont give you the part to do the repair yourself.

At one time Canadian Tire used to be a good choice for a decent repair at a fair price. Now they are just money grubbing bastards, especially with the new box stores, with poor customer service, inexperienced/poorly trained staff and sub standard parts. From a guy whos allowance used to be can tire cash I cant wait until Part Source, Auto Zone, Pep Boys etc kick their butt

OUCH!


You sure there isn't something else wrong that is eating the alternators? Bad ground?

I remember someone had that type of problem but the alternator was not the culprit in the end.

I just find it hard to believe that you could go through that many alternators!

Well the OEM alt lasted 160,000 Km. The first replacement lasted 90 days the longest 20,000 km which was the one before this one which burnt in a week. They fail for different reasons the last one the diodes went and I had erratic voltage and this one I had a no charge blip last thursday, it came back then failed on Sunday with no charging at all.

Heat shields are in place and I have checked/cleaned grounds and terminals. Yes grounding can be an issue but there is no pattern in the failures other than they do fail.

"-$1046.91 includes the labour and AVR tests even though the parts are free under warranty and they wont give you the part to do the repair yourself."

That's weird. I replaced mine twice under warranty. I just brought it in, they tested it, it failed and they gave me another.

Man dont even get me started about these guys!

Just piss me off to tell the stories. But two DOWN for these guys@

Something else must be eating those alternators. I can't really see how alternators get fried that much.

You should just buy a used one from me for $50..lol

The rebuilds from CT are known to go quickly, and often.

I'm on my fifth (or sixth.. I lost count) in about 3 years.

However, every time, I've simply taken it back to them (with my receipt) and gotten a replacement under warranty. No questions, no hassles.

Maybe the difference is that Jerry had CT do the work the first time, so they won't give him the part and let him do it. If he had bought it over the counter it would have been different.

I don't understand why everyone keeps buying these things from CT?? Cheapness is the only thing I can think of?

I see too many people saying things like "I'm on my sixth one" like it's a badge of honour or something (not to pick on anyone in particular). Or as one guy told me at a meet "I keep a spare in my trunk, I can swap it in 10 minutes when it fails!"

If you're going to cheap out and put a *known bad* part in your car, you really have no right to complain about it.

When my OE alternator went out years back, I put in a new-from-the-dealer alternator and I haven't had a problem since. That's an average of 1 every five years (or better), not the 1 every 6 months (or less!!) that some of you are getting out of these things.

Remember, CT alternators are only cheap if your time is worthless and you enjoy roadside repairs. :rolleyes:

I wonder how much an OEM one is from Mitsu/Chrysler. Anyone know?

I had one die on me a month or so ago...but it was the original that came with the car. Yes, from a 92 with 240xxx kms. The thing was so old that the alluminum case has almost been corroded away. If you had dropped it, it would shatter into dozens of pieces.

Put in a used Mitsu alt and away she goes.

As Nick indicated that because they did the work orginally the wont honour the warranty unless they do the repairs.

Jeff as for badge of honour I guess I should have put more angry faces in there but I have no problem with having 1 alternator lasting 20 years and have no great burning desire to be able to swap one out in 10 min. I love driving my car and enjoy doing preventative maintenance on a working vehicle not screwing around with limping home in the rain on a backed up 401 watching my voltage nose dive.

When the repair was done at Mavis and Dundas Can Tire originally I had stalled right beside it but I was attempting to get it home so I could park it and do it myself.

I called Team Chrysler first and they said no stock it would take two days and $500ish +2 hrs labour, a rebuilder close by said 2 days, and the crappy guy says its in stock and you are outta here by 3pm. Its thurs before a long weekend, no roadside at that time, so I say ok go ahead....how bad can I get screwed its just an alternator .

Its a Bosch, a brand name and supposedly their premium part. So Jeff I never screw around with cheap parts and never expected it to fail. The first one was free within the 90 days. Then I was stuck on the warranty scam because I had spent $525 bucks on the first one then pay $200 for crappy to do it or go OEM for $500.

Hence the reason for the post is dont get caught
and if I did it again I would have went OEM and installed it myself then I wouldnt be posting right now

That would be me, I went through 7 in five weeks, but it was my alarm that would short them out.

The 2nd day I had my car the freshly rebuilt alt {came in the receipt pile{not by CT}} bit the dust. I paid 300 bucks for a used one from the wreckers {new were like 500 or some ****} It lasted about 3 months and I got the dash light show before it kicked it {all dash lights would aluminate at idle and fade away as RPMs went up}
I got a replacement from the wreckers and It was beat, all coroded, greasy...lasted 1 week. The wreckers said theres something wrong with your car and were only giving you one more {the 3 month warantee was just about taxed anyway}
They gave me a fresh OEM alt that was rebuilt by a starter/ alt shop and its been fine for a year and a half.

