Refurbished Alternators

[JollyGreen]

About 3 weeks ago I had the battery warning light light up on my Elise.
Took it down to Stratstone (local dealer) who confirmed it was the alternator as I suspected, and wanted £500 to replace it!
Naturally I respectfully declined and found a local place (Motoserv) that sold refurbished units for £185 in return for your old unit.

Nabbed myself one of those bad boys (cheapest place I could find) and fitted it (not knowing what I was doing and suffering a stripped few nuts on the undertray this took me 7 hours to replace from above!).
Was pleased with the end result until about a week later when the battery light flickered on again while accellerating.
Happened so reliably and so precisely while accellerating I figured it was the belt slipping, so I gave it a good tightening!

Unfortunately this made very little difference (placebo most likely) and I suffered a snapped belt a week later while on an advanced driving course! (most embarassing! (which Stratstone incidently wanted a little under £100 to replace!)).

So I eventually took it down to a local Auto Electrician who diagnosed it as a faulty unit and I've just spent an hour of my time getting the damn thing back out again!

Going to go down to Motoserv tommorow and respectfully "request" a replacement unit (hopefully one that works, though I'm not holding out /too/ much hope!).

Fingers crossed!

 

[JollyGreen]

I think with all the time and money you have spent it would have been safer getting it done right at the start. Would you not agree

What, £500 instead of £205? (Including £20 for the autoelectrician).
Sounds like a big waste of money to me

 

[JollyGreen]

What's the bodge? The refurbished alternator?
How was I to know refurbished meant "It won't work" .
Just because I prefer to take the initiative rather than blindly fork out massive amounts of cash to someone because I don't know any better doesn't mean it's a bodge.

Incidently I'm 20 now

 

[JollyGreen]

I think this is what people refer to when they say "bodge"

Well how do you learn apart from doing?
I took the advice from one of my mates dads who's quite knowledgeable about these things and set about the task, how else am I expected to become competent?
And anyway, it's hardly like I've cost myself any more money than I would have by shelling it out, and I've learnt a lot! (not to mention saved nearly £300).

 

[JollyGreen]

Sometimes you post the most bizarre stuff. Seriously, the guy has admitted he made a total hash of it. Given this, what does your the ability to fit an alternator posessed by a) Your mother and b) Myself have to do with anything?

Hang on, what did I make a total hash of beyond overtightening an alternator belt because I misdiagnosed a fault with the new unit as something that I'd done wrong (which I hadn't).

 

[JollyGreen]

the Elise was not a 13k car when it left the factory.

The enzo was an example (although massively exagerative, it still illustrates the point) that performance cars will cost a fair amount to run.

Your comparison is still flawed however as the original part I replaced was a bosch part found in various cars defined as somewhat less than performance cars, and considering the exceptionally accessible design of the engine bay should not cost much labour to replace!

 

[JollyGreen]

So if its so simple how come it took 7 hours

Because it was a "learning" experience
I'm sure that when I come to put in the warranty replaced unit it'll take me less than 90 minutes on my own without removing the undertray.

 

[JollyGreen]

I can see that, like in your original thread when you bought the elise, you wont listen to reason... nevermind.. I cant be bothered to add anything more to the thread (although I await my personal insults with great joy and anticipation !!)

Personal insults

 

[JollyGreen]

JG do you have the K series or Toyota block?

The former.
Edit: Damnit!