Hello chat members. This is my first post but have found alot of the info here very helpful. I have reviewed alot of archives relative to the 348 alternator issue on this site so forgive me if this sounds redundent. I have a 93ts that has been at the dealership for 2 weeks now. I won't mention the dealer, yet. My intent was to have the delco alternator rebuilt/upgraded. (As per many posts from this site). I even brought copies of some of the posts to the dealership to avoid any problems encountered by other members. The dealer told me they have now taken the alternator in and out of the car (3) times!! after problems encountered when they reinstalled and tested the car, i.e. low voltage output at high revs, alternator light coming back on, etc. Now, today, I'm told I actually have a Nippondenso alternator with a bad internal part that Nippondenso ONLY provides to Ferrari and Ferrari will only sell an ENTIRE NEW ALTERNATOR and not simply the part for a rebuild. So, in luie of a $500.00 delco I'm looking at $1200.00 installed. Can anyone provide some feedback or enlightenment? Thanks
On 06/01/1992, a Ferrari Service Campaign was issued that changed the Delco alternator to a Nippondenso unit during production of the 348. Don't know if that helps, but definitely stick with the Nippondenso unit.
You car should have come with a Nippondenso alt. stock. I am not sure why they told you that your car had a delco alt. Unless the factory by accident put a delco in there. The Nippondenso should be able to be rebuilt by any good alt./starter rebuilder.
Thanks, the ferrari dealer is telling me that the company that rebuilds thier alternators can't get an internal part from Nippondenso for the rebuild. They say I can only get the part from ferrarri and ferrari will only sell the the entire new alternator. Is thier any option beyond having to purchase a brand new Nippondenso?
Okay they are feeding you a load of crap. I have a Nippodenso alternator in my 348. I have taken the alternator out, and appart. It is not big deal. The alternator can be taken out in 30 minutes. The Nippodenso alternator DOES NOT have to be rebuilt be the "special Ferrari only" shop. The problem that you are having is because they are not using a heavy duty regulator when they rebuilt the alternator. So what happens is when the rpm get high the regulator cuts the power going to the battery, and that is when you see the battery light come on. So I suggest you get your alternator, take it to any reputable shop alternator shop, and have it rebuilt for about $300. Just make sure that they use a heavy duty regulator when they do it. Nippodenso alternators are VERY common. Nippodenso supplies alternators to lots of manufactures. So if the dealer is telling you that the part they need can ONLY be supplied to a "Ferrari Dealer" they are full of crap. They are just trying to make you buy a new alternator.
I agree with Ernie, These alternators can be rebuilt and have nothing to do with Ferrari. I had mine rebuilt (91TS) by a nippondenso alternator specialist in the UK earlier this year It took 1 day and cost £100 ($180). They also offered a replacement direct from the shelf, although the pulley was smaller. I went for the rebuild and worked fine. Refitted it in about 1/2 hour. I am sure there are similar specialist in the US. search in the archives for '348 alternator dead' - you will find the link there if you need more details Cheers
At that price you could ship your alternator to England, have it rebuilt 5 times, and still have money left over. Like I said they are just trying you make you buy an alternator for $1,200. DON'T DO IT!!! Take your alternator elsewere. Hey John do you have the name and number of the shop that rebuilt yours? I'm curious to know if they have a rebuild kit that they sell?
You are not alone in your 348 alternator issues. I have a 94 348 spider that has been having (what is believed to be) a reoccurring alternator problem for over 3 years now. I have had an annoying but fairly rare battery light flicker at certain rpms. After being stranded a couple times I have had the Nippondensa alternator rebuilt twice by a reputable shop, and removed a third time to have it bench tested; it checked out fine that time. Also added an additional grounding wire. (I religiously store the car with a 1.5 amp trickle charger attached.) When driving a few months ago the car began loosing power quickly at about 40mph. I increased the rpms to keep it running long enough to get it off a busy street. I had no prior warning to a loss of battery power. No flickering or solid battery light, only an engine slowdown light as it was dying. After a lovely flatbed tow home I placed the dead Optima red top battery on a charger. After a day the battery showed fully charged, replaced it, drove the car to a shop to test the charging system. Charging system showed a proper 14.3 volts. Turns out the nearly 3 year old battery held a charge, but failed the load test miserably. (Battery replaced for free!) With new battery installed the charging system showed 14.3 volts. Exactly what it should be. Fearing that this was not the solution to the problem I drove the car for a couple days and had a friend retest the charging system. 12.1 volts.... oh crap... car was running off the battery only. Car taken to another friend with a lift, and prepared to remove the alternator to take it to a different shop for testing/rebuilding. While unplugging the connector to the alternator it was discovered to be completely corroded with a white crust??? connection cleaned and charging system retested without removing the alternator. 14.3 volts!!! hurray. I am so smart. not so fast. After driving the car a few miles the battery light would flicker at 3500rpms or higher. After driving a few hundred miles over a few week period I noticed that while driving at night the dash lights began to dim, headlights had a dimming flicker to them. Tested the charging system when I got home and guess what. 12.1 volts... The car was running off the battery only again. Next step? I plan to remove the alternator and have it completely rebuilt with a heavy duty regulator, have the windings replaced, and install a new diode. In addition I plan on checking all electrical connections in the system to make sure they are good. I will keep you posted on my progress. Anybody else have suggestions???
When you are having the charging problem, have you ever looked to see if the tentioner has gotten loose. That could be a reason for the good reading one minute and then running off the battery the next. If the belt doesn't have the proper tention it can't turn the alternator properly. So just for kicks have a look at the alternator belt tentioner. Make sure that the tention retaining bolt is tightend down, the one that holds the bearing in place, after the proper tention has been placed with the adjusting bolt. Have a look at the connection coming off of the starter, you could have a loose connection there. I'm not for absolute sure on a '94, but on my '90, the power runs from the alternator, to the starter, then to the battery. Have you checked the condition of the three prog plug that goes into the back of the alternator. You could have a wire that has broken or come loose. It wouldn't surprise me if you found a bad wire.
Ernie, thanks for the post. The belt tension was only finger checked and not focused upon, it seemed fine. When I am in there this next time I will pay closer attention to the tension and to check the alternator wires and pins for any damage. Thanks again.
ernie, details as requested:- www.nippon-dis.co.uk you may need the nippondenso part no. stamped on the alternator as I just handed mine over and they new what was required. good luck john
