Does anyone replace their alternator for time or miles? After 230k miles, was finally stranded.

Well I should preface this by saying that I'm not positive it's the alternator, but that's my diagnosis. Lost power out in the boonies going up a hill. Was quite the adventure getting back to civilization.

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Got me thinking, should I have just replaced this after a certain number of years or miles?

Is the starter next??

I did in fact check the @shifty` FAQ and didn't see anything about alternators. (not that I'm saying this is his fault!)

 

My starter went about 250k. My alternator went 305k. I only replaced after they failed.

 

I just bought a Desno Alternator & Starter yesterday on Rockauto because I know my time is coming. Im at 230K

 

Neither time nor miles for me personally, even going back to my younger years of maintaining all my other vehicles. Speaking of 1st Gen only, they just keep going and going and going.
Due to age of my 04, I have bought both starter and alternator because of the NLA factor. I also bought kit for starter, mainly for my grandson to have when my time is up so he can re-build original if he wishes.

Where many folks fail is lack of maintenance especially to batt cables like below. Corrosion and especially that much can eat it's way further and further into conductor, which can definitely affect longevity of starter or generator/alternator.

 

My is not the first gen, but my alternator shit itself at 32,000 miles. You read that correct, a 2021 shit its own alternator at that early mileage, even dealer was surprised that it happened.....
So, yea, time/mileage would not necessarily have any relationship on when it was about to commit the unspeakable.....lol

 

When I bought it, there was significant corrosion. I cleaned up the terminals and bought new connectors and put some grease on the terminals too to slow down the corrosion.

 

Felt washers. Felt washers with dielectric grease on them and on the terminals will stop 90%+ of battery emissions that typically cause corrosion. They cost virtually nothing and will save tons of grief.

Found the problem!!!

In all seriousness, my factory alternator burned up, actually caught fire in ... late 2019? That was right around 60,000 original miles. No oil leaks into it. No rhyme or reason. I'm just driving down the road, the battery light turns on, truck starts stumbling. I was about 2mi from a NAPA store, so I ran in, replaced the battery, and that hot new battery had that alternator smoking out from under the hood as I was pulling back out onto the street. Promptly turned around, whipped open the hood and disco'd the positive cable. Holeee crap. Shocked none of my wiring melted.

So no. I'd say "mileage" isn't a factor, so much as age. I'm sure mileage is a factor also just because it has brushes. But really, 15 years is a good run for an alternator. 200k miles is also a good run for an alternator. But I'd be hard-pressed to change it prior to either without some symptoms to suggest a problem.

 

@shifty` always with the knowledge. I will try that. I just used the moly NLGI grease I already had loaded up in the grease gun.

Well the final answer, is it is my fuel pump. It was on its last legs. 8 PSI coming out. New one and also having him do the fuel filter.

I do have a small valve cover gasket leak which is leaking onto the alternator, but it isn't bad yet. Not leaking onto the manifold yet. Doesn't stink.

 

Damn it @shifty`
But yea, starter/alternator sometimes have "signs" of it about to pass, but most of the time? Nope.
I stopped at a friend's house, went out about two hours later to move the truck, dead as a roadkill....

 

When did yours go out?

Since this was the fuel pump that went out, I'm strongly considering just doing the alternator and starter pre-emptively... I don't want to get stranded out in the boonies.

 

Fuel pumps ... when they fail, just like tapping a starter solenoid on a failing will usually get you up and going again, slapping the gas tank a few times while (or sometimes before) starting will often get you another few trips out of the pump. I've done both multiple times. No such trick for alternators, though.

 

I replaced my alternator at 207k miles. It didn't go out, just figured it would if I didn't. I kept the original to rebuild in the future.

 

Mine went out around 32k miles.
If you are doing the fuel pump and have the money to do the alternator and starter, I would say why not....
230k miles on those is good enough, some might say they can go 300k, but to be stranded again, nah..... I will get it done to have piece of mind to begin with.

 

Trying to remember the last time I had to replace an alternator on any vehicle I have owned.
Our 2010 Corolla has 238K miles and has never had any major components fail, or sensors for that matter.
Just routine maintenance.
A 96 Jeep I had went 340K with original alternator when I got rid of it.. Starter went at 200K and was about the easiest replacement ever.
Have had water pumps go, starters, but it's been a couple decades since I've ever had to do an alternator.
Never have had a fuel pump failure on any vehicle either.

