Alternators

How long (in terms of mileage) does an alternator last?

I have a 1998 Honda Civic EX sedan.

Reply to
warlock162
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It's generally the alternator brushes, and not the whole alternator say, that are most likely to fail at this point, assuming the alternator has not had anything else go wrong.

See

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for more discussion, reflecting a fair amount of what's been posted here in the past. "warlock162" wrote

Reply to
Elle

Failure on my 98 civic LX occured at 178000kms (110000mi). Failure mode was the bearings. They failed, which allowed the center shaft to shift. This caused to rotor to dig into the copper stator assembly, making a rebuild less than economical.

I actually replaced it with an alternator from the wrecker. $95 for a unit with only 118000kms (73000mi) on it.

t

Elle wrote:

Reply to
loewent via CarKB.com

100-150k, depending on use. on some makes [denso], you can replace brushes as a cheapo life extension. on others [mitsubishi], you can't and your only option is replacement. unless you're into recreational alternator repair, just get a reconditioned unit from a reputable source that offers decent warranties.
Reply to
jim beam

you should come to norcal. you can get alternators, sometimes _new_ ones if you're lucky, from junkyards for $35.

Reply to
jim beam

at the time, $35 US was about $95 canadian.... lol

Also, just a note, that the failure mode I listed had a noticeable whine before it failed for quite some time. Only upon disassembly did I discover that the stator was beyond repair...

t

jim beam wrote:

Reply to
loewent via CarKB.com

maybe next time your car tries to tell you something you should listen to it, putting new bearings in the alternator is fairly easy and costs less than a whole new alternator.

Reply to
Eric

Here is my experience with Honda alternators:

'74 Civic 70K sold with original alternator still operational. '80 Accord 85K sold with original alternator still operational. '86 Integra 115K sold with original alternator still operational. '94 Integra GS-R 161K still running on original alternator '98 Odyssey 85K still running on original alternator

In 33 years of Honda ownership I have never replaced an alternator. YMMV.

Reply to
Gordon McGrew

Reply to
loewent via CarKB.com

`86 accord 90,000 miles and 150,000 miles alternator replacements mred

Reply to
mred

im wondering if a battery thats getting weaker can strain the alternator and cause it to go bad.

-jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Reply to
loewent via CarKB.com

I second that, and will even hazard a number: 150K miles is a rough life expectancy for alternator brushes. I've seen them go beyond 200K miles, but

150K miles or 200K km is a ballpark figure. 100K miles or 150K km is premature IMO. For the rest of the alternator I think most last the life of the car (but not all do by any means.) Aftermarket alternators are a whole different thing, too.
Reply to
Michael Pardee

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