Alternator problems

[ce_p5]

My son was driving from Indio to Disneyland when the P5 died. J's garage said it was the alternator and it was replaced by an alternator from Autozone. 1/2 an hour down the freeway it died again. Got the car towed to a mazda dealer in Orange, Ca. who tested everthing and said it was the battery. Replaced the battery. My son made it from Disneyland to the north side of the Grapevine when the car died again. Got it towed to Bakersfield Mazda where they first said it was the battery, then after trying a new battery and retesting they are saying the new alternator is toast!!

Autozone has told my son they do not have to replace (exchange) the alternator. I've never had any experience with them, does any one know if this is their normal policy?

To top it off Bakersfield Mazda has said they can not get an alternator in until Monday.

Does anyone have any suggestions or diagnosis?

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Sounds like BS to me. First, don't ever go back to the places that were wrong. I know they probably wouldn't have been your choice but were just convenient to the place where car died. 2nd, the alternator for this car cannot be tested off the car so when you take it back to autozone hopefully you have the diagnosis from the Mazda place to back your side that it's bad. I guess technically you can't make them if it's not a lifetime warranty piece, that I highly suggest for this 200.00 damn thing, but it is surely bad mojo for them to be that big of assholes about it. It isn't costing them anything, they just warranty it out with supplier so they shouldn't have any big problem with it since you didn't have it for months. Short of them doing something for their customer or you going somewhere that sells a lifetime warranty one, don't really know what else to tell you unless you can take it apart & replace doides & such. Good luck. Does sound like an alt thing to me the way you said it acted. The battery will get you a few miles down the road until it gets drained.

 

[Rusty]

If a cheap gelpack type battery shorts internally, it frequently takes out the alternator with it. This was told to me by a reputable repair shop when it happened to my Pontiac.