With 147K on it, I don't think my QX4 is high mileage. But it's the vacationmobile and a large portion of it's miles are a thousand miles or more away from home, meaning an alternator issue would be more than a nuisance. Impossible to answer with precision, but am I living on borrowed time, or do they routinely go 250-300K? Brushes, voltage regulator, or just buy a rebuilt one. Or is new the only way to go?

I replaced the one on my '99 when it failed at a little over 170K. It was the original and I replaced it with a new one I purchased from RockAuto. Think I paid $130.

Went 220,000 miles on my first QX4 and never replaced it. Piece of mind is worth something though.

Bosch brand I happen to get at Pep Boys , Ltd Lifetime wty ,@ 145kmi original tapped out. Car now has 270k and NO alternator issues - but I check tension and clean pulleys and belts yearly .

On mine and many Infinitis it's a VERY small diameter alt. pully run by a fairly large crank pulley , so there can be squealing at startup when it quickly hits high idle. Ya gotta be in a "narrow" margin of tension , too much DOES burden the front bearings on cold start ( IF there is not really ANY opposing belt 180 deg across!!) .A lot of tension of course = bad for the Alternator.

So I've gone the route of very ,very little belt dressing on a piece of terry-cloth rubbed onto cleaned up belt.
I learned never to spray belt dressing heavy near ANY alternator, gets sucked inside - apply w/rag - 'cause spray FRYS the bearings cause chemical enhances ALL "dressed" surface friction . Since I use so little , I don't experience any negative "belt softening/breakdown" we've all heard as objection to belt-ease products - when squeeling stops - I'm good.

Ya got a serpentine belt ? Never mind

Mine failed about 3 years ago (2002 Pathfinder). Had about 270,000 kms on it at the time.
The starter went a few months later.
Replaced both with rebuilt units from a local parts seller (Canadian. We don't have a Rock Auto, or Pep boys).
I was going to do both of them myself, but had a look at what it meant, and quickly paid my local mechanic to do them.
It was a good decision.
They are a royal pain in the arrrse to replace, and the techy was not happy doing it.

In my experience, Pathfinder alternators are good for 215,916 miles. Mine does okay once it is warmed up but I'm not sure how long that will last.

I dont know if or when my Nissan alt was ever replaced, but my Subaru alt just bit the dust at around 160k. It's probably original, as I have had that car since 105k, one original owner.

I would not fret about buying a rebuilt alt with a good warranty.

In regards to being on vacation, an alt is something that can be easily replaced in a day or two most anywhere, so I wouldn't worry too much about that either.

I once got stuck in Thermopolis, Wyoming with a terrible engine knock. My wife and I were moving, towing a trailer with all of our possessions, including our first four-month-old child. It was Memorial Day weekend, and everything was closed. That was terrifying.

But if it's not the alternator, it could be the starter, or the fuel pump, etc., etc. My point is you're better off carrying some spare time and a wad of cash.

rgk wrote: ↑

Mon May 04, 2020 3:07 pm

I dont know if or when my Nissan alt was ever replaced, but my Subaru alt just bit the dust at around 160k. It's probably original, as I have had that car since 105k, one original owner.

I would not fret about buying a rebuilt alt with a good warranty.

In regards to being on vacation, an alt is something that can be easily replaced in a day or two most anywhere, so I wouldn't worry too much about that either.

I once got stuck in Thermopolis, Wyoming with a terrible engine knock. My wife and I were moving, towing a trailer with all of our possessions, including our first four-month-old child. It was Memorial Day weekend, and everything was closed. That was terrifying.

But if it's not the alternator, it could be the starter, or the fuel pump, etc., etc. My point is you're better off carrying some spare time and a wad of cash.

Oh man, I bet that stop in Thermopolis was a gut check.

With regards to myself, I sometimes get to very odd places, such as the White Rim Road in Canyonlands National Park. If it ever opens back up that is. It could be a day or two and a thousand dollar tow bill to get out, so I try to stay on top of known problems. Not questioning the wisdom of your suggestion, but sometimes circumstances are, uh, challenging.

Hey, you're totally right.

I work in Yellowstone. A year or two ago, my work rig water pump sprung a leak ten or fifteen miles away from a populated area, at the height of the summer. If I remember correctly, the tow bill was higher than the repair.

Thermopolis was scary. It really drove home the point how much we rely on our transport. But on the other hand, if a mechanic were open, they would have probably wanted to tear into the engine and I would not have passed the valve screw on my own. I'm pretty sure that's what it was, because the knock went away on a sharp turn during a spirited test drive. It never knocked again quite like that.

As for access to the parks, I believe Yellowstone is planning to open its gates to the public next week. Though not a lot of lodging or services will be open.

But now I've hijacked this alternator thread.