Alternator Question?

[99gatorbird]

I have a 99 V6 firebird, 5-speed. I went to Autozone and this guy hooked up my car to their machine the Alternator was putting out 13.5-14.2 volts, and the peak amps was like around 6. He was like your alternator is bad because it should put out like 100 AMPS. Well their alternators were to expensive so i waited about a week, while my volt meter on the dash was fine stayed above 13. So i went to Advanced Auto and bought their ALT. for 90 dollars. After i put it on my car brought it up their to have them check it out. Well the new one was like putting out like 13.5-14.2 volts and the max ampage to the battery was like 12. Well we did about 2 more tests each test and the ampage was 7 and 10. Well we tested the old alternator on the machine on the inside of the store, it tested fine. So i got a refund on the one i bought and put the old one back on, we tested it again. The old alt tested 13.5-14.2 volts and about 11 amps this time. My question is did the original guy at autozone not know his machine to well and just want to sell me an alternator. I have read that these firebird alternators can hold up 100+ amps. Is this true. Does it sound like my old alternator is still good? Its a Delco on there now, i assume it is the original. Does anyone know about this? Thanks for all the help

[kahouna23]

100 amps!!! [img]graemlins/omg.gif[/img] The best way to test the alternator is to use a basic voltage tester on the alternator terminals. Then start the car with every accessory available. ie. lights, A/C, radio, hazzard lights, etc...then you should be getting around 14.0-14.5 Anything in between is acceptable. Then test the voltage at the battery to check for a charge. Voltage should be around the same values as at the alternator. Then test it without accessories. Voltage should be around 13 volts. I would say your origional alternator is fine. The guy you had help you might need to go back to automotive school......

[silvachris1]

The best advice I can offer you is to stay away from the alternators from Advanced Auto. My original started making a whine and a tick sound, and then eventually quit charging. I gave up on it and gota new one (prolly a remanufactured one :mad: ) at Advanced Auto, and it wouldn't charge but didn't whine or tick. Took it back to a different Advance store and they replaced it. This alt charges, but makes the same whining and ticking sound my original did before it died on me. So the next day, I drove 40 miles, to the next closest Advance store and again replaced the alt, hoping to get a good one. This one didn't charge (or make any noise)so I put on the previous one that charged but whined. Then I went about 20 minutes to the next little town with an advance and went through the same process again, only to get the same result, no charge but no whine or tick sounds. Then put the only one that would charge back on. This whine and tick sound is so aggrivating. Finally dad went to the local Advanced Auto and got another one after they ordered it (a week ago) and installed it. He said it is charging and he doesn't hear any noises. Grrrr, if I get home this weekend and find out that this thing is making all kinds of crazy racket, I'm gonna raise some serios trouble. Of course they said if this one doesn't meet my satisfaction, they will refund all my money, including the core charge. I will never ever buy another thing Advanced Auto Parts unless I have no choice.

[ March 27, 2003: Message edited by: silvachris1 ]</p>

[Devilboy28]

I must say this: DO NOT buy ANYTHING electrical from Autozone!!! Atls, starters etc. I went through 4 starters before they gave me one that worked in ONE DAY! Some were bad on their shelves, some failed after a short time in my car. Advanced Auto, CarQuest, Napa, and Western Auto are the best places to get stuff according to my mechanic. I believe him!