Aftermarket Stores – Testing alternators and Starters

Food for thought:

NAPA, Canadian Tire, Auto Zone and O’Rileys all advertise free alternator testing, I do not know how many they get correct

At Reconit Electric, kitchener-Waterloo, we get at least two customers a week that said they had their alternator or starter tested by one of these parts source and they were told it was good. I would wind up with the starter or alternator and find it to be bad.

My favorite one that has happened several times is a customer will bring in a starter and set it on the counter and ask us to test it “Auto Zone said it was good” I would grab the starter drive and it will free spin I’d say “Well there is one of your problems” Customer: Auto Zone told me it was good”

I tell all my customers why all these guys should not be testing Alternators and Starters, I tell them probably 80% of all my starter cores will test fine by NAPA, Part Source, Canadian Tire, Auto Zone and O’Rileys standards, Here we we open units up and visual inspect them also.

I tell them also all these parts store’s started testing to try to cut back warranty returns of their reman product. Then someone got this great Idea “Hey we can start testing everything after all we have a tester that thinks for us” Pleeeeease !!!!

I tell everyone Canadian Tire, NAPA, Auto Zone, O’Riley’s and all other stores should not be testing units period !! Leave it to the professional rebuilder.

At Reconit Electric Rebuilders, we have the latest computerized Test equipment.  We have more than 18years work experience to back it up. I wonder how many good units they replace because the spec is 14.3 volt max and their reading that failed says 14.4 volts. (Just a example not a actual spec).