That $700 "rebuilt" alternator died in 2 weeks, what a waste
I mean, I know I should have known better, but a customer brought in their 2012 F-150 with a bad alternator and I tried to save them some cash by ordering a reman unit from a discount parts place online. It showed up looking decent, so I slapped it in, tested the output at 14.2 volts, and sent them on their way. Two weeks later they're back in the shop with a dead battery and the same squealing noise, and sure enough the bearings on that thing are shot already. The supplier basically told me tough luck, no warranty because it was "installed by a non-certified shop" even though I've been doing this for 12 years. I ended up eating the labor and buying a proper OEM unit from the dealer for $420 just to keep the customer happy, so I lost about $700 total between the part and my time. Has anyone else had a run of bad luck with reman alternators lately, or is it just me and this particular brand?