Three weeks ago, I installed a brand new (not rebuilt) AC Delco alternator in my crewcab dually. This was a totally stock replacement CS144. I bought the alternator from RockAuto. Friday night I got a call from a friend who's car died in Gettysburg, PA, so bring the trailer. I'm about an hour south of there, so off I go. I pull into the Sheetz where he's waiting, and a screeching noise is coming from under my hood. I had been driving with the windows open and stereo cranked, so I hadn't heard it until I stopped. Popped the hood and here's what my new alternator looked like:



Note that the rear bearing got so hot that the case melted:



And again, this was a brand new, AC Delco alternator with less than 500 miles on it:



Fortunately there was an Auto Zone with a rebuilt in stock less than a mile away, so I hiked there and back. Took less than 15 minutes to drop the new one in. We'll see what RockAuto says about the lifetime warranty on the AC Delco unit.

And yes, the AC Delco alternator was "Made in Mexico"...

 

Bad luck I've had really good luck with ac delco parts but I think gm hate me lately nothing has been going wright for over a week

 

Looks like you CANT blame the Chinese for this.

 

I bet the bearings are from china....i swear they are trying to do us in

 

Ok, the bearings is made in China, alternator is put together in the USA and box is made in Pakistan, correct?

 

How the hell do i know where the box is made...what difference does that make

 

Then what made you think that the bearings are made from China?

 

Probably made in Mexico.

 

Im not surprised. Nothing is made in the USA anymore.

 

not even the president.... LOL. Not looking to be political and don't even care if it is true or not but just couldn't pass it up.

 

LOL!!! That's a good one. Nothing is perfect in this world.

 

About 10 yrs. ago I put an Auto zone
unit in my Chev crew-cab, ponied up
for the lifetime warranty, and it's still
going. Made in Mexico, go figure.

 

I don't need to "go figure" at all. This mindset I see on here that anything that isn't made in the U.S. is automatically bad is nonsense. Auto parts are made all over the world now. High quality parts are made overseas, and low quality parts are made overseas. Ditto for parts made in the U.S.

We all know that an alternator can be bad when it comes home from the store, and that's been true ever since people have been buying alternators at stores and when all the alternators in the stores were made in the U.S. Joe Padavano's experience is just one of getting into a bad apple. It doesn't mean all store-bought alternators are bad or all ACDelco alternators are bad or all non-U.S.-made alternators are bad.

By the way, "ACDelco" is not a company but only a brand. I take that to mean that parts sold under the ACDelco name can be made anywhere in the world. It's just like old electronics brands like RCA and Zenith. You can still buy electronics with those names on them, but they mean nothing now as far as country of origin.

 

It may have been made/assembled in mexico with some usa parts as opposed to chinese parts that are assembled in mexico

 

In my opinion, it is all a matter of cutting costs. I don't believe a Delco alternator from years past would have done this. They have to compete with the junk out in the market regardless of what country it was made or assembled in or wherever the box was made. This is very disappointing to see.

 

Dead on right

 

Working at a full service shop I used to rely completely on ac parts after enough bad experiences with checker and Napa. Now I see (after enough years) that they all carry junk and you will see bad alternators then bad brake pads then bad power steering pumps. You get my point, I hope. Recently (December) got a NEW starter for my Chevy pickup. And it intermittently left me screwed. Crank the key anywhere from 3 to 50 times! Got another and all good now. So when do you want your new part to not work???

 

After testing the alternator in my Delta, I found it to be bad. I got an AC Delco from RA. While I was at it, I put in a new battery as the one in there was 5 yrs old, and also replaced the regulator. A month later, car cranks slow and dies. I charge the battery for a few hrs, start the car, and test the alternator......with car running and no lights, 12.10 with lights and blower running, high 11's. Seems the Delco lasted about a month....

 

If this was made in the USA or Canada this would not have happened I have never had a problem with US or can parts but I can not say that for off shore China made parts and Mexico parts. Its the race to the bottom yes they make good parts in other country's like Germany, Japan, France Italy, Korea, Britain. Its just that the jobber's and aftermarket can not make the parts cheap/china enough in the US and Can.

As far as aftermarket goes I have had good luck with Bosch

 

I have concerns about the quality of most of the auto parts made today as well. I recently put a new AC Delco water pump in my 307 that was "Made in China". Only time will tell if it is any good or not.

 

My 72 has a autozone water pump , alternator and starter, all work flawlessly. All my daily drivers get the cheapest autozone parts and I have had nothing but great outcome out of them. I remember I put el cheapo valucraft brake pads on my 9c1 95 caprice and I didn't even bother to clean the rotors or pads I figured they would go bad in a few months. Well to my surpise they lasted quite a while. Fast forward a few months ago we put name brand brake pads in my dads dodge and a week later they sounded like semi truck brakes and I cleaned and greased everything as I would normally do per procedure. Same goes for hrabor freight tools I have had a good long string of success with them even in the shop.

 

I was a parts guy for 45 years and couldn't begin to count the number of brand new parts took a dump right out of the box, both GM and hi-line European stuff... mass assembly and lack of quality control is as much to blame as anything else.

 

Hasn't the rear bearing on AC Delco alternators been a problem for awhile? I know of two friends who both had engine fires from these, totaled both vehicles.

 

i've seen nothing but fail from "hecho en mexico" acdelco alternators. you name it-i've seen it. they're just plain $hitty.

sad to see a formerly solid company and product go down the crapper.


bill

 

Used to be Bosch was kinda crappy. At least they were in O2 sensors and Alternators.

Delco used to beat them hands down. But now, I suspect EVERY new Delco part as a "Help" branded cheapo part reboxed. Seriously. If it doesn't have a mid-90s or earlier date on it somewhere, I'm going to suspect it.

 

check for where it was made, in addition to when it was made.


bill

 

I think the important thing is we work hard and spend our money on this for most of us as a hobby. That means we use the money we don't have to use for our family on these cars. We take great care of them. Baby them, pamper them better than almost anything in our lives. Yet Joe bought a NEW not rebuilt alternator for a reason. Not to test the warranty. But to not have to worry about it. Quality is so important. What if it was your wife or daughter and it was a snow storm or something like that and because someone cut a corner or did not care enough to ensure the item bought was of good quality. They would have gone threw hell.

Quality and integrity is gone these days. It is a shame and a discrace.

Sorry but I am sick of people that are ok with putting out crap.

 

X2 I have a co worker that rushes every job has the highest come backs and shop supply's cost . I feel he is rewarded not punished for these acts others have to clean up his messes and he is one of the high hrs guys makes me mad

 

I had a rebuilt AC Delco starter die after a couple of months.

AC Delco USED to be high quality - not any more.

I have all my electrical stuff rebuilt by reputable shops.