OEM or aftermarket alternator for 2000 Mountaineer V6? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

  • Register Today It's free!

OEM or aftermarket alternator for 2000 Mountaineer V6?

heavymg08

New Member
Joined
September 25, 2010
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
City, State
New England
Year, Model & Trim Level
2000 Mountaineer V6
Hello all;

First timer here. Fairly thorough archive search failed to shed light on my questions.

My Mountaineer has 236,000 miles and runs exceptionally well but the original alternator died two days ago (voltage test across clean battery terminals at idle showed 11 VDC). Being self employed with no time to rebuild the alternator or shop around, I bought and installed an OEM replacement from local Ford dealer, while at the same time I charged my 4 year old Motorcraft battery back up to 12 volts. For several reasons I now wonder if a dealer provided OEM alternator was the best choice.


First
I'm seeing only 13V across the battery terminals at idle, and I believe I should see minimum 13.5V. I believe my volt meter is working properly because it reads 1.5V when placed across a standard 1.5V AAA battery, and my Motorcraft battery tests 12V exactly with engine off.

Am I wrong to believe there shoud be minimum 13.5V across battery terminals at idle?


Second
I hear a slight whirring sound coming from the alternator, with the hood open. The sound is amplified in the cabin and it's annoying. But most of all it shouldn't be there on a brand new OEM alternator.

Am I wrong on this, too? Would like to hear opinons as to what's causing this soft whirring sound?


Third
A label stuck on the alternator body reads "Remanufactured". I didn't know this was a reman unit until I got home with it. I installed it anyway as I needed the truck to be up and running. The dealer wasn't able (or willing) to tell me who remanufactures their alternators. All he'd say is "they use all new parts".

What's been your personal experience with Ford OEM alternators.


Fourth
I paid $292! I justified the cost by reminding myself that I got 236,000 miles by scrupulous maintenance and use of quality (mostly OEM) parts when needed.

What's a good aftermarket alternator? How long has your aftermarket alternator lasted and does it work like it should without exception?

----------------------------------

Thanks for listening and thanks in advance for any and all responses.
 



Join the Elite Explorers for $20 each year.
Elite Explorer members see no advertisements, no banner ads, no double underlined links,.
Add an avatar, upload photo attachments, and more!
.





The voltage across the battery with the engine running should be 14.4V +/- 0.2V. It can be a little less at idle with lights on, OEM alternator is fully rated from 1000rpm up.
I have changed a few alternators in my life (different cars) :) Never paid for a OEM one - some parts are same quality or better from third-party vendors at lower price.
I personally think that spark plugs, alternators and such are better from other sources than Ford. They are buying anyway their stuff from the same vendors and label it Motorcraft.
 






My Mountaineer has 236,000 miles and runs exceptionally well

Congratulations on such a good run so far!

heavymg08 said:
Am I wrong to believe there shoud be minimum 13.5V across battery terminals at idle?

The voltage across battery terminals should read about 14.5V at idle as SoNic67 said. Immediately after turning off the engine the voltage should read about 13.5V. After an hour or so, or after the car has been sitting overnight, the voltage should read about 12.3V. The "new" oem alternator you have is not providing enough voltage.

heavymg08 said:
I hear a slight whirring sound coming from the alternator, with the hood open. The sound is amplified in the cabin and it's annoying. But most of all it shouldn't be there on a brand new OEM alternator.

You are correct, there shouldn't be a peep coming out of that "new" part. It should be quieter than a door mouse on Christmas eve. What you describe sounds like a defective bearing. Luckily for you almost all ford dealership parts come with a 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. Simply take the part back and have them replace it. If the service department refuses then talk to the owner. If he refuses then you have one more option.

All purchases made on credit cards (not debit) in the USA have buyer protection if they are over $50 or made within the state where the billing address is. If the product you receive is defective or not what it was represented as (e.g. a working alternator) you are covered, buyer's remorse is not. If you make attempts to resolve the issue with the merchant "in good faith" and they refuse to help you, report it to your credit card company and the merchant in writing. You may also do it over the phone or now days online, but follow it up in writing to both parties or you don't receive protection under credit card law. At that point your credit card company will remove the item from your bill and notify the merchant. From there the merchant can either sue you or drop it. If the law is on your side, which in this case it appears to be, they will likely drop it. Note that this buyer protection must be enacted before you pay the bill that the item in question is listed on. In some cases you can be covered up to 60 days later but those conditions are more stringent. All of this is listed in the fine print of credit card contracts. This is why I try to make all major purchases at the beginning of my billing cycle to give me time to test out the hardware before my protection expires.

heavymg08 said:
The dealer wasn't able (or willing) to tell me who remanufactures their alternators. All he'd say is "they use all new parts"

I always get the old part, unless it has a core charge in which case I have them let me inspect the old part, and the box that the new one came in. I don't care if they have to dig through the trash to find it. If you can't prove to me the work that was done then something is wrong.

heavymg08 said:
What's a good aftermarket alternator? How long has your aftermarket alternator lasted and does it work like it should without exception?

I got a Duralast reman. alternator and Duralast Gold battery about four months ago and they cost half the OEM price. That's a quality brand in my opinion and they have performed well so far. When buying aftermarket parts look at the warranty offered on them and go for the ones that have better warranties. Think of it this way: Why would you offer an inferior warranty if your part is so great? Exactly. In general OEM parts are overrated except for if you are rebuilding an engine I think.
 












I bought a 130amp alternator from Schucks/O'reilys for $135. I think that included the core charge. I don't remember. well anyway, It works great and its way better than the stealership price.
 






Thanks everyone for your replies. SoNic67 and OneLever...14.something volts is what I recall as correct from my younger days when I did all my own work except trans, engine rebuilds, etc. And OneLever, thanks for confirming what I suspected...that a factory new alternator should be as quiet as a church mouse in prayer. This alternator is going back for a refund. I always had good luck with Bosch alternators and starters and think I'll look into that brand next.

I'd love to post pics of my Mountaineer but don't know if I'll really find time. Still, I think enthusiasts like everyone here would get a kick out of seeing this truck. It looks very good and some would say excellent.
 






Sorry, we can't believe how good it looks unless we see pics... :) J/K!

Yeah, sounds like they took you for a ride if the sticker says reman. I'd toss it through the biggest, most expensive plate glass window they have.
 






Back
Top