Subaru Liberty blows fusible link. I'm stumped.

[peteblundoon]

Hi everyone,
the car is a 1998 RX Liberty and it recently blew the fusible link (1.25mm black) when I was moving the car out of very heavy rain into the garage.
It was under a shade sale that was funneling a lot of rainwater onto the driver's side of the windscreen.
Just before it blew, I noticed the charging voltage, (I have a digital meter plugged into the lighter socket), going higher and higher till it hit 19 volts, the wipers turned themselves on at huge speed ...then poof!
I have now named the car "Christine". I had been warming the car up, operating the wipers, the radio, (both off at the time of the shut-down) and the A/C which was not behaving normally - the demister turned ITSELF on when I used the 'Auto' on button.

I measured 10 ohm resistance on the load side of the FL, and by removing fuses, I eliminated it down to the Clock/Room fuse, and a 45 amp fuse labelled SBF No.3 - one of the fans I think
Removing both fuses, one at a time, eliminated the 10 ohm reading. I have checked all the other fuses, including the internal fuses (driver's side), and found 2 blown - Meter SRS lamp and Cruise/ABS.

Another clue is that two weeks previously, I had replaced the alternator with a Bosch, (remanufactured in Japan), because the previous one had started to switch off the main output to the battery when the motor warmed up.
It would charge perfectly until temp was up, then the voltage would climb to about 15 and then drop down to the battery voltage. I assumed that the internal regulator couldn't handle the heat any more.
It was 5 years old and a no-name rebuild that I bought from an online auto electrical store. I'm now thinking that my diagnosis was incorrect and maybe the ECU was at fault.

I disconnected the ECU and the 10 ohm reading was still there. The carpets were dry on the passenger side where the ECU is and the driver's side at the front.
I live in FNQ surrounded by bush, so rats could be gnawing on the wires, but the looms are quite well protected.
I have bought a new fusible link, but I'm not game enough to install it without knowing why the original one blew. A 10 ohm load is only 1.2 amps at 12 volts but would be 1.9 amps at 19 volts.
Apparently my FL is rated at 80 amps - hard to believe with such a low gauge wire.

I'm stumped now, so would be grateful for any suggestions. The only thing I haven't done is pull the internal fuse box off the kick-panel - looks like quite a mission.
Sorry this is so long, but I thought the more info - the better.

Cheers

[wotnot]

Alternator output should never exceed ~15volts ...I'd start there, disconnect/unplug alternator, re-evaluate measurements/readings

[mtv]

I's also be looking at the alternator issue.

Did you replace it with the correct type?

Many cars these days use 'smart' alternators, eg: variable voltage.

[wotnot]

Many cars these days use 'smart' alternators, eg: variable voltage.

What I suspect is in it (but not sure if they'd gone that way by '98) -- interestingly, in the US, GM issued a TSB about this, with customer's complaint being 'voltage goes down to 12volt on and off', which is actually normal operation -- the TSB was basically an 'educate your customers that nothing is wrong' ... =)

edit: found the TSB I was referring to...


TSB #07-06-03-009D

[peteblundoon]

I's also be looking at the alternator issue.

Did you replace it with the correct type?

Many cars these days use 'smart' alternators, eg: variable voltage.

Thanks for your comment mtv. I am absolutely certain that the replacement alternator is the correct type, and is of very good quality. It worked fine for two weeks (about 4 trips) with no problems - initial charge voltage of 14.1 after starting, which decreased towards 12volts as the journey continued. My Aerpro lighter-socket gadget measures about 2/10ths of a volt lower than my $200 digital multi meter. Unsurprisingly, it got fried when the voltage took off and blew the fusible link.

[peteblundoon]

Alternator output should never exceed ~15volts ...I'd start there, disconnect/unplug alternator, re-evaluate measurements/readings

Thankyou for your comment wotnot. I did disconnect the alternator when doing all the measurements - both the main output to the battery, and the two-pin field plug (brand new replacement).
When I get to the point of connecting everything back up and adding power, I will definitely be leaving the alternator to last as a test. Don't really want to blow that replacement $14 fusible link!

