Where to buy alternator brushes?

Question

The battery and brake lights came on in Daihatsu Charade yesterday. They went off after a few miles, but came on again today. With 200K miles on the original alternator, I suspect that the brushes have worn away.

Years ago, I used to drop into my local auto electric shop and spend $5 on a new set of brushes. But today, all the shops in the yellow pages want to rebuild my alternator for $100+. I wouldn't mind if I was going to keep the car for many years, but this one may be going to the junk yard before too much longer. I would really prefer to keep the cash investments to a minimum.

My questions: Can anyone recommend a place where I can buy brushes? Maybe online or mail order?

It may turn out that direct replacement Daihatsu parts are too hard to find. Is there is such a thing as a universal brush kit? I'm sure I could easily machine the excess graphite away to make them fit.

Or is replacing brushes simply a forgotten art? Your thoughts and comments appreciated.

Ted Johnson · Accepted Answer

Er, did you try the dealer's parts counter?That's how I got replacement brushes ($19) for my 1987 Toyota. -Ted

Mike Walsh · Answer

It is very unusual for alternator brushes to wear out because the commutatorring is smooth, not segmented. The usual reasons for alternators failure is baddiodes or regulator. Many years ago I used to replace diodes, but no local partsstores carry them anymore.Blake wrote:

Mike Romain · Answer

Up here in Canada, we have Canadian Tire Stores. They sell rebuild kits for alternators that are in the $20.00 range. I have one in my trail box for my GM alternator on my Jeep and it has brushes, springs, diodes and the front bearing.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Blake wrote:

<not · Answer

If all else fails, goto your local parts store and look at the brushes/regulator that go into an 80's bosh alternator on a VW. It's 2 brushes sticking out of a little round plastic thing, I think last time I did a friends it was about $8 cdn at my local Lordco parts shop.

~Brian

Jim Vatunz · Answer

ring is smooth, not segmented. The usual reasons for alternators failure is bad diodes or regulator. Many years ago I used to replace diodes, but no local parts stores carry them anymore.

the brushes are still a wearing part and will wear out sometime after about 140,000km. like the original poster i've always just gone to an auto electric shop and bought brushes, i wasn't aware that they've started to get tight fisted about selling them.

I have a webcam in the tropics

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Mike Walsh · Answer

Any brushes will eventually wear out, but the diodes or the built-in regulatorwill almost always go sooner. I my Beretta with 135,000 is on its fourthalternator. One had bad diodes, one shorted regulator, one open regulator. Jim Vatunz wrote:ring is smooth, not segmented. The usual reasons for alternators failure is baddiodes or regulator. Many years ago I used to replace diodes, but no local partsstores carry them anymore.

Where to buy alternator brushes?

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