msvphoto

New battery, 178k miles, voltage drops as car warms up, worse with electrical loads.

Alternator appears to be a Bosch, but I can not find a brand name looking from below with inspection mirror. I do see "140A" and the voltage regulator has a Bosch look, plus many more cooling fins than the photos of Valeos I have seen.

Do I need to get another Bosch, or will a Valeo 140A replacement alternator fit?

TIA!

PaperToast

i dont think that the 2 are interchangeable
the valeo is a 140 amp and the bosch is 120 amp i believe

it sounds like you have the valeo brand seeing how you established its a 140 amp alt.

msvphoto

Bosch apparently does do both 120A and 140A versions from what I have dug up so far. The alternator in our '01 defiantly looks like a Bosch based on size and quantity of cooling slots (the Bosch has more slots that are slimmer, the Valeo has fewer but wide slots). Also the voltage regulator/brush assy. looks more like the Bosch replacements. All that said, I'm still not positive, and I can't believe the internet pictures I am basing my theory on 100%.

Spare parts listings are not confidence inspiring. Some state "for Valeo system" while others say "replacement for Bosch or Valeo." Best I can find from searching archives in various forums is the primary difference is the way the pulley attaches, and on most rebuilt units you need to keep, and swap over, the old pulley. The new Valeo units appear to include a pulley so this may be a non-issue if I go that way.

I would like to be sure before getting the new alt. and tearing into the job though. My wife drives the car during the week (I bicycle commute). Our "spare car" (an '86 4kq) is having fuel pump issues so I don't want her driving that for fear she gets stranded, again (which happened to her recently when we had another air spring go--and right now my priority time and $ wise is the AR). She is suffering with a hip problem so driving our '01 Ford pickup (getting in and out of it mostly) is not so good. That leaves my garage queen Ur-Q as our sole reliable running option and I cringe at the thought of her using it for her work car for a week in the event I am unsuccessful in this alternator surgery. The perfect storm has hit this house some say has "too many cars." (I actually did trim the fleet by two over the last couple years...)

msvphoto

Update: Valeo alternator arrived yesterday. It included the pulley and looks like it should fit fine. For sake of archives I will post a follow up after installation this weekend. A big wrenching weekend, the alt and I get to do the aux coolant pump...oh joy.

The Valeo is in and works great!

ScarMcar

Thank you! I had the same question, and will now proceed with the new Valeo, instead of a remanufactured Bosch unit.