Its definetly a heat and bad groung issue, thats a given but put on a crap alt and it wont last at all.
BTW in between alt fixes on a freshly charged battery I could make it 40 KM to work before the ABS light would come on. Id charge it up at work and drive it back home.
Ask Mike Baily how stupid I looked carrying my battery and charger into work on 2nd break every day for 2-3 weeks.

Ohhhhhhh...another thing about Crappy tire. DO NOT GET AN ALIGNMENT DONE THERE!!!
I did my front brakes this past weekend and my outter tie-rod end on the P/S nearly fell into my hand when i grabbed to check it!!!!!
That stupid un-qualified bastard forgot to tighten the nut!!!
Special thanks to the lord above it didnt fall off @ 200 KPH seeing its been loose for a year.
And Jerry, Pep boys and all those places are no better. CT OWNS parts source too.
Go to your local auto parts guy or just bite the bullet and go to the dealer.

Guys alternators are like $70 for a mitsu used and installation is basic (15min max). Dont know what wreckers your buying from Lee but 300 gets you like 3 alts.

It was 300 installed. The books arent to nice to alt replacement on DSM...I had just bought the car. 20/20 Hindsight is great isnt it?
I got 3 for that price and installed the last 2 myself.
CT is the devil, I even went to buy brake pads and my car wasnt in his computer, he punched up the book PN and it said the parts were RESTRICTED!!??
The kid had never even heard of an eagle talon OR Mitsu eclipse as well. Who are these idiots they hire?

24 FEB 2004

I don't need the 90A upgrade so I don't know the price differeance.

1 M136839D 75A 275.99
Labour 1.5.........112.50

This includes AVR, pulley inspection, pulley alignment inspection and shimmys if required.

Clean battery terminals, cable and end inspection. Most important a ground test.

Check belt for wear. Use a pressure gauge at 22lbs on the belt in the CORRECT spot and set the deflection. Put +ALT BELT on the oil change sticker as a reminder to reset the deflection next oil change after a wear in period.

This takes slightly longer than the qoute '10 minutes' and as far as I'm concerned it is done properly and I doubt CTC does it the Mitsubishi way.

GST PST extra

Still vintage (except some wag at the Burlington meet told me the tires weren't).

Cheers Tony

Lee speaking of crappy tire and alignments I went in for one and it came out perfect or so I thought. Took it on the highway great until 20mins later it started pulling like a mad man. Pulled over at a gas station rest stop checked for obvious things like low tires loose ends ect.
Just to make sure I checked my tire pressure 40,40,40, 85!!! crappy tire mech was dumb as crap. I let the air out and my alignment was still terrible. Although when I did return to get them to fix it, it was done properly for free and I got a apology free of charge as well.

Crappy tire ?
NEVR AGAIN

We had the brakes done on my Beretta at crappy tire and the kid forgot to tighten the caliper bolts back up. Once they fell out on the drivers side and we hit the brakes it jammed the caliper betwen the spindle and the rim locking up the front wheel.
It cost me/them a tire, rim, caliper lines, brackets etc.
But they at least tightened up the bolts on the pass side.

The Crappy tire in the falls on Montrose but the crap out of my freinds car. The mechanic was smoking while working on the heater core and put at least 4-5 burn holes in his interior.
They would not cover any of it.

They charged you to fix the rims, etc?

Heres a story for you guys about Canadian tire in Bracebridge, my brother blew the timming belt on his 92 fwd N/T talon, had no choice but to allow CT to replace it unfortunatly they missed the T-belt installation lesson and my brother being non-mechanically inclined drove to Toronto once they finished the job and he blew the motor had to replace the punched pistons,rods, valves, and he didn't get even an apology from them.
we'll get um one day bastards

I got his left overs 92 N/T Fwd Std

I'm new at this message thing don't mind me but someone spoke of shimming and aligning alternator pullies, say what, I've changed lots of these the last one being the Mitsu Mirage alt that I got from CT, Booch still seem fine, and I replaced my alt belt for the Talon and have noticed a uneveness in the lower crank pully when running, is because of not shimming aligning ect?...Who Knows who did it last or at all 229 000km
92 N/T Fwd Std
mal@buckeyecamp.com

Alt #6 All I can say is I am glad I have a logger with alarms because its the only thing between me and a god damn tow every time these alts go. This time the alt would generally charge at startup but then after a while voltage would drop from 14 or so to 11.5 and either hover around there or start charging again or most recently just keep dropping. So screw the warranty I get the hint and will either get it rebuilt properly or get an new one. Woofriggin hoo almost a year on this one

i'm sorry.... but lmao.

Hey Jorgie thanks for the caring and compassionate words of support

Info on oem alternator here

Yes heat shields are at maximum captain, ground strap activated (actually attached to the bolt on the alt that is supplied for that purpose) and battery is new so no comments from the peanut gallery All I have left is the alts are crap or the AAQ comment that the cooling fan in the OEM alt rotates in the opposite direction to after market hence heating the alt instead of cooling it. Who the f knows