[wotnot]

I grabbed the service manual ~ not a 'smart' alternator, built in regulator, max output voltage 14.5v +0.3/-0.4 ....ergo, if you measured 19v on the system, builtin regulator must've failed (hopefully the modules survived, most have a 17v TVS diode for protection)

edit: but thinking out aloud, if the TVS diodes blow, they usually go short circuit to ground

[peteblundoon]

Thanks for this info wotnot. The Aerpro gadget that was plugged into my lighter socket (digital display and USB sockets) alerted me to the issue with the old alternator when it started flashing and reading 11.7 volts.
I managed to get home on battery power, I got the multi-meter out, and sure enough the battery was below 12 volts. Thankyou Optima battery for hanging in there!
I started the motor, measured the main output terminal - nothing, just the battery voltage. I unplugged the two-pin field plug and checked it out, and gave it a blast of CRC 2.26 and re-installed it.
By that time, after grabbing a beer and unloading my groceries, when I started the motor, (now cooled down), hey presto! the alternator was charging again. Fixed! I thought, but sadly, NO.
The next day I took it down to the auto electrician to get the A/C recharged, and after all their diagnoses of the A/C, when they tried to start the car the battery was flat and they had to charge it up so that I could drive it home.
Again the 11.7 volts was flashing just as I made it home.
So you see how I was fooled by my own incorrect diagnosis of the two-pin plug. Now I don't know whether it was a faulty regulator, or the ECU, (or something else), because the same thing has happened with a new alternator - only even more catastrophic.

[wotnot]

Well I imagine the new alternator is still under warranty, but for reference this is Subaru's test procedure (requires alternator disassembly)....




Might be useful for some...I'll dig through the wiring diagram and see what I find.

One thing I have determined, is that 10ohms is considered a 'normal' measurement for most of the modules...ie; service tables quote "is resistance less than 10ohms? --> if yes, replace module" ...which infers 10ohms is good...(likely the modules are active)

I'll see if I can find how the fusible link/fuses you mention figure in here....

edit: link to FSM I'm reading -->

[wotnot]

Yeah, I'd be hunching at the alternator having gone chernobyl, looking at this...



The ALT-1 connection goes to dash charge lamp ; ECU does not connect to alternator.

My thinking here is, the first alternator failure was due to age, nothing more...if you get 20years service out of an alternator, that's good going.

The replacement however has failed real horrorshow....

As you suggest, leave alternator disconnected, put it all back together with a good battery connected, and check it starts/runs and all accessories work...even take it for a short drive round the block to check, battery will last for that long.

Just FYI, I buy alternators/starters from this mob, never had a bad one -->>

[VroomVroom]

is it possible to unplug everything from the main fuse box , then connect a 21w globe across the fusible link connections ? if you reconnect the battery and the lamp glows brightly there will be an internal short inside the FB somewhere

[wotnot]

is it possible to unplug everything from the main fuse box , then connect a 21w globe across the fusible link connections ? if you reconnect the battery and the lamp glows brightly there will be an internal short inside the FB somewhere

Good idea, but doesn't explain the presence of 19v on the system

[VroomVroom]

Good idea, but doesn't explain the presence of 19v on the system

not it doesnt , but it would help find what is blowing the fusible link. The 19v might be a buggered alternator , caused by the short to earth.

might be 2 problems here , im not sure

[wotnot]

not it doesnt , but it would help find what is blowing the fusible link. The 19v might be a buggered alternator , caused by the short to earth.

might be 2 problems here , im not sure

Yeah, that's possible - I'm more concerned the alternator failure has given rise to another fault through over voltage, and looking at the wiring diagram there's not too many things that could pop sbf-3 ...maybe ABS module

[wotnot]

Just before it blew, I noticed the charging voltage, (I have a digital meter plugged into the lighter socket), going higher and higher till it hit 19 volts, the wipers turned themselves on at huge speed ...then poof!
.
.
Another clue is that two weeks previously, I had replaced the alternator with a Bosch, (remanufactured in Japan), because the previous one had started to switch off the main output to the battery when the motor warmed up.
It would charge perfectly until temp was up, then the voltage would climb to about 15 and then drop down to the battery voltage. I assumed that the internal regulator couldn't handle the heat any more.
It was 5 years old and a no-name rebuild that I bought from an online auto electrical store.

I shot an email off to an auto-electrician mate of mine, the basic query being "Have you ever come across something like this that ends up with the alternator going north of 19volts?", because in my 4+ decades of experience, this would be the rarest of alternator malfunctions, especially since the advent of the Bosch 'BX' style alternators with builtin regulator. I've sometimes seen then run a little high @15volts initial but descending, and that's usually because of some resistance in the earth path between the case/earth of the alternator and battery negative terminal (corrosion/paint on mounting points etc, or bad engine earth to batt neg cable terminations).

