I'd personally go Denso or Delco. Be sure and get the proper one - there is a different one for America v Japan built Camrys. If the first character of your VIN is a J, you need the Japanese version....

 

Toyotas like there Denso's.
If ya want new for a longer warranty I'd consider the Remy or Delco.

 

So by Denso are you guys saying to buy a brand new Denso alternator? Or the remanufactured ones like on RockAuto?
Where can I get a new Denso alternator?

 

Or the remanufactured ones

No problem with rebuilt, IMHO. Treated me as good as new in the past on other vehicles, I'd buy one again....

 

Plus, I think the warranties are the same! Reman is fine.

 

I already know I’m going to get pushback from my response, however, the Toyota dealers in my area frequently have sales/discounts and free shipping promotions.

Visit the official Toyota parts website and see if there are currently any sales or promotions taking place.

 

Last time I checked my local dealer they wanted $841.00 on sale for an alternator.
I prefer OEM but sometimes their just nuts!

 

On sale for only $297 at my local dealership…

 

That's pretty good, but considering Denso quality and relative ease of replacement I'd save the coin and go reman.
Do they mention the warranty?

 

wow thanks, $242 at my local dealer for a brand new one, as opposed to $122+ shipping for the reman, and that's after the core return. Seems like it's worth going new this time.

 

+1 Denso too. If it's whining and if it's not from a slipping belt, then it may be the electrical side of the alternator like a shorted diode or winding problems. The brush assembly probably won't solve the problem.

In general, at 120-150K miles you might want to check the brush assembly and just replace the $15 + shipping assembly. This should also help prolong the life of the alternator.

More Information for WELLS 5A1161

www.rockauto.com

 

If no one is making them then they are gonna get rebuilt. Stick with Denso.

 

I agree but even the Denso will be reman more than likely. You could try your local junk yard to see if you can get a factory OEM alternator off a wrecked Camry. I've had several Honda/Acuras and all them used Denso Alternators and only one had an alternator fail. But it was a 10-year-old Accord with over 150,000 miles on it.

 

TYC brand new alternator is also an good alternative from Amazon or Rockauto. I had mine replace for an 05 Camry v6 at Jan 2021 (TYC 2-11033) after new years and is already 1 year mark and it didn't give me any problems, so TYC is an good trustworthy brand new parts for starter and alternator. Shipping back an core from Canada to USA is not cost effective and very expensive from Canada Post.

 

TYC is good too. Lifetime warranty and new. I have also used NAPA house brand and Remy in a pinch. Not really any problems, but if Denso is available, might just want to use that.

 

Serious question, is "Lifetime warranty" really lifetime? All the stores I've spoken with have told me that they will only replace the part ONCE and that's it. So if the replacement part breaks as well, they WILL NOT GIVE YOU ANOTHER ONE.

 

I just recently did the alternator on my 07. Went denso reman. Zero issues
2002-2009 Toyota Camry Alternator replacement - YouTube

 

I have had many bad experiences with RockAuto when it came to Denso re-built alternators. All within a 2-year period. I had the car towed to a shop after the 2nd one left me broke down and had them put a Denso on that they got from their distributor. No problems. I would not buy an alternator from Rock auto. Other stuff I would buy from them. (Check "Longo Toyota" mail order for a re-built). They have guaranteed Toyota rebuilt quality. You want this one to last for 100,000 miles so don't go the cheap way. Also replace the belt while you are doing the job. Talk to your local friends and get their ideas on what to do.

 

Nobody mentioned this, but I have a shop around me that rebuilds Starters and alternators. I brought him the alternator in my Chevy and he fixed it up same day.

 

As long as he does quality work, then I would say go with it.

 

Check the voltage when it is whining. At max output (18 volts and rated amps) an alternator whines. Like a shorted field coil wire to the ECM that unshorts when hot will cause max output when cold. Or is it a squeal from the bearing. A new alternator won't fix the whine but will fix the squeal.

If I unplug the alternator the whine goes away

When you unplug it charges at the default internal regulator 14.2 volts no whine. Look for a shorted wire, bad battery or battery terminal, ECM. It is not your alternator.

 

Check the voltage when it is whining. At max output (18 volts and rated amps) an alternator whines. Like a shorted field coil wire to the ECM that unshorts when hot will cause max output when cold. Or is it a squeal from the bearing. A new alternator won't fix the whine but will fix the squeal.

When you unplug it charges at the default internal regulator 14.2 volts no whine. Look for a shorted wire, bad battery or battery terminal, ECM. It is not your alternator.

I don't think you're right about this - the alternator whine is often caused by the diodes inside going bad, thus needing to replace the alternator.

Found this youtube video showing it:

 

Ok guys, this is a weird one, let me break this down into steps to help the problem solving:

Diagnosis:
The alternator in the car is not the original Denso. I checked the voltage when it was whining after startup when cold and it was normal voltage at idle. After the whine went away, it was still normal voltage, so no difference in voltage when whining or when quiet. When it was whining, I unplugged the connector on the alternator, and the whine went away. I tried this on 2 different occasions during cold startup.

Repair:
I replaced the alternator with a new Remy one.

New symptoms:
When I first started the car with the new Remy alternator it had a very similar whine, but I couldn't tell if it was identical or not. I checked the voltage at idle during the whine with the new alternator and the voltage was normal. The whine lasted approx 3 minutes and then suddenly went away, it was a very quick distinct moment of going from a noticeable whine to quiet. I checked the voltage again, normal. The big difference is this time, when it was whining, I unplugged the connector from the alternator and it made no difference - the car still whined.

I am going to see if the car whines again tomorrow morning when I start it - at this point I am stumped. What else could be causing this whine? And what would cause a whine for a few minutes and then suddenly stop?

 

And the noise isn't from the belt drive system, right?

 

what is normal voltage? what is voltage at 2000 rpm. what is voltage unplugged? Can you measure amps output? It is rated at 100 amp. Battery voltage at rest? Loose battery terminal? Load test battery?

 

Stock is always best, but I was looking at a custom built alternator of which there are 2 or 3 companies that are good for custom alternators. It would be nice to have a 280 amp alternator in my camry...