OEM Alternator Life Expectancy

[CutthroatSlam]

On our 2014 SR5 the original alternator went to 318.5K miles. I replaced with Toyota OEM alternator and that one lasted just 77K miles. It went out on my wife in Mackay, Idaho on her way up to our home in Stevensville, Montana. She has to wait until Monday (tomorrow) for a replacement alternator that will probably not be OEM, but probably just as good if an OEM lasts just 77K miles.

I am down in Fullerton, CA doing the day job and projects in the yard, so I can only console her with phone calls.

 

[T4R2014]

Was it a new OEM or OEM reman? There are always anomalies and there is probably a guy out there whose original alt went out before his warranty expired. If you think 77k on an OEM replacement alternator was poor, you'll have significantly worse luck with some mexico reman part from a parts store.

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Was it a new OEM or OEM reman? There are always anomalies and there is probably a guy out there whose original alt went out before his warranty expired. If you think 77k on an OEM replacement alternator was poor, you'll have significantly worse luck with some mexico reman part from a parts store.

It was OEM anew from Lithia Toyota Parts on-line.

 

[1000MPH]

Do what needs to be done to get home, but any consideration for rebuilding the old one at some point? Do you need to return a core when buying from Toyota?

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Do what needs to be done to get home, but any consideration for rebuilding the old one at some point? Do you need to return a core when buying from Toyota?

It was new from Toyota, so I still have that core. Now it seems like I will have another core. Are there any quality rebuilders out there anymore?

 

[T4R2014]

Do what needs to be done to get home, but any consideration for rebuilding the old one at some point? Do you need to return a core when buying from Toyota?

I believe the big issue with rebuilding these is getting a Denso regulator, at least for older Toyotas. The best option is a Korean regulator. If you want a full Denso you have to buy their reman. I am speaking more for FZJ80 and 3rd gen 4Runner circles.

 

[CutthroatSlam]

Do what needs to be done to get home, but any consideration for rebuilding the old one at some point? Do you need to return a core when buying from Toyota?

She got it to our home in Stevensville, Montana.

Ran a bottle of Redline fuel injector cleaner through it on the trip down and the MPG increasing significantly. It averaged 21.5 on the trip back up.

 

[nglayton]

A lot of us here went with the DC Power XP-270 as a replacement alternator.

There was a group buy several years back (2016) Any way, I think I replaced mine at 75k for no other reason that I upgraded. I still have my OEM one here some place kicking around. I tried to find a rebuild kit for it after I had removed and was pretty unsuccessful in finding all the parts to rebuild it. Alternator rebuilds are pretty trivial, if you have the parts.

 

[Nick B]

How many miles grand total do you have on your 4R ?
If I’m reading your post correctly you have almost 400k miles .

 

[CutthroatSlam]

How many miles grand total do you have on your 4R ?
If I’m reading your post correctly you have almost 400k miles .

Wife has the 4R up at our Montana home. Last reading/pic had it at 396K miles. It has been a very dependable engine.

This is the second alternator to go out, with the first going to 318.5K miles. I did the replacement of the 2nd one. 3rd happened on the road and I was not with her.

Replaced the transmission at 365K as it was suffering delayed engagement. Installed a used salvage transmission w/ 43K miles and it has been like new. Pretty hard to screw up one of these transmissions in just 43K miles. Trans cost me $800, install was $1,085, plus seals and fluid. So about $2K for that job.

I did have to pull and replace the input seal on the transfer case at about 330K.

Had the fan clutch seize and fan blade disintegrated at 342K. This severed an oil cooler line and punctured the radiator. Wife pulled over and shut down before any engine damage occurred.

So you can see that for this vehicle above 300K it starts to get to the needy repair phase of life, but the core engine just keeps putting. I did buy her a new 2023 ORP so she can use that on longer trips, but obviously that is not always her practice.