Alternator Questions
 

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?

could not jump start/ bad alternator
 

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)