His reply was, "Not often, but yes..never used to see this myself either, but have come across it more in the last 10years or so...usually rebuilds, and they cheap out on the regulator unit and fit junk chinese ones, same old story" ...and I went 'ah-ha!'...'coz my brain's a bit slow at times, and didn't immediately grasp the size of the market that would be looking for cheap replacements for this part....ie; subaru genuine part lists at AU$200 or such. So, go for a quick sortie on the 'net, select US marketplace (ebay dot com, not ebay dot com dot au), and enter the search string 'subaru legacy 1998 voltage regulator'...hit enter, and we get....



Goodgrief...seriously? I can't even imagine how much junk these must be at that price, but absolutely for sure I could hypothesize one of these junk parts could fail internally in such a manner that would cause catastrophic unregulated voltage output levels ...in all honesty, I never realized until now, just how bad it's become in the aftermarket replacement parts market, but then the US is a bigger target than AU, mere demographic numbers...but still, wow, can I see ppl using these kind of parts to save/make themselves money?...sure, in a heartbeat =)

My buddy concurs with my thoughts of what happened -- regulator failed at startup, battery would've buffered for a moment or three before line voltage exceeded 15v, and then any ground referenced switches/resistive ladders would trigger causing triggering of systems, and as the voltage kept rising and went north of 17v, any/all TVS protection diodes would've started conducting, and typically speaking they choose a TVS diode rated high enough to pass enough current (to ground) to blow the fuse feeding that circuit. Windscreen wiper motors are supplied from a fused B+ rail, so that's why those motor(s) went warp speed...all makes a lot of sense, looking at the wiring diagrams for the car.

These regulators usually keep on keeping on, indeed the alternators themselves are fairly robust, sometimes you need to replace bearings or brushes, but generally speaking that's it, and if/when the regulator does snuff it, it's exactly as you describe, they just stop working, and you replace them and all's good again. Mr Bosch and others are no dummies...they're always been well aware of the dangers involved with a runaway alternator...keep revving until you reach max voltage and explode the battery or something.....which is the what/why behind the fusible link, it sacrificed itself to protect the battery from a rogue alternator. Once that happened, this left the rogue alternator connected to the rest of the car via SBF-3, which likewise put the high voltage at that point before alternator shutdown and other fuses had a chance to blow, because of overvoltage protection kicking in on units connected to the SBF-3 feeder.

As stated, a resistive reading of 10ohms (~1.2A calculated) is considered nominal for any circuit that has electronic vehicle control modules/units connected to it ; they're in 'power/startup mode', and need to reach run state before then powering down due to packets received on the CAN bus. The ABS/cruise control for instance would be such a circuit...SRS module would be TVS protected.

Dang, now one has to be really, really careful buying alternators (or parts thereof), with the aftermarket part knockoff scene to deal with, and it's not so much the failure itself, but the possible consequential damage that may be caused to other components in the car, due to a failure of this nature --- it's like you have to really read the fine print on any warranty given, to ensure it covers 'resultant damage' caused by failure under warranty...ie; it exceeded voltage specification given.

I will say kudos to Subaru for being able to create an FSM wiring diagram, in paginated form, with enough details and notes to make it easily understandable ; other OEMs have a lot to learn =)

[VroomVroom]

well said Wotnot , If that alt blows imagine what it would take out and most likely render the car a write off.

I seen those aftermarket alternators for sale on ebay , and they are damned expensive for the rubbish you are buying. In my 2019 Prado the body ECU controls the alternator voltage , there is no internal reg as such. Its not Canbus controlled and the maximum it puts out is 13.9V which is not enough to charge the second battery so a DCDC is required as well. All this is supposedly for fuel economy reasons ...

[peteblundoon]

Hi wotnot.
Firstly, many thanks for the link to the FSM file - absolute gold to be able get a picture of where everything goes. Did you have to subscribe to mega.nz to get that file?
Also thanks for contacting your auto-electrician mate. His comments re cheap, junk regulators, probably chinese, make a lot of sense.
My skills are with analogue stereo amplifiers. I built my first one when I was about 16, but I never turned out like the late Gary Johnston, founder of Jaycar. The latest catalogue has his amazing story inside the cover.
So, I really appreciate people like you and your A/E mate who know what a CAN bus does in an ECU. All my previous cars were old bangers with no electronics - with the exception of my V8 which has MSD ignition.

