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I told my mechanic to skip the diagnostic and just swap the alternator
He warned me it was the voltage regulator instead, but I insisted. Cost me another $180 in parts and labor when the new alternator died a week later.
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patricialee8d ago
That's a rough lesson to learn, but it's a super common one. A lot of people don't realize that a voltage regulator failing can actually kill a new alternator in no time, since it overcharges everything. It's not just about swapping one part, the whole system has to play nice together. Did the mechanic show you the test results or just say what it was? That might help next time you're in a similar spot.
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adam_lewis7d ago
a lot of people don't realize a voltage regulator failing can kill a new alternator" - yeah ok but that's assuming the regulator is the root cause. Plenty of times the alternator itself was already junk from the factory or got damaged during install. Mechanics love to blame the easy part instead of admitting they put in a bad part.
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murphy.blair7d ago
Nah, a good mechanic shows you the readings right there on the screen before you ever buy a part.
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