Need4Camaro

iTrader: (1)

So for the past 3 - 4 months my alternator gauge would randomly dip into the red zone for no apparent reason and it would seem as if my car was running on battery only. It would usually only happen while I was idle, cold starts, or rarely when I was sitting in traffic. The issue would usually self resolve after I revved about 2K RPMS and then would return to normal charging at around 13Volts under all circumstances. Today, I took it out and the gauge went to the red zone so long my battery nearly died trying to keep the car running before the alternator caught it just before everything shut down and gave me a chance to get it back home.

My alternator is not even a year old, and is ALSO not a reman unit. It's a Duralast Gold from Autozone that I installed March of last year (along with several other items.) The Powersteering pump is also a new TurnOne unit and it's not leaking. I also have new braided power steering lines so I know they're not leaking.

Removing the alternator took only a fraction of the time as it did the last time, but when I removed it, I found driplets of antifreeze under my swaybar and also when I removed the bolt that holds the alternator brace to the motor block, I found old sludged up coolant on the threads and ONLY ON THE THREADS which concerns me because I dont know how coolant could have gotten that deep.

Now last year I replaced the coolant temp sensor and that spilled alot of coolant. Earlier still, my coolant temperature sensor popped off the radiator and spewed coolant EVERYWHERE. I wasn't able to wash it off immediately due to it leaving me stranded on the highway and having to tow it to a shop (it happened at night and I couldnt tell what happened because it was too dark)

I am "hoping" that this was just residue coolant from these events that was never cleaned but these events were also several months ago.

Upon removing the Duralast Gold Alternator, when I spin the pulley, it has a squeel to it. I can tell its bad now.

Do you think the coolant killed my alternator or do you think it just plainly went bad?

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Spilled coolant and even P/S fluid shouldn't do a thing to the alternator. The windings and electronics are dipped in sealant to keep road dirt and grime out. (If anything, the anti-corrosives in the coolant might even do you some good.)

There are a number of threads out there (this has bit me to) where we have had "new" alternators fail in the first year. I think there are just lots of operations out there using cheap parts for these things, which are essentially commodity components. I think my next alternator will be a Powermaster in an effort to get some better longevity.

The odd thing here... is that your squeal is a bearing/mechanical failure, yet your problem is electrical. I'd guess either:
- Your alternator is a super-terd and it's failing on you in multiple ways
OR
- You have an exciter wire problem and you got lucky by finding the impending bearing failure while you had the alternator disconnected