sabe951

i have an 86 951. when i got it about a year ago, it had an autozone alternator on it. recently, that one died, so we put another one on it...and it died within two weeks. then i went to get another one, and they tested it in store and it worked, so when i put that one on(the 2nd one within a month) it died. is there anything on the car i should check? thanks guys

silverBean

Have you changed the voltage regulator? It also never hurts to clean your grounds. Just be sure to plug the opening at the top of the bell housing. There is a ground at the back of the engine right over that, and if you drop the bolt into it, it will ruin your day. Good luck!

sabe951

thanks. ill get on that in the morning

JimV8

Alternators don't die. They get killed. Just curious but what voltage output where you reading. I'm betting on a bad voltage regulator.

bearone

these alternators come with a new vr.

whether autozone or whoever, if you get a bosch rebuilt unit, it's like the shops get too. anything other than a bosch rebuild is risky.
i got a bad one a while back, took it back and no further problems.

87951

sayporsha

If you need another alternator have a good one from an 86 951 for $65, shipping included to the 48 states. PM me if interested.

mtccl

Are you replacing and/or ensuring your battery is good when you do these alternator replacements?

The quickest way to kill an alternator is with a bad battery.

bearone

it is recommended to have the batt fully charged.

87951

sabe951

the battery is charged and good. it reads normal when it works, then it suddenly stops reading anything. that unit you have, is it a bosch? i don't see how it could kill 2 alternators within a month...maybe i just got unlucky?

mtccl

Replace the battery unless you know it is new. Probably has a dead cell.

sayporsha

I don't know. There is a foil sticker on it but whatever was printed there is not readable. I can tell you it was working fine when pulled, and it spins smooth & quiet.