Don't Buy Valucraft Alternators - Shrapnel

[jamcomanche]

I'm really just here to vent so don't mind me. 

 

My jeep had the wrong alternator on it when I bought it and the serpentine belt was squeaking like crazy from misalignment.  My truck has AC and the non-AC alternator pulley sticks out about 1/4" farther than the pulley matched with AC. I shopped around but wanted one quick and bought a valucraft reman CS130 from Autozone.  It looked real clean when it came in. Installed nice and easy, and was charging great for a couple of weeks.

 

One day, I heard what sounded a lot like maybe a leaf had been sucked into the blower motor.  Thing was though, the blower wasnt running.  The noise got louder with higher RPM.  It sounded like something was being flung around inside of a tin can.  I couldn't figure out what it was for the life of me and then it stopped.  Days went by and then I heard it again. 

 

Except this time, I noticed that my battery voltage had started to drop on the dash.  It would sit at around 13-14v usually, but it was down to about 10-11.  I went out and bought a tester and checked the battery and alternator. Confirmed the alternator was charging low and then noticed these little red shards of metal scattered around the engine bay.  After some time with a flashlight and squinting my eyes a lot, I realized that the centrifugal fan inside the back of the alt had splintered into a bunch of little pieces and they were being flung all over the engine bay.

 

I'm getting a warranty replacement which I'll be inspecting the hell out of. But next time I need an alternator Ill be forking over the extra $$ for a better brand.

 

   

 

[eaglescout526]

32 minutes ago, jamcomanche said:

Autozone

Yeah, these guys are the reason why we don’t deal with them. Same customer kept coming in month after month about their power steering pump and they kept buying crap autozone pumps because they were cheap morons who didn’t want to buy a Mopar unit. 

[cruiser54]

C.R.A.P.

Chinese Replacement Auto Parts. 

[omega_rugal]

i don't get why autozone even exists, 90% of their products are just crap

[Bombout800]

Since i was a kid, i was always told don't buy anything electrical from auto zone. 😂 

[watchamakalit]

5 hours ago, Bombout800 said:

Since i was a kid, i was always told don't buy anything electrical from auto zone. 😂 

Hey thats not fair. Some of there toghle switches are Ok. Lol

[acfortier]

If it has "value" in the name, I tend to stay away from it... LOL

 

I had a Duralast Gold alternator in my J10 when I did the SI to CS alternator upgrade. Has a lifetime warranty, never had an issue with those.

[Pete M]

my mopar alternator in theh Libby finally died after like 200k.  but it died in a bad location far from home and the best I could do on short notice was autozone.  that alternator lasted, what, maybe a few months?  eventually it started smelling like burning electronics.  but this time I was back in GA and so I swapped it out for another old mopar from my parts pile.  then I went to autozone to get it exchanged under warranty (because why not).  so now I have a brand new alternator sitting around that I'm not sure what to do with.  lord knows I'm not putting it in the Libby unless I'm desperate.