I bought a stock Si hatch last year. It has around 218k miles on it. I believe the alternator in the car is still the stock unit but I'm really not sure how to tell. I'm not quite as tech savvy as many of the people on this site.

Anyhow, the bearing started making a nasty loud noise about two weeks ago. I've only ever had one alternator fail on me in the past and it was on a 91 Accord with an auto tranny about ten years ago. When it went it just went immediately. Although this bearing noise showed up the Civic still operated fine so I've been driving it the past two weeks. Yesterday it all of a sudden started to whine and then the motor died. It started back up but this time the bearing noise, or noise in general, was louder. It would operate for about 10-30 seconds and then revert to the whine and die. Each time the whine would start I would begin to smell a mild burning smell in the cabin but it would immediately go away. I repeated this a few times in an effort to get back to the house. Coasting when the motor would die and doing a form of hypermilling and then cranking it back up again when I got to low MPH. The last time I cranked it prior to making it home I got up in to fourth gear and then heard like a loud bang, or popping/cracking sound. I thought maybe one of the belts attached to the alternator had snapped but it created no adverse effects on the car. The motor didn't die and the really strange thing is that all the other noises from the alternator ceased completely, including the bearing noise. I got home and parked the car and before I killed the motor I popped the hood to inspect the alternator. No snapped belt. It's not possible that the bearing could have thrown itself back in to place and/or started working properly again, is it? What would cause that loud popping noise? Did a diode blow up or something? There is no foul smell, smoke, etc. from the alternator. Sorry if these are stupid questions. Like I said I'm not as tech savvy as I would like to be. I just love these older Hondas.

I parked the car last night and haven't tried to start it yet this morning. I'm leaning towards just having the alternator replaced for peace of mind. It sound like it's going so I figured I should replace it especially if it is the stock unit. I was looking online and found these two Denso options (click the link and scroll down to the two Denso units). One is labeled "Super Class" and the other not. They are only $.50 difference in price but I'm not sure if one is a better option. Assuming I were to go ahead and replace the alternator with one of these two options, which one would you order?

http://www.usautoparts.net/catalog/?...631+11921+9176

 

No one has an opinion on this? I'm leaning towards the first one.

 

Has the battery ever gone dead?
Do you have AC that the compressor could have died rather than your alt?

 

Go get a Denso factory alternator if you want a quality piece that will function and work properly. These "new" rebuilt alternators that the big parts houses are selling are typically junk.