Yeah...I was coming home from wirk and the volt meter pegged on 18 volts. I did'nt think nothing of it at first because the gauge goes up or down when I hit a bump in the road or something, until the SES light came on. I thought you gotta be kiddin' me. I got home and broke out the old service manual. It tested fine at the alternator connector, but upon cranking it up, 17 VOLTS! Needless to say my reaction was F DAT. Called AZ to find out how much another one was and to my surprise, I had gotten the lifetime warranty one a couple years back. Can't beat free. Came home and hooked it up and finally got 14.40 volts at the battery. Gotta put the car through relearn mode, but no big deal. At least my power windows went up faster then they ever did off the bad alternator.LOL! Don't think it screwed up my ECM any. If it did... (click...dial tone...Autozone...yeah, how much is an ECM?) Ken

You're lucky. I have a similar story that's a lot less funny. Mine went on me back in 06 when I was going TO work. I was past halfway there, and there was NO way I was turning around to go home at the time (no AAA either, so no towing). I turned on my lights, my heater (only have heat and have had for a LOOONG time and it was fall when it was still warm), and I cranked my subs up. Did the same on the way home and only had to add a little bit of water to my el-cheapo battery. When I got home, I tested the alt, and ended up switching it for the one from my Grand Prix that I had then. Same alternator, just different alignment between case halves. Come about three weeks later, I got the lifetime alt for the Bird, rotated the front half of the case, and put it in the GP. Come the following summer, after having sold the GP, I tracked down the guy who still owed me half on said GP, and got my $200 alternator back (along with a full set of the 2001 AllData series CD-ROM discs) and forgave his debt. Put it in the Bird (reswapped alternators right there in his driveway), and all was well...

..until 2 months ago when my diode trio crapped out and I was getting an AC voltage spike on my output cable and the alternator was VERY close to going up in flames (hotter than normal to touch for only having gone 2 blocks and smoke pouring out). I called Advance and was told I was SOL because I lost the receipt and they didn't have the thing in my records. So, now I repair them... And soon enough, I'll upgrade mine to about 180+ amps...

Those lifetime warrenty Durralast alternators are something. I have one and have never had to replace it. And if I ever do it's free! I get the lifetime warrenty stuff whenever I can

I just had this very same thing happen a couple months ago. While driving home after dark - I noticed the headlights flickering a little. Hmmm. Looked down and saw the volt gauge way up around 17+ or so. Figured on the spot I had a bad regulator.

By slowing down from 75 to 50 I dropped the voltage to 16 or so. Didn't drive it after that until I had a new alternator. I too had a lifetime job from a small parts chain in another state so it was worthless to me now. Turned it in as a core for one from a national chain this time.

THe odd thing was in the store it bench tested OK - go figure...

Lifetime parts 'can' be good deals if you plan on keeping the car for a very long time and they are from a stable national chain.

An alternator is a cinch to replace and I usually go for lifetime jobs there. But for more critical internal engine parts that are hard to get to - I go for name brand parts (which usually have good warranties) over a house brand w/ lifetime. So it's a case by case basis for me.

Remember - the best warranty is the one you never have to use!

PS I once got autozone to replace a lifetime part I had bought back in the days of AutoShack and still had a much faded receipt for!

(edit unintended double post)