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Those familiar with my thread would know I recently changed my alternator. I purchased an OEX one from repco due to it being Christmas eve and they were the only people in SA to have one. The new one I bought began to make noise after just 3000km. I took it back to Repco and put in a warranty claim and this is where my problems started.
To initiate a claim the faulty unit needs to be sent off to have the claim approved (fairly standard procedure) and this would take UP TO 2 weeks. The catch is that the store staff have no authority to issue a refund even if the fault is obvious. I was given 2 options: either "go without" an alternator for 2 weeks while I waited for the claim to be approved. Or. Purchase another alternator at my own cost and be refunded the $$$ for the first when the claim was approved.
Therein lied my dilemma. As shown by the video the alternator makes a squeaking noise when turned by hand and when in the car at idle it made a noise that is best described and a quiet wind-tunnel style noise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49pHmfD2uvY
The charging rate was fine and the noise it made at idle wasn't what I'd call aggressive. This had me worried that if I purchased another alternator in the meantime and my claim got denied that I'd then be stuck with 2 alternators and $600 out of pocket.
Given I wasn't able to do without the car for 2 weeks I went with the option to purchase another alternator on the advice of the store staff that my warranty claim was 'more than likely' going to be approved.
Anyway it has now been 3 weeks and haven't heard anything at all from Repco about my alternator. I rang them and all they told me was 'it wasn't in yet' and I'd 'just have to wait'. I then rang OEX who told me off for ringing them directly and just told me to consult with my local store.
I don't know about the rest of the PP community but $600 is no small amount of $ and I'd certainly rather it in my account rather than Repco's.
Just a little warning to the rest of you.
To initiate a claim the faulty unit needs to be sent off to have the claim approved (fairly standard procedure) and this would take UP TO 2 weeks. The catch is that the store staff have no authority to issue a refund even if the fault is obvious. I was given 2 options: either "go without" an alternator for 2 weeks while I waited for the claim to be approved. Or. Purchase another alternator at my own cost and be refunded the $$$ for the first when the claim was approved.
Therein lied my dilemma. As shown by the video the alternator makes a squeaking noise when turned by hand and when in the car at idle it made a noise that is best described and a quiet wind-tunnel style noise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49pHmfD2uvY
The charging rate was fine and the noise it made at idle wasn't what I'd call aggressive. This had me worried that if I purchased another alternator in the meantime and my claim got denied that I'd then be stuck with 2 alternators and $600 out of pocket.
Given I wasn't able to do without the car for 2 weeks I went with the option to purchase another alternator on the advice of the store staff that my warranty claim was 'more than likely' going to be approved.
Anyway it has now been 3 weeks and haven't heard anything at all from Repco about my alternator. I rang them and all they told me was 'it wasn't in yet' and I'd 'just have to wait'. I then rang OEX who told me off for ringing them directly and just told me to consult with my local store.
I don't know about the rest of the PP community but $600 is no small amount of $ and I'd certainly rather it in my account rather than Repco's.
Just a little warning to the rest of you.
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