'90 camry many alternator problems

[pmp]

Hi all
I'm on alternator #10! All have been rebuilds and to be fair some were defective. But, they only last max. 1 year. Some as little as 1 month. Anyone heard of a problem in the car that could be causing the alternator to be working overtime?
My other toyota, an '87 camry with 701,000 km rarely wears out it's alternators...
help.
thanks
pmp

[toyomoho]

What type of failure is this? Bearing, electrical.

The link below has a few causes of premature alternator failure.

http://www.genco1.com/tech_tip_details.cfm?id=86

[Mike Gerber]

Next time one goes I would suggest you look for an auto electrical rebuilder in your area and take the defective alternator to them for rebuilding. This type of rebuild was recommended to me by a friend who is a professional tech. He told me if you are not using OEM on a Japanese car, you are better letting these people rebuild your alternator (starter in my case), rather than buying an over the counter rebuilt unit. You might even ask a few dealer's parts departments who they use to rebuild electrical components. The phone book can be another good source for an electrical auto rebuilder.

Mike

[toyomoho]

Great idea! A competent auto electric shop can diagnose the fault in short order. .

[RAV4EVR]

Problem is the shop where you are shopping for this....

[pon55]

Originally Posted by pmp

Hi all
I'm on alternator #10! All have been rebuilds and to be fair some were defective. But, they only last max. 1 year. Some as little as 1 month. Anyone heard of a problem in the car that could be causing the alternator to be working overtime?
My other toyota, an '87 camry with 701,000 km rarely wears out it's alternators...
help.
thanks
pmp

Yea,after # 3 you should hae been looking at grounds and shorts,ect!
Download the electrical manual here, its awsome