 

Only alternator I ever replaced was on a Suburban where the one of the bearings failed. And stared sling out the balls. 5 minute job on that car. Tundra still going strong after 250K+ miles

 

So I asked my mechanic about this. He recommended against replacing it. He said he thinks even the 20 year old Toyota starter and alternator are better than the ones available now. He wasn't sure about OEM replacements for those. He told me to stick with it.

Update after I got the truck back. The PO had replaced the fuel pump and the fuel line. Unfortunately for me, with an aftermarket kit. The stupid fuel line split, so all of the fuel was getting pumped out the hole and back into the tank. He replaced the pump because it was non-OEM. The filter looked like it had never been replaced. Looked horrible. Probably fully occluded. Sure drives a lot better now! Haha.

 

I would understand his reasoning against changing it, but the fact remains, either you go strong for another 100k or stranded on the side of the road, take your pick and pick your poison, I guess....
As for the fuel pump/line, I am not sure if going with aftermarket kit is a smart idea at all, granted, cost would be lower, but there is a reason that @shifty` preached OEM like a choir for a reason....

 

Yeah even though the pump was good we switched it out to the Denso kit. New pump and fuel line. Unfortunately couldn't get an OEM fuel filter so went with Carquest.

 

Im at 256,000 on my 07. Don't know what status of the starter or alternator but am ready to face that reality when it comes up. Not before.

 

Call me a pessimist but I changed the alternator at the same time as the timing belt. Easy peasy with everything else out of the way. Took the old one to an electrical shop to have it gone over and now it's a spare.

 

What kind did you get? My mechanic said he thinks the old Toyota ones are more reliable than the new ones. I feel like I'd trust a new Denso one though.

 

Denso.

 

I replaced mine before it failed for this exact reason. My truck had around 190k miles when I swapped it. I don't want to get stranded somewhere. Also, Denso discontinued the reman alternators for my 2002 so I bought one of the last ones.

I should probably do the starter but they seem to last a really long time.

 

I can't argue with preventative maintenance, but the two times I've replaced an alternator, they gave me plenty of warning.

 

When ours failed on the RAV4, the battery light came on but it still ran fine.

 

My 2006 I think I did around 150k or so. Noticed the battery gauge fluctuating in conjunction with a whine from the alternator so I replaced it with an OEM.

 

Yep. On my Tacoma, when it hit ~300,000 miles, I was getting either a check engine light or battery light, don't remember which. I used a code reader to do a charging system test, and it told me the alternator was going.

Other vehicle was an 87 Toyota pickup. I was driving home from a road trip, and electrical stuff started getting really weird...eventually the lights got more and more dim, and that was the end. I got home no problem, but it wasn't going anywhere after that. I think I probably went 100 miles from when the symptoms started, to home.

You never know, but I'm comfortable waiting for symptoms. I thought about preemptively replacing the fuel pump on my Tacoma for probably the last 100,000 miles I owned it, just knowing it's got to go sometime, and since it's so hard to get at, I didn't want that to go out on a road trip. But I never did, and sold it at 330,000 miles with the original...

 

Yeah I've heard they don't make them any more. I'd hate to take out my working OEM one for a third party.

How did they let you know? Just want to know what to look out for.

 

Either a battery light or check engine light on the Tacoma. On the old pickup, weird things started happening with the electrical system while driving. This was over 20 years ago so my memory is a bit faded...At the end, close to home, the headlights and dash lights were getting more and more dim. But at first it was weird stuff with the stereo and other things that you wouldn't assume (unless you know better) have anything to do with the charging system. You'd think there was a computer malfunction or something. I don't think there's any telltale sign. It could be a lot of different things. If your electrical system seems to be going haywire in any way, the alternator is at least something worth checking.

You can, anytime you want, check your charging system with a code reader, or have a shop do it. I guess if I were being really paranoid, before a road trip or something, I'd run some diagnostics on the system.

 

Thanks, this is helpful. I actually did check the battery, alternator, and the starter at the auto parts store around the corner before this trip. I didn't know you could check it with a code reader. Maybe I'll get one to have at home.

I learned to drive on an '85 Toyota Pickup! 4 speed, no overdrive.