My Subaru is a Gen2 BD9 stamped Feb 98. Apparently the Gen3 started in Dec 98. Does it make a difference alternator-wise, I wonder?
The original alternator was a Mitsubishi (23700AA350/A2T37391). After 260,000Km's it stopped charging the battery, and I found that it was spewing out AC voltage on the output, (over 30v when revved).
I replaced it in Jan 2016 with a re-manufactured item I found online: and it lasted till just recently (6 years).
When that one stopped charging last month, I bought the Bosch from Online Auto: Notice that it is now discontinued! Bought mine 13 Jan this year.
When I entered my password and checked my 'Order History' it didn't show up, whereas the 2-pin plug I also bought from them, did. I paid only $155.70 plus $14.10 shipping, so I guess you get what you pay for...
I can prove the purchase because I have the PayPal receipt.

I did pull the original Mitsi one apart to see if was true, (as I had heard), that you can't replace the regulator, (but not with the idea of reconditioning the alternator after so many K's).

You mentioned that the fusible link sacrificed itself to protect the battery from a rogue alternator, and that left the alternator connected to the rest of the car via SBF-3. It appears to be worse than that because, via connector F38 - the two white wires from the alternator travel to SBF-4 and 5 and MB-10 to power the A/C relays. I suspect that because I ran the A/C I caused the catastrophic failure at that time. My fear is that Vroom is right; the car might be a write-off.
I had been pursuing the angle that it was moisture in the dashboard affecting ALT-1 and everything connected to MB-9, and was about to pull it all apart.

I would be grateful for your advice on what to do next. Currently all the connectors are removed from the M/B, (except the battery +ve).
The M/B has no 'ground' to enable your M/B internal short test Vroom, unless I do it through the headlights (MB-6 and MB-8). Just remembered that I changed them to halogen, so it wouldn't work.
All the fuses are removed from the internal FB.

Cheers

[wotnot]

Did you have to subscribe to mega.nz to get that file?

Nope, just slow (non premium) download.

My Subaru is a Gen2 BD9 stamped Feb 98. Apparently the Gen3 started in Dec 98. Does it make a difference alternator-wise, I wonder?

Not according to my references ~ Subaru appear to have used the same alternator type for virtually all models up until 2001 or so (then they changed, maybe to 'smart' alternators..they have a 3pin connector, not the old 2pin style)

The original alternator was a Mitsubishi (23700AA350/A2T37391). After 260,000Km's it stopped charging the battery, and I found that it was spewing out AC voltage on the output,

Actually a fairly good service interval ~ going by the description, failed diode(s) in rectifier plate assembly, not unheard of but typically has a cause ; many times, excessive current running to aftermarket headlights....sometimes, reverse connection of jumper start cables can do this too (although normally, the fusible link catches it)

I bought the Bosch from Online Auto: Notice that it is now discontinued!

Out of stock actually ; not having a go at you, but I see you chose the cheap option?



Out of curiosity, I sent them a query about what the 5year warranty covers =)

I would be grateful for your advice on what to do next.

Well....I can tell you what I would do next, but this'll be relative to what equipment you have...

...me, I'd treat it like an electronic device, and forget it's a car and has automotive wiring...rationale: fuses blow before wiring is compromised/melted, that's what they're there for ...wiring loom protection. (a lot of folks don't realize this fact =)

My focus at the minute, is knowing at least 19volts was presented to the system, and I want to check what, if anything, has been damaged by that event (I don't care about the alternator/engine or such right now), just looking for any circuits drawing more than they should

I would leave alternator completely disconnected, disconnect car battery, plug everything else back together, replace/renew blown fuses (they're cheap) and substitute a current limited 13vdc power supply in place of the battery...I'd limit the power supply to around 10~20amps max.

Then I'd start checking ...initial current draw key-off, open/close doors (interior light circuit check), turn key to Accessories and monitor current draw, and check anything active in this ignition key position for functionality or too much current...ie; radio, wipers

Then, I'd locate the fuel pump fuse/relay and pull it (just to avoid loading the power supply with fuel pump current), and turn key to ON position ; do not attempt to start engine ; once again, monitor current draw to judge if there's a problem (short to ground, dead TVS diodes)

If that all checks out ok, key off, remove power supply and replace battery -- leave alternator disconnected -- replace fuel pump fuse/relay, attach current clamp to main battery feeder, and see if engine starts and runs...if it does, ECU likely ok. You can do a quick check of A/C & blower motor with engine running...monitor the current clamp reading to see how many amps the battery is delivering.

