Dear Tom and Ray:

I own a 1993 Geo Prizm LSi with air conditioning. I have put in three alternators in the past 13 months. Is there anything you know of that would cause them to keep blowing? -- Steve

Ray: There are two things I can think of. One is that you're putting in lousy, rebuilt alternators. The quality of rebuilds varies tremendously -- from real- cheap junk to not-quite-so-cheap junk. So that could be the problem.

Tom: Just as likely, though, your alternator belt is too tight. An over-tightened belt will fry an alternator faster than just about anything. The rear bearing of the alternator is often built into the diode bridge. And when the bearing fails, the alternator stops producing electricity.

Ray: But there's no good electrical reason why the alternators should be burning out so fast. You're not playing the radio too loud ... or lighting up your neon fuzzy dice too often. So start by asking someone to check the belt, Steve.

Auto repairs can be costly! Save money by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 2000 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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