I have a Autozone starter in my custom 500 moredoor daily and it started acting up when cold and then when hot,it would just spin in the morning and drag when hot so I took it back. They have a alternator and starter tester and would you believe its hooked into the computer system in the store and if it says it pass no new starter or alternator for you,I know a couple people well at my local store and they made it fail since there is no way that machine can test a starter like being on a car when hot or cold. I know alot of dumbasses bring back good parts due to their lack of ability to install and figure out whats wrong but tester hooked to the system made me do some thinking and will be taking my starters and alternators to a local shop from now on to be repaired.
maybe you should have supported your local shops in the first place. they'll all be gone before you know it.
Back when I was in college working at a chain parts store we had an analog starter/alternator tester, the one with gauges. After doing some reading on specifications, I realized most rebuilt starters would not pass, they would draw too many start up amps and the continuous run amps were often too high as well. The only ones that would pass on a generally consistant basis is the factory reman ones, AC delco, Motorcraft etc... I informed my DM about the failing starters, and he told me in a not so nice way to sell the product. Now they have dumbed down the tester so flunkies can run it and it will not give out any actual reading so the customer doesn't know what the actual readings are. I was employed at this parts place when we got the "new" tester. They can be set up to display the readings but will not be to push bad products out the door.
I worked in a starter & alternator shop for a few years so I still build my own stuff just so I have peace of mind in knowing what I have. Besides the parts involved brushes,bushings or bearings and diodes really don't cost a lot and I do paint and polish as I like.
What really suprised me was the test machine was hooked up to the system,unfortunately the local repair shop I knew about was way across town and no way I could get to it during the day but have since found out about another one that is close to where I work so no more discount parts stores starters and charging system parts. Those discount parts store are just too close to the house and are very tempting
I've learned that if you need to exchange a broken starter at Autozone, it needs to be completely broken. I had the same experience. I went home and made sure the starter was broken and would never pass their test. They exchanged it the next time I went in.
This exact same thing happened to me just yesterday. I bought a new alternator for my daily driver Cadillac in July from AutoZone. It was a bitch to install, no room on the Northstar. The other day I smelled burning plastic and my dash digital voltmeter started reading 11.5 volts. I went back to A-Z aand the guy came out and put his little tester on it, yep, bad. We removed the alternator last night and took it in for a replacement and I had the guy put the new on their tester to make sure it was ok before I went through all the trouble to install it. It tested ok, and when he went to the register to do the exchange it gave him a hard time because it said he hadn't tested my old one and proven it was NG. He had to fudge the buttons on the register to allow it to do the exchange. I hate remans but it was $ 119 vs over $ 400 at the Cadillac dealer. I am also getting fed up with the way A-Z employees hover over you and try to sell you every air freshener and injector cleaner in the place. It is getting to the point I just tell them I will call them if I need them, go away. Don
X2, will not do business with them at all, took a plug out of my flat head to get a "Set" Me "46 ford flathead" , Him with strange overseas accent, "my computer do not go back that far, Me "you have the plug in your hand, Him, i do not know how to cross referance the number" Last time i was in there. We have a realy good Oreillys in town, guys are very knowable and can find about anything i need.
You can't really bitch at the kids working there. they get bonus pay based on the upsell items, I worked there for awhile when I was out of work, Don't sell enough hand cleaner in Jan. Your working the close shift all of Feb. When I was on the Managers call every week, they barely look at parts sales numbers, No kidding they focus on the add-on crap. Those little things on anti-seize, dielectric grease,and locktite by the register have a 89% gross profit. Wiper blades are around 50% markup. And as to the parts themselves, its a numbers game they know company wide they are gonna sell 5000 of part number 12345. The supplier contract reads that the supplier agrees to buy back any returns on that part number over a given percent, the higher the % the lower the cost per unit the supplier gives them. It is sad thing to say but most people (not those who take pride in the ride, but your average Camry driver) simply think a starter is a starter and if I can get it for $200 from a reputable rebuilder or for $100 from AZ whats the difference other than AZ is selling at a fair price, afterall if it was bad they would be out of business. and the local starter shop is raping me on the price. When I worked in the transmission shop, we would buy the re-man tranny's from them just to use as a core, this was a big deal when Ford brought out the SN-95 mustangs and we were getting calls for upgraded units, put they wanted them on an exchange basis, not us rebuild the unit in the car. Also why in the hell are you buying a re-man starter for a car you most likely built your self?? They are pretty easy and kits are cheap and easy to find. Here is where I get my kits from http://www.cpidivisions.com/Victory Lap Order Info.htm Keith
This is one more reason to go to carquest or a good napa. I got used to wholesale parts stores and more importantly wholesale parts guys. They usually know their business and can get you what you need. The prices are not usually that different. the only thing that gets me is the hours. I am lucky in that carquest just bought out a local chain and one of the stores by my house is open till midnight.
I thought about having the local shop go through the starter but it had a lifetime warranty so it was going back,it was most likely the starter drive and could have fixed it myself but since it had the warranty they were going to deal with it. When the Y block goes back in my 55 sunliner the local shop will get the job of going through the starter and every other that is not covered by a warranty.
The test equipment that Autozone and Advance SUCK!! If an alternator charges, no matter what, IT'S GOOD. Bullshit! What if you have a bad bearing?? The machine says it's good. I have a altenator of my Dodge 360 Power wagon. The alternator after start up wants to smoke the belt. I changed the regulator, no luck. Put a boneyard alt. on with no problem. From what I can figure the alt. is going full charge to smoke the belt. If you got a local starter/ Alt. shop to do business with, take advantage uf it. You might have to pay the poor guy a few bucks instead of a "free test" that only gives you a yes or no. OLD SCHOOL STILL RULES. God bless old ingenuity!!!
you live in Dayton? the home of DELCO? find an old guy, any old guy, I bet he could rebuild your starter for you...
Back in high school I worked for the zone ( young and dumb but hey it was a job) . One slow night we did an experiment and pulled 10 random altenators off the shelf and tested them . 7 of the 10 were bad . Most reman parts from any chain store auto zone , o'reilly, advance auto, etc. are shit. - Mayor
My opinion on this subject never varies. Open up the yellow pages, and look under Auto Electric, and find a good local rebuilder. TR
I wish I had a local parts store in my city, but theres none that I know of... I used to go to Napa for everything. I got to know the owner pretty well, and he would help me find anything I needed... then a few years ago they changed owners and staff, and have caused me nothing but trouble! I started to go to O'reilly and gotten to know the guys over there very well and will help me out with anything. THEY EVEN LET ME BORROW THE BEARINGS BOOK OVERNIGHT! Find a good place to deal with that people will be honest with you, and give you straight up answers when you ask about the quality of things, and try to get to know the staff pretty well, and they will bend over backwards to help you...
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