Hello all,
I was hoping you could lend some advice. I own a 99 ML 430 and recently I started to hear a bearing going in the front, well it went this week, it was in the alternator. I have two questions:
1) Would I be better off buying a new one or trying to fix this one?

2) Why wouldn't the vehicle start after it died with a jump from another vehicle? (It had been running fine until the alternator went kaputz)

Thanks and happy holidays,
Bill

A new alternator, or a new vehicle?

laugh, both are under consideration at this point.
I'll probably just order a new alternator online, $220 seems to be about the best price I can find. Just hope the replacement isn't too much of a hassle. It always seems autos break down when it's the coldest outside

If the bearing was just noisy, I would replace the bearings. But if it failed and caused the rotor to make contact with the stator, a replacement alternator is your best bet. Exactly what happened when you tried to jump the vehicle to start it?

if the battery got completely discharged, you need to jump it and charge it for 10-20 minutes before it will start. (unless you have some gooood jumper cables)