This, do not go for aftermarket, generally they’re crap. I’ve put three aftermarket ones in the Vectra, all them drop charge after between 4-6months, each one was a warranty replacement for the first.I'd get it reconditioned, the original unit will be higher quality than the aftermarket replacement, same with starter motors. Try CJ Collins in Doagh, though i'm sure there's numerous others. If you need the car fixed ASAP though, then swap it out for another one, depends on the circumstance.
This, do not go for aftermarket, generally they’re crap. I’ve put three aftermarket ones in the Vectra, all them drop charge after between 4-6months, each one was a warranty replacement for the first.
The only reason I changed it in the first place was basically mid-diagnosis. Thought it had a noisy bearing inside (had changed the pulley to no avail), turned out to be the aircon pump.
Currently running a second hand genuine one now.
Even aftermarket ones on my van, I was getting around 150k from them. OEM lasted about the same, so little odds really. Meant no sense taking the risk buying a used OEM that was probably due to fail. Prices did come down considerably over the time I owned my van, from around £350 exchange at the start, to a little over £100 with no exchange !
Load of balls that all aftermarket ones are crap. Fit a decent brand and it’ll generally be better than a rewound one that you’ll get done locally.
If aftermarket ones were garbage, we wouldn’t give ourselves the hassle by selling them and having to deal with warranty claims.
Almost none are ever re-wound. They'll replace bearings and the regulator, maybe rectifier etc. But the main core parts would have little reason to touch.
And 13.7 is pretty low, 14.8 is better.
Like I said, I wasn’t suggesting that every aftermarket one is crap.
Sadly with the motor factors I used, I was given a choice of brand. Even with the two warranty returns, when I asked for an upgrade, even offering to pay any difference, I was told there they didn’t offer any alternative.
Of course I realise this is an issue with this particular motor factors, but I was between a rock and a hard place each time it failed as I needed the car on the road as quickly as possible and I didn’t have the money to allow me to pay full costs for another one from another motor factor whilst waiting on a refund from the initial motor factor.
14.8 is too high. 14 or fairly close to it is the norm.
Mine was an early type of smart charge system and I was sold a replacement unit which turned out to be guff. It wasn't a reconditioned unit, it was new, just sh1te. I was in a bind as it was a couple of days before a rally and I needed something that just worked. It never really did so I went with a good S/H unit which has been fine.
I'm not saying all aftermarket units are crap at all, just watch out for the ones in black boxes with no name on them.. Lesson learned lol
I only read the label when I took it off to dump it. The casing wasn't even dimensionally correct, I had to shim it with washers to get it to fit right-ish.
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lower 14's may be the norm, but 14.8 is perfectly fine.