Originally Posted by simplicity
I notice the ones on eBay are rebuilt ones....how reliable are they? Any other places I can find replacement alternators online? Are there any resources on how to replace the alternator on my own? (I will chk the DIY section) My battery is still the same one from when I first got the car 7 yrs ago....I should probably change the battery with the alternator. Any batteries you guys can recommend? I was going to get it done at sears with the diehard gold.
Thanks again for all u guys' help
P.S. How safe is it to be driving around with my car's current condition? I'm planning to make a trip to San Francisco from San Diego to go see my mechanic back at in SF...i wonder if I could make it...
No, I bought a brand new one for $150 on ebay. I guess a rebuilt one would probably be okay, but I've never heard of anyone having experience with them.
Do a search in this forum, I may have posted a pdf on it in my TSB thread. It might be a wise investment to pick up a Helms factory service manual for your car...the $60 you shell out will pay for itself just replacing the alternator. It's not a difficult job by any means but you do have to take a couple things out before you can remove the alternator.
I need a new battery too, I'm just gonna buy another Honda battery...my first one lasted 75k and this one has lasted 104k. Can't go wrong with that.
As long as your car is running and you aren't using any accessories (lights, AC, etc) you can probably drive across the country. My alternator made the whining noise for about 1200+ miles before it finally got to the point where I couldn't drive at night because it couldn't charge the battery fast enough.