How hard can it be to get an alternator!?

[ben_r1]

Just a quick rant cos im pissed and need to vent.

172 broke down saturday with alternator failure costing me a hefty recovery home from Cadwell Park ( £440 ). Ordered a new Lucas unit from EuroCarParts for £200. Finally turned up Wednesday evening and today matched it up with old unit, completely different. Mounting points in wrong place and mounting holes too big, also seems to be 70w and original is 110.

Spoke to the joyful people at ECP customer services. Could barely speak english, couldnt find my reg on their database and when we finally agreed on a model th actual item i needed was now £420 plus surcharge. I told him to poke it and will be returing the duff unit tomorrow for a full refund. ( another 11 mile trip to my closest branch ).

So gave up and phoned Renault Toomeys parts dept. Gave the model and registration over and we once again agreed on a model, he asked if it had aircon or not to which i replied 'I believe all phase 1 172s have aircon', to which his system disagreed :dapprove:. So he then asked me if it was Valeo or Bosch, i told him Valeo. He then asks for a Renault part No off the alternator because there are seven different variants for a Valeo alternator on a 2000-2002 Phase 1 172??? I tell him i cant find a part No. on the alternator and he then says he cant help me unless i bring it down and even then it wont be a stock item, utterly useless display from Toomey Renault once again.

So in the end i phone trusted Cliospare ( Renparts ) simply mention phase 1 172 and they have them on the shelf 2nd hand £60 delivered with 3 month warranty. At last some professionalism and somebody who knows the cars they specialise in.:star:

So how hard can it be to get an alternator for a Renault Clio? Hair pullingly stressful hard, now a simple replacement job has left my poor old car out of action for a whole week. Thanks EuroCarParts you useless bunch of s**t.

 

[James1470]

£200 for a alternator ??? Sure I got Nick a new one for about £80 ........

 

[suchyrb182]

Ouch that's a ball ache! Try andrew page there usually quite good! Then again we are one of their biggest customers in the west mids so that helps

 

[MarcB]

Mate thats alot of pi$$ from ECP.

I worked there for over a year and its crazy what goes on, I have seen used parts go into new boxes, Parts change boxes and get mixed up, faulty units going back out for sale. ECP is all about sales and nothing more, They just want to get a sale and worry about doing credits / warrantys at a later date.

I got my new lucas unit for £130 + Surcharge.

Alternators and starters are a pain as there is a fair few that are listed for some cars.
If you look through the front grill on the PH2 you can see all the part numbers and everything else you need.

 

[Daniel]

ECP are cheap, but their parts are hit and miss. Try ordering 172 bottom arms from them. The ones that will turn up aren't even the right shape! lol.

Thought about giving your alternator to an auto electrician to rebuild? I had an Astra one done this week for £80. Cost me £40 for a mechanic to remove/refit and £11 for a new belt.

 

[ben_r1]

Hopefully Cliospares will deliver a working unit, I've had a PS pump off them before at dirt cheap prices and it worked a treat so fingers crossed.

Daniel I may take my old knackered unit for a rebuild and keep as a spare, certainly cheaper than all this BS should my replacement fail! Renaults incompetence was a joke aswell, both the chap on the phone and his fancy parts computer didn't have a clue between them...

 

[tomp2000]

There's only 2 choices for a Renault alternator, one is approx £100 (172 cup) and one is approx £200 (1*2 with a/c)

I guess they've sent you the wrong version?

 

[.Stevo.C.]

I wouldn't use ECP for an alternator again. I got a brand new one from them for my Williams that turned out to be faulty and over charged my battery resulting in an exploding battery. It was a complete hassle to get my money back too.

 

[AllenB]

There's only 2 choices for a Renault alternator, one is approx £100 (172 cup) and one is approx £200 (1*2 with a/c)

I guess they've sent you the wrong version?

Where is the best place to get the 172 cup alternator? Mine still charges the battery fine etc, but is it possible for an alternator to lose its lubrication, as there is alot of residue on the chassis leg nearest the alternator.

 

[DannyR]

I got one from Renault for £100~ with a surcharge on my old one.

The unit was slightly different though.

 

[tomp2000]

Where is the best place to get the 172 cup alternator? Mine still charges the battery fine etc, but is it possible for an alternator to lose its lubrication, as there is alot of residue on the chassis leg nearest the alternator.

Pm 'Wests Renault' for a price

 

[Pete.M]

If it will fit I have an alternator from my 182 that I broke a while back. It's done 60,000 miles, £40 + £5 postage.

 

[adi-kty-172]

parts seem to be a pain i ordered a new radiator from pages and they sent the wrong 1 twice

 

[AllenB]

Pm 'Wests Renault' for a price

PM sent!

 

[R-Sport.]

When you do the alternator repair do you need a new aux belt kit?

 

[Daniel]

No, but to not do it is a bit pikey!

 

[not normal dan]

Personally for the cost I'd just do it as a precaution.

 

[Talan]

Had the same problem with ECP. Sent me the wrong alternator and then tried to deduct £50 off what I had paid for it when I returned it because the box it was in was damaged and so couldn't apparently be sold as new. Fought it out and got my money in full but took four months! Jokers.

 

[ben_r1]

Had the same problem with ECP. Sent me the wrong alternator and then tried to deduct £50 off what I had paid for it when I returned it because the box it was in was damaged and so couldn't apparently be sold as new. Fought it out and got my money in full but took four months! Jokers.

This had best not happen to me tomorrow!