Caution " Oh Reallys" alert

[chillman88]

Be careful, been down this road before. It will most likely read "lifetime replacement" not "lifetime replacements".

Yep. They will replace the ONE you bought as long as you are alive. That's what they're likely to tell you.

 

[Jesus Freak]

Be careful, been down this road before. It will most likely read "lifetime replacement" not "lifetime replacements".

Yep. They will replace the ONE you bought as long as you are alive. That's what they're likely to tell you.

I actually delt with the manager the last time I exchanged it and he was kinda hot about it. According to Romans 12 I do try to live at peace with all men as much as lies within me. So, I try not to be "that guy". Obviously, I don't let people "walk on me" but I do try NOT to be "the jerk with the really big Jesus sticker on his back glass". I'm good with 3 exchanges. And if y'all want to spend some time with those super great guys at power master, I bet if you gave them a sob story about a poor white friend of yours that could sure use a starter they'd give you a great deal and then you could get the "fuzzies" because you hooked me up!

 

[Clb]

Yep Corporate Chimerica

 

[ttman4]

Well I just replaced my lifetime starter at NAPA last week, been 5 yrs. Asked them how long this lifetime deal goes on.......they said "FOREVER", you paid for it. And BTW keep your receipt in glove box & if you in NY or Calif Or Cuba & you need a starter pull your receipt.
I always want6ed to go to Australia, wonder if they have NAPA in Australia????

 

[Rdnck84_03]

I'm good with 3 exchanges

My biggest problem with these warranties is just the fact that if the quality was there, the warranty would never be needed.

I have noticed that most current remans seem to have absolutely no quality. I actually just had an issue on the 82 that I recently rebuilt the engine in. I didn't replace or disassemble the alternator because I was told it had been replaced just before the engine issues. I could tell by looking that it was very recent, so I went with it.

After I started driving it, I noticed that shortly after starting it in the mornings that the headlights would pulsate like the regulator was acting a little weird. After a few days of this it stopped doing it.

So I thought maybe it had drawn some moisture from sitting and was good now. Go out after work one day a couple weeks ago, nothing but the dreaded solenoid click. So after a jump start, I pickup a regulator and throw the charger on the battery.

Seemed to be fix, until I noticed a seemingly unrelated issue one morning. Truck was running like crap and idling high, figured out the choke wasn't turning off. I figured the choke coil had burned out since it is somewhat common, so I just adjusted it so it would hold it open.

Everything still seemed fine for about a week, then after work one day the solenoid click again. This is when I started putting all the pieces together and realized that the alternator wasn't putting out any power.

I pulled it off and after looking at the sticker on it decided that I wasn't sure where it came from. The sticker did give some info that I didn't really like to see but I think is pretty much unavoidable anymore, " remanufactured in china".

I decided to take a gamble and disassembled it to see if there is anything obvious wrong before I replace it. As soon as I pull the armature out I realize why it wasn't working, I wish I had taken pictures. But everything inside that should normally be bare metal was painted with some super thick paint, thick enough that it was actually rubbing. After several hours of sanding all of it down to bare metal, reassembled and installed it. So far everything is working as it should.

James

 

[Clb]

I wish q.c. was as important as
How fast can I make it "profitable "

 

[Jesus Freak]

I wish q.c. was as important as
How fast can I make it "profitable "

There's good-fast-and cheap, you can have 2 but not all 3.

 

[chillman88]

There's good-fast-and cheap, you can have 2 but not all 3.

Can't even get fast and cheap anymore most places!

The guy that rebuilt my alternator was surprised how trashed it was after one year..... "Rebuilt in Mexico"

 

[Rdnck84_03]

"Rebuilt in Mexico"

I will take that over "remanufactured in China".

 

[Old Goat]

I have been through several "Rebuilt" Alternators I got from "O" Really`s. Last one I actially found in PNP that had just been replaced and wasn`t even dirty. Had it on the shelf for a couple years before installing it.
Ran it 77K Miles, and noticed when the engine idled, the lights would dim, and brighten up when picking up the speed.

A few years back my John Deere 950 Alt took a dump, found some burned wires etc... (Long Story) and finally went with a one wire Alt I got off Steiner Tractor. A 35 Amp made in China, where else?
original was 25 amp.
Going this route I was able to eliminate a lot of wires in the Harness, But did need to add a Volt meter (suppose to activate the Alt)

One wire`s have been used in the auto industry a long time.
And there have been a ton of threads going to the G3 and what wires to get from a wreck in the JY`ds.
Seems like the only alternators are mostly rebuilt ones.
I thought about going the G3 route for a while.
But went with a one wire Power Master 130amp new one.
I ran a 6G ground from the rear bolt straight to the Neg. on the battery.
Ran a 6G positive from the Alt. to the Pos side of the battery.
The 3 that went to the top of the old Alt, (as I remember) connected them together....and deep six`d the old regulator.

They recommended a smaller pulley (113) to spin the Alt faster.
As we know, the stock Pulley, one side is deeper than the other side. new one in same on both sides, so the big belt rides higher in the groove.
Thinking of taking the stock one and have it turned down on that one side to match the 113.

Every time we modify something, there is always some tweaking of the next thing down the line, and what fun is there if we don`t have to s crew with something when we were trying to get something else to work better.


Goat

 

[Dirtleg]

Probably there for balancing. And I would have spoken to the manager, lifetime doesn't mean 3 times.

Not the "O" but years ago at advance I had bought a new A/C compressor, lifetime warranty. It failed in 6 months. I got it replaced. That one failed. Their excuse for not replacing it a 2nd time? We discontinued that part number so we can't warranty it. ***?

Yeah they lost my business that day. Not kidding. I will drive 20 minutes instead of 5 to get a part. That 1 denied warranty claim has literally cost them multiple thousands of dollars over the last 15 years.

 

[Nero]

I almost exclusively shop at Napa. I've had people at O'Reilly's tell me to my face a part is wrong cause it didn't match their system.
At Napa, as long as the part has a Napa sticker and part number on it, they'll warranty it out. Even if the part has been superceded.

 

[Rdnck84_03]

I was told by a friend that is a manager at one of our somewhat local O'Reilly that corporate changes their part numbers every so often on most of the lifetime warranty parts so that it is no longer under warranty. They don't supercede the numbers either so there is no link back.

That's why you can take a part number of a part that came from them in to make it easier to find and it doesn't come up with anything in their system.

James

 

[tradergem]

Seems like that could be considered consumer fraud by some states consumer protection laws?

 

[Rdnck84_03]

Should be in all states! But I don't worry about it anymore. Between that and the people they hire now can't even find their own ass with both hands, I have started taking my business to a couple of locally owned parts store.

James