If it gets through all of this ok, the elephant in the room is the still disconnected alternator =) I have this underlying knowledge of how well subarus (at least back then) are engineered, and if the system survived a 30v AC ripple, the electrics/electronics would appear quite resilient as far as over-voltage protection goes.

Remember...this is me...at this moment, I'd give the obviously dead alternator the hairy eyeball look and flip it the bird B^| ...but on the plus side, subarus are very civilized to work on, and alternator replacement is an absolute doddle on the flat4. I'd be just as likely to hit a wreckers yard to buy a known working 2ndhand unit and expect change out of a Cnote ; do the alternator swap, make sure the car's all good, mix up a batch of thermite and fill the dead alternator with it, light magnesium ribbon and stand well back, wait for molten blob to cool down, return to seller seeking warranty...lol...

Nah, kidding....I'd be wanting to determine the failure mode, it's so rare (to me)...seriously, over the years I've worked on cars with the 'battery not charging/dash alternator warning lamp on'....checked and sure enough, zero volts coming from it, pull it off the engine, to find there's a blast/burnthru hole on the back of the regulator case...and gone "wow, it didn't half let the magic smoke out in a big hurry"...check the diodes to make sure they survived (usually yes), do a quick rebuild with new bearings/brushes/regulator (around 30mins if you've got the tools you need), bang it back into the car, see you in another 10years .... but in this situation, pull the thing down, recreate the subaru test circuit, and deduce the failure mode. With my curiosity sated, I'd do yet again what I've always done -- get the parts together, and I do mean all parts because they many have used cheap chinese bearings) do a quick rebuild, and keep it handy for when the 2ndhand unit from the wreckers finally karks it, and you get to thank fuji heavy industries again for making alternator swaps a doddle or a job...seriously, can anyone here think of an easier car to do an alternator swap on?...pfft...I can't...

....errr...technical forum....the BX style alternator, doesn't actually energize the armature at key on or even engine start ; the regulator doesn't switch on until the armature reaches ~1500rpm and then it comes on hard (ECU detects drop in engine rpm and increases IAC duty to compensate for load of alternator)...so from an electronics viewpoint, that was likely the moment of failure ...this is supposed to make the driver feel better, in that now they know it wasn't them turning the key on =)

Just because me, if I have an old, dead, OEM unit, I'm looking at stuff like wire gauge used in armature/field coils, laminate numbers for armature/field cores, how well they're built/sealed/soldered, I even look at how much they needed to grind out of the armature to achieve rotational balance ; there's all these little telltales that explain the difference between a $200 alternator, a $400 alternator, or whatever OEM wants for the thing =) You see this in the US market...ie; rockauto...



There'd be some simple car ownership question here -- which one would -you- buy? =) Note the ones at the top, are new not remans ~ dollars to donuts, when you see 'new' units on AU websites, they very well may be sourcing from the same suppliers.

@Tiny ...vis our other discussion, try discerning good from bad based on price when it's a supermarket like that B)


What do you do...my car's 10years older than OP's here, and I'm used to throwing a new starter motor in it, or swapping out the alternator ; it's had 2 or 3 of each, it's just wear&tear..32years and getting closer to 600,00klms is a lot of charging and starting 8) I do as I preach - although there's various brands of alternator that fit my car, I stick with the OEM Bosch cores, as they're easy to work on and parts ..genuine parts.. are readily available. I have 3 of the things, one on the car, one on the shelf rebuilt, and the original that came with car needing a rebuild...but it doesn't have the 110amp rating the other 2 have (it never expected to have to supply more than twice the current to additional headlights). It helps to have more than one, so you can share the wear of the drive belt across more than one pulley...they last longer..as worn pulleys diminish belt life...plus you get this warm fuzzy from 'being prepared', knowing this would happen (again) some day, and being prepared for it...but I'm a mechanic.

