OK, it all started about 3 weeks ago, coming home in the evening from a little Cobra meeting and noticed the headlights not real bright. Look at the voltage gauge and notice the needle at the 11V mark. Next day pulled off the alternator and had it checked at Autozone , "FAILED!"
Replaced alternator, voltage regulator and belt. Gauge read correctly at around 13V. Great for a week, used car on several fairly long runs then last Thursday it wouldn't start again, trickle charged my 43 month old Red Top Optima 34/78 and took the car to Batteries Plus who tell me the battery is bad, showing only 400CCA instead of 850, but tell me the warranty expired at 36 months. WTF
They wanted to sell me another Red Top for 179 bucks plus tax! I know I look stupid, but that f*c*ing stupid???
Did one component lead to the failure of the other, or is it just coincidence?
Who TF knows?
AND after the Snake and Eggs this morning I smelled burning rubber on the way home, the new Chinese **** belt is already disintegrating!
Let's see, alternator rebuilt in Mexico, NAPA voltage regulator made in China, and an expensive American made battery which doesn't last longer than 3 years?
They sure don't build them like they used to!!!
Sorry for the rant, but I had to tell somebody.
Ralph