Alternator Pulley!!!! 1993 300SE
 

So I took the 3 month old alternator off my 1993 300SE to Autozone to get it checked out. It was putting out way too many volts so they agreed to replace if free of charge. They didn't have on in stock but would be able to get one here in 2 days. They insisted on keeping the old one so it could be returned for core when the new one arrived. I get home with the new one 2 days later and SURPRISE...... no pulley.

Of coarse Autozone says they can't get the old one back, no local junkyard has it, and although Autozone says they will pay for it if I find it, the only place I can find one is 2 weeks away in Germany......

Any ideas at all? I'm on my way back to Autozone to do some screaming.

It seems I'm screwed here. Autozone agreed to give me back the money for both the alternator and the core charge totaling $293.35. Problem is I cannot find the alternator anywhere with the pulley installed on it.

I'm surprised you left the pulley on there. I'm also surprised you pulled the alternator off before finding one locally (always a good habit). Maybe Phil can get one?

Or I'm sure the dealer can get one, if you need it ASAP.

I agree I should have known better. I've swapped this particular alternator twice before and have always swapped it. I was plenty upset about the 3 month alternator failing, not to mention exhausted from lying under the car in the wonderful north Texas sun last Thursday. While I'm plenty pissed at Autozone....... I'm equally upset with myself.

Btw the stupid pulley is officially a German only part, not carried by dealers. I'm realizing the only way to find one is the junkyard route.......

Is this their screw up or does the alt come without the pulley?

All the ones I ever bought had the pulley but I never bought a Mercedes one yet.

Anyway, always inspect rebuilt parts before you leave the store. They say 10% are bad out of the box and my experience is worse than that.

One time I went to get an alternator, Beck Arnley, and they guy brings it to the counter. I open the box and I say, "they don't even paint them anymore?". He looks at it with a sad look. It was a core.

So we go to the second store (and only other store that had one). Guy brings it to the counter. I open the box. Cracked pulley. Big hunk out of it.

No, the alternator does not come with the pulley, and it says in large bold print on their screen, DOES NOT SHIP WITH PULLEY. Technically it's entirely their fault, although I did/should have known better.

The semi-good news is I've found a used/rebuilt alternator with pulley in a Pennsylvania wrecking yard for $126 less than the refund Autozone gave me. My only desire is to sell the car.......

hopefully by now you have found a pulley... I recently bought an alt for my 85 300D from eBay (eagle electric). This fella was great to deal with. He supplied a pulley with the alternator. you might want to check with him if you still need one.

Another place to check with is sunvalleydismantlers.com. They are in LA but have tons if Benzs