90 legacy 5sp fwd. 225k pretty dependable miles.

My son drove home from college and next day it would not turn over and no radio etc.

We put the charger on for 3 hours and no juice.

I noticed the key chimer as the only sign of life.

Opening the under the hood fuse box I smelled plastic that had gotten hot awhile ago. Probing around with a volt meter in the fusable link slot things came to life.

Headlights, radio, all things.

The male spade lug in the box had gotten hot and lost continuity. Change the fuse box. No way! Big job.

We jury rigged a 16 gauge wire to the positive battery post including the fusable link and things seemed fine.

 

Noticed the new wire getting hot.

Jumping ahead, we held the engine speed high enough to keep it running and removed the negative battery connector and measured over 18 volts coming from the alternator.

Can we expect more damage down stream from the alternator?

A new alternator should arrive to Autozone tomorrow.

My other concern is smoking a $120 alternator. Depending on how long this has been happening the battery could be kaputt?

Was the alternator volts being held low and the battery drawing excessive current have caused the link over heating?

With some Mcgivering can I put in a more recent model alternator. My sube guys has lots of newer alternators but fresh out of 1st gen.

I have a set of Sub shop manuals for the the 1990 year but wouldn't you know the electrical book is missing.

Sorry for so many words.

JZ

I would replace the battery as well. It is important for Alternator longevity to start with a good, fully charged battery.

 

GD

Personally I would always source stuff from subaru first (as they can sometimes be cheaper). I have gotten burned on aftermarket parts and roos.

 

I agree battery is cooked too. Inspect the battery cables for any sign of overheating.

 

 

nipper

That AutoZone alternator should come with a lifetime warranty.

That AutoZone alternator should come with a lifetime warranty.

 

A grasshopper...

1- It is the lifetime of the 1st part, not the lifetime of the car.

2- Why do the same job over many times when you can do it just once and get it right the first time.

3- They never fail in your driveway the 2nd time.

 

i went through 4 alt in one year because they were poorly rebuilt (including autozone). Rebuilt in aftermarket means replacing the part that is bad not, not replacing all the replacable parts. OE rebuilds replace all the parts that can wear out.

 

Subaru had it for 79.00 on sale, not going to say how much the others cost.

Nipper, I am FULLY aware of the crappy quality of auto parts items. He has already ordered the alternator. Why not be a little more optimistic?

 

My multiple Auto Zone CV axle, brake rotor, thermostat, and clutch cable failures are a true testament to that.

hehehehehe

The only alts I buy for EJ's are Bosch reman's or Subaru (reman or new). Some of the Subaru remans are like $65 if you get them for the right year. I would be willing to change the car's connector if neccesary to get compatibility with the reman's from Subaru that are cheap due to the recall back in the 90's.

 

GD

I just got off the phone with my Sube salvadge man.

He has a small handful of alternators from 1995 to 97 or 98 ish. With the associated connectors.

 

Can we make one of these newer alternators work on the Gen 1 Sube we have?

 

Any guidance on the wiring mods? I am not afraid of electrical work if I have schematics so I know where everything goes. (or solid advice)

The alternator should be in today but we can have them send it back if need be. $120 vs $20 for a college kid (and his old man) is a big difference.

 

I too have had issues with Autozone parts. In particular axles. But they do stand behind them. If this alternator comes with a warranty, and I am sure it does, I am not so concerned.

 

For us, Autozone is close and for the most part the guys are real helpful. Our Subaru dealer is 20 miles away and seems to look down there nose at guys who try and keep the good old ones running.

I think the biggest trouble you may face is mounting it. If that is ok then the wiring part should be pretty easy. I think there are only three wire connections to make.