You guys always figure the best options, so I'm coming to you. C4 Vette, L98 engine. Charging light comes on after a short time driving. I had alternator and battery tested, both failed. Battery is easy. My problem is solving the alternator issue. Car hasn't been driven much but I want to change that. 5 years ago I put in a new stock AC Delco alternator. I've read on Corvetteforum about that going through alternators every couple years. So I'd like to change that. I've read about C5 alternators being installed with an extra brace. I've read there is a company who makes an alternator that looks stock but has an extra fan on the back for cooling. Stock alternator with different pulley? Too many options... what have you guys done/used?
I use a new stock replacement. Dbelectric from Amazon. Had good luck. That series of gm alternator is pretty dead nuts reliable until it cooks itself trying to charge a bad battery.
What he said. Those CS130's, especially in the standard 105amp output are pretty reliable. Even in a 'vette enginebay. I always suspected most of the ones I sold while at oreilly were purchased because of sticky brushes from sitting, burnt up from charging a dead battery, or people just throwing parts at a problem.
Do you have the original OEM alternator? If you do, I highly recommend having it rebuilt by a local electric shop. I've almost always found this is a better long term solution than a seemingly endless stream of new unknown quality ones. Also make sure your grounds and battery / charging cables are in good state. All of my 80s and 90s GM vehicles have needed new cables.
I own a C4. It's parked in my garage right now. I say that to illustrate that I'm not a hating on them.
What almost every C4 needs is a battery tender. A giant majority of them sit around way too much, get driven too little, and when they do get driven, the alternator has to always be topping up a battery that has sat and run down.
I am guilty as charged and keep my Corvette plugged in when it's parked in the garage. I've had no issues with the alternator thankfully.
if they're the same part, and if they're getting hard to find, i'm pretty sure i still have the alternator from my 94 LT1 C4. will sell really cheap. was charging fine but has a slightly noisy bearing in it.
Gentlemen, thank you! I knew you guys would speak reason to me. I do use a battery tender when I know I won't drive it, especially in the winter. I don't have the original alternator, my dad had that changed many years ago. ( he is the original owner and he gave the car to me 7 years ago.)New battery is getting done and now I'm going to go with the original style. I really didn't want to jury rig a different one on there. I've tried to keep it as close to original style as possible. I was going to go through the grounds too. I'll have to check cables. They still look new but could be going bad. Thank you all again, you guys are brilliant
Cousin_Eddie (Forum Supporter) said:
What almost every C4 needs is a battery tender. A giant majority of them sit around way too much, get driven too little, and when they do get driven, the alternator has to always be topping up a battery that has sat and run down.
This applies to anything with a battery, not just Vette's.
