Originally posted by RichW:
...is it a poor quality alternator...?



Probably. The ones you get are usually re-built units - not remanufactured or new. The little bits they put in them are not always top notch, but rather whatever they have hanging around for other applications that will work in this alt... (so I'm told by local parts monkeys)

Even the re-manufactured units are not always up to par. I once purchased a replacement alt for my Grand Marquis. Installed, & it blew up the first 10 minutes of driving. Returned to the AP store, got a replacement, asked them to test it under load and poof. Fresh outa the box alternator blows up on their tester. They went through a total of 4 that all blew up. The re-man place had wired them up wrong or used non-compatible components.

I tried another brand with a lifetime warranty & found success.

Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.