PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

I have been driving my 00 SSEI now for about 3 1/2 to 4 months as my everyday driver and to my surprise, I pulled the back seat and seen an original AC Delco battery manufactured date was 11/99. I knew that with the traditional winter cold weather I see here in Ohio that I better get it changed before I am left sitting somewhere. I had already had the hood open as I just finished the annoying P0128 thermostat code fix by replacing my OE thermostat. I was checking other things out and seen alot of black residue all over the bottom front side of my alternator. I called my job (Advance Auto Parts) and didn't like the fact that this alternator wasn't available unless I bought the Worldwide rebuilt one which is junk. So I decided that the next thing would be to call my buddy who rebuilds alternators, starters, and other small motors. He said bring the alternator and starter both and he would let me rebuild them myself with his help. I never expected that from him and I have known him for a few years now. When we got together and tore apart the alternator, he showed me the brushes were absolutely gone. He asked if I had any issues out of the alternator or battery yet and I told him no, the volt meter inside on the dash always shower 14.1 to 14.7 volts. He reused my housings from both the alternator and starter so we put them into a nice parts washer and cleaned them up, let them dry off then sand blasted the remaining imperfections off the cases then painted them with some nice automotive silver paint. I had seen him rebuild several alternators for me in the past but this was the first time I had ever been able to help him do it. As a favor to me since I do on occasion send him some business, he didn't charge me for anything, no labor or no cost on the parts. On his bench tester, the alternator was putting out a maximum 185 amps at 15.1 amps! It lost voltage at anything more then this but wow, that was impressive.

I went home and immediately put this all back together then decided I better get that battery to work and get it tested while I am already disconnected. Sure enough the tester from work showed replace battery. Of course with it being the special vented battery we only sell just one kind for it so I went online from the store and found a promotion discount that took $30.00 bucks off the battery. Out the door for everything that day I had $124.91 total in all parts and gas money for my trip to and from everywhere.

Good deal!!