So about a week ago now, my '92 EX ate the bearings in it's alternator. It was an AutoZone cheapy apparently put on by the previous owner. Th bearings went causing it to rip the rest of the alternator to shreds while I drove it about 30miles home from college (it was *really* smoking by the time I got it home). Un-re-build-able. The trusty Alternator and Starter place around the corner (where I've heard nothing but praise from some friends and local trusted car nuts, who also are friends) ordered a BRAND NEW alternator for me. Supposedly they ordered me a 100A instead of the stock 80A version.
So here's the story on that NEW alternator:
Day 1) Alternator/Charge light won't go out - Bad regulator, replaced with about 5 miles on the car
Day 3) The alternator is not only too hot to touch after an 8 mile drive (about 15 miles since the regulator was replaced) but is also smelling very hot (like burning electronics). Windings appear much darker than they previously were. It did start to smoke just before I got home to take it back off the car.
Day 4) Local shop tested the car for a bad ground. That proved to not be true, Appeared grounded fine. The alternator showed a 14Amp load at 1500 RPM cold idle.
Day 5) A second new alternator is put on. I've driven the car a total of about 30 miles and sometimes it's quite cool (warm, but you can touch it) and other times it's too hot to touch. Regardless, I haven't got the burning smell yet and I'll check in the morning for darkened windings.

My question is simply this: Should I be looking for a major electrical problem that someone else has experienced or am I getting parts from a bad batch of new alternators?

On another note, my gas mileage seems to be rebounding on these new alternators, though I have no idea why a new alternator would make the difference...

Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

~joc1394.


Modified by joc1394 at 9:30 PM 12/18/2007

 

Ummm, alternators are normally hot. It's bolted to a bracket, that bracket in turn bolts to the engine block. Heat transfers from the block to the alternator through the bracket. The smell too, is normal. It will go away after a few hundred miles.

As long as she doesn't smoke, she's probably fine.

 

So far, so good, it seems I just got a bad alternator. The second replacement seems to have been successful. Problem solved...