That said, in normal duty use and routinely serviced as required, the alternator fitted to OP's, just like mine and many others, really should outlast the expected service life of the vehicle...nay, you know those historical museums when they start/run old engines (including electric) to show them still working a century later?..in a couple of hundred years time, our cars' alternators will still be working too..(someone repaired the commy rings at some time =)

Everyone gets 'conned' in some inevitable way - my auto-electrickery buddy's business is a good example ; do they rebuild alternators any more? Nope, not for average customers ~ cost of labor/time versus cost of new/reman unit with 5year warranty - the latter wins. Back in the day when I was turning tools, someone like yourself would come in with the same complaint @quarter million kays, and we'd pull your existing alternator off, rebuild it with new parts, and all's good ; now it's replace, get a refund on the core, and fit the exchange/reman unit. In my mind, what folks lose here, is the original alternator core unit, the one subaru qa/qc checked was good enough to last the life of the car....the replacements are often only designed to last for their warranty period.

edit: yep, you're right about the other shared connection to sbf4/5 =)

[wotnot]

Just clearing up the warranty conjecture, seeing as I got a response --- the delimiting factor, is whether it's a newly manufactured part, or a rebuilt/re-manufactured part...(this is what my auto-electrician was saying as well)

1. If it's a newly made part, then this applies --> You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage.

2. However --> We are not liable for any loss or damage, whether direct or indirect, arising from faulty design or manufacture of the Product, other than for Products we have manufactured

This is why I don't buy remans, the warranty sucks. As my mate says, if he rebuilds an alternator, the best he can warranty is 'parts & labor for 12months', that's it. With a newly made/OEM part, he himself is covered by a 3-5year warranty that comes with that part, and is covered by Australian consumer law as per point 1 above. The crux of it, when it comes to newly made parts, is where they're offered as 'direct OEM replacements', and that this infers the part will be exactly the same as the OEM part ; same performance, same longevity, reliability etc etc.

Be careful out there =)

edit: just a curio in case anyone wonders....the term 'BX' is something Bosch used to signify as meaning 'builtin electronics'...they used the same terminology with mass airflow sensors (Hitzdraht Luftmassenmesser) when they took the comparitor daughter board out of the ECU and put it in the MAF (HLM BX)

[peteblundoon]

I've been meaning to by a 13vdc power supply for my workshop, so this gives me a good excuse. Your plan of attack sounds very sound!

The reason that I went for the cheaper option is that the ZPN-31861 has the 3-pin field plug (mine has 2). I had entered the parameters for my car into their website and it gave the only option that would fit my car: ZPN-38945
So the Bosch alt that I bought suits Subaru Liberty RX's (BD9) within June 94 to March 99, and if you click on the 'more details' button, the next page now has: "! Discontinued".
I bought it this January and used the car for 3 weeks max (about 4 trips) after fitting it, so I'm well within the 6 month warranty period. I'm not made of money, but the idea of repairing it and keeping it for a spare is a good alternative -
I don't know where to get hold of some thermite... Down to the wrecker I must go! Not many Liberty's here in Cairns, so probably have to check out the internet guys.
I have just tried to insert a picture of the shonky internet security tag and QR code on the packaging which turned out to be invalid, but no success - Austech says my jpeg file is invalid.

Following your procedure, I have tried to identify the fuel pump fuse/relay. Is it Fuse No.16 (15A) which supplies 'E/G, IGN, and SRS air bag'? It is fed by MB-3 and FB-4.

I agree that the alternator is very easy to work on. I've also done the starter motor with an aftermarket unit, but replacing the spark plugs was quite a mission. I'm the second owner, and the plugs looked like the originals after 250Km's!
I'm just a backyard dude, but I picked up quite a bit of knowledge by hanging out after work and weekends at my mate's family workshop when I lived in Sydney. That probably contravenes H&S these days, so I won't be specific, but they race in the TCM series and are doing very well this weekend at Sydney Motorsport Park (supporting the V8 Supercars). If I can get the car going, my next job will be removing a leaking A/C evap unit, and sourcing a new unit at a good price.

You raised a question in my mind when you mentioned the 'battery not charging/alt warning light' coming on. I had no warning from my dash, and I do keep an eye on it when I'm driving. Not even the "Check Engine" message came up when my ciggie lighter gadget was flashing 11.7 volts at me. I think that maybe Fuse No.15 ("Meter/SRS lamp") has been blown for quite a while. Bring back battery level and alternator gauges!

Edit: I started this message hours ago, and then had visitors. In the meantime you have commented about the warranty issue. Thanks for making that enquiry. No point me even haggling with Online Auto Parts, but they just lost a customer. I was so rapt when I read "re-manufactured in Japan" on the box the alt came in. I really can't believe the Japanese would make something this bad, so, like I said above; the cheap price was the clue.

I'm trying to learn a bit of German (gotta love those long words), and I put those German words into Google Translate out of curiosity, and it came up with 'Hot wire mass air flow sensor'! (11pm)