sid9954 Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 The 1994 STS is at the dealer probably getting it's fourth alternator in 3 years. The GM "lifetime warranty" prevents you from paying again and again for parts and labor but I just want an alternator that will keep working. Does anyone know if there is a high output brand new alternator available (not reconditioned) or is it possible to have a second tandem alternator installed just in case one fails? I have been badly stranded once on an Easter weekend in a far away state so I don't want any repeat episodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Does the dealer know what component in the alternator is failing? That would help in determining the cause of failure. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid9954 Posted June 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 I didn't think to ask them that. All I remember was that the bill was $0.00. I'll get more details when I get the car back tomorrow. Not even sure if it is the alternator this time, just my guess. The A/C kept shutting off in 90 degree heat when idling in traffic and the volts were down to 12. The car didn't conk out and the battery no charge did not come on but I am sure that was coming next had I not put the car in for service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navion Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 The 1994 STS is at the dealer probably getting it's fourth alternator in 3 years. The GM "lifetime warranty" prevents you from paying again and again for parts and labor but I just want an alternator that will keep working. Does anyone know if there is a high output brand new alternator available (not reconditioned) or is it possible to have a second tandem alternator installed just in case one fails? I have been badly stranded once on an Easter weekend in a far away state so I don't want any repeat episodes. sid9954, This is a new one on me. Are you sure that they are putting a Delco reman alternator on, or are they getting a local rebuild & installing that & letting you think that it is a Delco? I have a 1994 SLS & the original alternator went out at 164,000 miles. After a couple of junk replacements from A/Z, I now have a good unit again. Unless you are driving 100,000 miles/year or have something installed in your car that draws a LOT of current, there is something else wrong. You would think that the dealer is getting tired of this also. I would ask to see the old unit. It should have a Delco sticker on it. Ask them point blank if they are using Delco's. I know that Delcos can fail, but your case is most unusual. Of course, this time it could be your battery, belt tensioner or battery connections. Let us know what they found this time. Good Luck, Britt Britt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid9954 Posted June 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2005 I got the car back before reading that last post so I didn't ask point blank about the AC Delco. It was just the alternator and they had to order it in which I found a bit funny since it is a cadillac dealer in Manhattan NY. You would think they had it in stock. They got $10 back for core return and it was about $265 for the part and about $310 labor so I doubt it is a cheaper aftermarket one. They didn't say it was the belt or tensioner and the battery is a titanium with a 7 year warranty and is only 14 months old. I am not running anything except the standard Bose factory stereo and factory A/C in the summer. When I move to Plano Texas next month I will have the dealer there check it for any funky electrical problem. I don't trust these guys in Manhattan and there labor rate is about $110/hour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 I have never heard of a GM dealer using anything but GM (Delco) parts but I suppose anything is possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navion Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 I got the car back before reading that last post so I didn't ask point blank about the AC Delco. It was just the alternator and they had to order it in which I found a bit funny since it is a cadillac dealer in Manhattan NY. You would think they had it in stock. They got $10 back for core return and it was about $265 for the part and about $310 labor so I doubt it is a cheaper aftermarket one. I don't trust these guys in Manhattan and there labor rate is about $110/hour. Sid9954, If they were substituting cheaper parts, it would mean that they could pocket between $150 and $200 for the first time. If it was a local rebuild, that could explain why they had to order it in. Make sure that you make a copy of that invoice and keep it with your car. If you get to Texas, you could explain that you are on the forth alternator and that there must be something wrong that is taking the alternators out. If they check out your car and find a problem then you will be ahead. If they find an alternator that is not a Delco rebuild, then you have probably found your problem. Ranger, I will admit, it should be rare for a dealer to install non Delco rebuilds, but I have seen it happen. If the shop manager, parts guy, mechanic, or any combination of the three are crooked, then all bets are off. Earlier I related a story that happened in my families Chevy garage where a mechanic was keeping the new AC Delco parts and just reusing filters, plugs, etc. He was selling the parts around town. He got caught when He supposedly replaced an air filter on a customers pick up. The customer got home, and for some reason took the cover off of the air filter & found the used filter in there. He rightfully raised nine kinds of hell. We fired the mechanic & gave the guy some free oil & filter changes. If you stay around the car business long enough, you will see that anything is possible. Even on my personal pick-up I had the tech tell me that he had done a full alignment. I asked him what he had adjusted, he told me that "Everything needed a little tweak." I them pointed out that there were no evidence that there had been wrenches put on anything. He had put the pickup on the alignment machine, went outside & smoked a cigarette, came back in, took it off the machine and said that it had a "Full Alignment". When, in fact, he hadn't touched it. (He went down the road also.) Britt Britt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid9954 Posted June 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 13, 2005 The plot thickens. The A/C and fan quit again with the "new alternator" 2 days after it was installed. The voltage reads below 13 with all appliances turned off. I am out of town this week and a friend is taking it back to the dealer for me. Will keep you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CadiKing Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 ... or is it possible to have a second tandem alternator installed just in case one fails? ... sid9954, To answer your question, I believe there is possibly a second alternator available for limosine use... I think someone wanted it for music power... you will have to do a search... unless someone chimes in... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navion Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 The fact remains that unless Sid9954 has some need for a extra large generating capacity, SOMETHING is VERY WRONG! Adding a second alternator in this instance is like putting a Bandaid on a broken leg! I don't ever recall anybody going through this many alternators! I suppose that any remanufacturer can put out a defective product from time to time, but FOUR Delco's in a row? Give me a break! Sid needs to take the car to someone who can diagnose the root cause of these alternator failures and eliminate it. Obviously his present Caddy dealership is in the "parts changing" mode. One thing that will take an alternator out is firing up with a dead or nearly dead battery. The amount of amps that a dead battery will absorb will cause even a healthy alternator to overheat and fail prematurely. If the shop is not charging the battery prior to releasing the car, then they are setting the alternator up to fail in short order. A battery with a shorted cell can cause the same overcharging condition. The battery will start the car just fine, but the alternator is seeing the low voltage resulting from a shorted cell, and being set up to charge six cells instead of five, it just keeps putting out until it burns it's self up. The car needs a thorough electrical system checkout. If the rest of us were experiencing this kind of alternator life, we would be screaming bloody murder! Sid, I hope that you get this resolved this time. Please let us know what they find. Britt Britt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldgamer Posted June 14, 2005 Report Share Posted June 14, 2005 All that confirms one more time that dealer doesn't bother to analyse what's going on with a car. The car needs a good electrician, this is it. It's not a big deal, to check what is going on, is there overload or something else, like wiring which can affect voltage regulator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sid9954 Posted June 15, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 I couldn't agree more Oldgamer. These dealers charge $110 an hour for labor and don't really try to figure out the problem, just replace parts and charge like a wounded bull. So now the dealer claims they did a diagnostic, the AC and alternator is working fine and they want me to pick the car up. So how do they explain that it wasn't working the day before I put it in again and that the volts were in the low 12's? I gave him a piece of my mind and they will recheck it for one more day. If I don't like what they have to say I will take it to an independent auto electrician. I am not driving from NY to TX in this heat with a chance of no AC or worse another major breakdown due to a failed alternator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldgamer Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Good luck. I know how it's frustrating to waste huge pile of money and to have problem after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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