You read Larry's option. My experience has been just the opposite. Two B-certified rebuilt and two duds; probably the only ones in a ship load. You takes your choice. For something as important as an electrical component, and considerring the life of the part, NEW for me. Happy Trailes Beep Beep from Houston.

Donald.
The High Priced Spread Please.

Donald,

I'm sorry to hear of your bad luck. Maybe I'm due to catch up and the next one will not be good. I usually do not have good luck, so maybe I'm catching up a little.

I'm not totally sure where I got this idea, and I may be totally wrong. I think that the Bosch rebuilds are not done in Germany. They are done by various Bosch certified rebuilders in the states. They are independent rebuilders that are certified by Bosch.

Part of my job is running a program for Certified Integrators. In the software business, the integrator is the one who takes various software products, puts them in a pot and stirs to cook up the end users system. No matter how stringent the testing and certification procedures, some of them will be good and others not as good.

I'm wondering if this is why you have gotten bad ones, while the ones I've used have been great. You may be getting them from someone who is about to lose their certification, while mine have come from another one, who has their act together.

Anyway just a thought. You have me now to a point where I will at least check the MB price next time.

Thanks very much for sharing your experiences,

Don't Pep Boys and Kragen carry Bosch remanufactured alternators? I swore I saw them carrying them. Aren't they the same as any other remanufactured alternator or is it subcontracted out and actaully built worse?

Your right as to who besides M/B parts dept. sell The Real McCoyschtien, you can add Auto Zone as well. Considerring the life of the unit and the amortization, NEW for me. I recall some ball bearings falling in a quality control something or another. I guess I got the fall out. Happy Trails Beep Beep from Houston.

Donald
I got the duds

When it comes to rotating electrical Bosch rebuilds there own (I think). It is almost imposible to buy a new alternator or starter. The typical sale is rebuilt either from Bosch through MB or from Bosch through AutoZone.

We use almost no rebuilt products. The exception is rotaing electrical. I was checking an alternator for a 95 E320 yesterday and the MB price for a Bisch rebuilt was around $250 (I actually forget the amount). The new version was over $700. It was in the price sheet so I guess it was available.

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

You should know. The last alternator was installed by my dealer, weither it was new or rebuilt I don't know. I do know it was supposed to be new. And since M/B gave it to me nocharge and with a new warrantee, I'm just tickled pink. Happy Trails Beep Beep from Houston.

Donald.
Just another Dumbie.

Rebuilds and new alternators both come with a warranty, but sometimes the rebuild warranty is longer than the new one. No kidding.

I'm pleased with whatever alternater I have, period. By the By when you get the pics of the Ram Air, you will see my New(rebuilt ?) alternater. Happy Trails Beep Beep from Houston.

Donald.
maybe it is a
Newrebuilt, or
Rebuiltnew,?

I have found that most poor quality equiptment come with the best warranties.

Warranties have very little to do with quality. They are a marketing tool. You can see this even from MB. They give all their rebuilt items at least the same if not more warranty. I think they warrant rebuilt engines the same as new cars now. A new short block probably has a one year warrantee as they know it needs none.

Take places like AZ and you find lifetime warranties. You might expect my opinion of most of their parts.

They do sell some Bosch though and if they warrant it for life more power to them.

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Steve,

My memory is not great, so I may be wrong, but didn't I see some time ago that you said you have a Bosch rebuild center, or franchise, or something? If so what parts do you rebuild?

Have a great weekend,

Our business is a "Bosch Authorized Service Center" BSC. Bosch maintains an organization of independent repair shops throughout the world. It is a very old arrangement in the rest of the world. We were among the first shops authorized in the US in 1986. There are currently about 500 BSCs in the US.

Unlike the BAP program "Bosch Authorized Parts" specialist, the BSCs are hand picked, under contract, and are almost always state-of-the-art shops. The BAP program, which allows Bosch's name to be used by anyone who buys $200 worth of product, has no real relationship. We get training, information, and some tooling support.

Aside from our service relationship with Bosch, we are an "Authorized" Becker Audio repair facility. We also repair Blaupunkt radios and VDO instruments (mostly speedometers).

See: http://www.continentalimports.com

As to what parts we rebuild, I have a BS degree in engineering and work on cars because I've loved it since I got my first "Motor" manual when I was 14. I rebuild anything that is cost efficient (realize that is why we work on radios, speedos, and other electronics). I tend to buy no one else's rebuilts. We work on speedos because we couldn't live with the comebacks we got from sources we were using. We fabricate and rebuild all forms of machinery. This is the essence of being a "mechanic".


[Edited by stevebfl on 01-20-2001 at 11:33 AM]

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

Now I am confused.

In 20+ years of MB ownership, I have had a starter and a alternator replaced by a dealer. In both cases, they recommended rebuilts and there was no further trouble with them.

Last month, I bought a rebuilt starter and alternator for my 250C. The warranty info lists Robert Bosch Corp of Broadview IL and has the logos "Bosch Premium Quality" and "New Man".

I assumed at the time that I bought Bosch rebuilt parts. They came from Partsouth in Atlanta whom I selected because they were $70 cheaper on the order.

So, from what you guys say, are there different kinds of electrical rebuilts even though they come in a Bosch box with a Bosch warranty?

__________________
Chuck Taylor
Falls Church VA
'66 200, '66 230SL, '96 SL500. Sold: '81 380SL, '86 300E, '72 250C, '95 C220, 3 '84 280SL's '90 420SEL, '72 280SE, '73 280C, '78 280SE, '70 280SL, '77 450SL, '85 380SL, '87 560SL, '85 380SL, '72 350SL, '96 S500 Coupe

Chuck,

I've gotten kinda lost with this post. If it isn't clear, I'll give you my impression.

It is: that if you get an alternator from a MB dealer it will most likely be a Bosch rebuilt. Although almost all MBs use new Bosch alternators (there are other manufacturers; Motorola, Nippondenso, Valeo) when the car is built, only the first year or two are they available in the parts department.

Bosch alternators are rebuilt in many different locations. Many are in the US. They are likely to be the best rebuilt whether bought at the dealer or AZ. One confusing side of this is that Bosch is a manufacturer (what is called an OES original equiptment supplier)and a rebuilder. You can buy a "Bosch" alternator rebuilt by Bosch or you can buy a "Bosch" alternator rebuilt by Acme. You cane get a Nippondenso alternator rebuilt by Bosch also. They aren't proud they will even rebuild Delco alternators.

Bosch doesn't offer lifetime warrantees; they put their money into quality products not insurance.

[Edited by stevebfl on 01-20-2001 at 09:49 PM]

__________________
Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

I too was aligned with an auto manufacturer,G.M. I am a graduate from G.M.I. I still remember first hearing of G.M.I. I was 15 years old and could only think automobiles and when I won my scholarship out of HighSchool, the first in the State of New Mexico I was on cloud nine. Anyway I spent 21 years with various divisons both here and abroad. A very rewarding carrer. I'm glad you told it like it is on rebuilds; they wouldn't believe any one else but your credentials speak for them selves. Ask about Fred Jones Ford in OK City to name just one. Happy Trails Beep Beep from Houston.

Donald
over or under the hill