Alternator life

[thegriffin]

What's the expected life of a modern alternator ?
The one on my Vectra has done 93000 miles and still works
okay,but I'm thinking of changing it for reliability .
My Cavalier td is on its 3rd after 150000 each lasting
70000 miles .
I suspect the shortish life is due to its position low
down near the road in front of the engine.

[Robsey]

My original Cav alternator lasted 19 years or 227,000 miles.

[Cavalier342]

I always had a rough ball-park figure of 100000 miles for an original unit, I guess it depends on service life/maintenance/vehicle, but the one on my old auto Cavalier went at around 105000 miles and on my first car, a Colt, that went at something around 120000-140000, can't remember, I'm guessing that was an original unit.

[Super89]

My dailys on 109k now. Still on the factory fit clutch & alternator, Had to change the starter about 6 months ago tho.

[Mk3alan]

My original is on 78k and spins as smooth as silk, I do not run the belt over tight which will help.

Alan

[Robsey]

Many 1992 onward cars have the multi-vee belt.
These are on auto / sprung tensioner rollers.

[paul_34]

Cav td, first Alt did 120k and failed just after its MOT. Second failed (I broke it) at 205k lol. On its 3rd now. The early Hitachi alts were prone to overheating I think, because of the vacuum pump on the rear. Read it in some technical bulletin online, whilst searching for Alternator parts.

[James McGrath]

Still got the original on my LS at 198,000 miles.

[Robsey]

Must be something to do with LS's with multi-vee belts and auto-tensioners.
That's what mine is in the post above (227,000 miles when I changed it).

[btcctroy]

An alternator lasts as longs as the brushes.
If you rev your engine hard then don't expect the alternator or regulator to last as long