Hey guys, I just got my SC to the Toyota specialist and they said my alternator was dying out. I know Toyota/Lexus cars are very picky about having the exact OE sensors. Is it the same case for the alternator? The Denso remanufactured one is on backorder with no ETA. Found a used OEM one on eBay from pickapart for $85. Can I just grab an off brand one from an auto parts store, or do I need the real one? Also if anyone has an extra working one I’ll buy it off you.

 

Rockauto has the reman Denso. If you buy make sure to search this site or google for 5% rockauto discount code. Off brand alternators are hilariously unreliable.

 

I have a good working one, i put a high output one on to run is300 fans

 

I found the Denso reman alternator for my year model on Amazon for $150, but they had a “used - very good” Denso reman for $30 through their used part Warehouse. I grabbed it, because with prime and free returns, that would be an amazing value if it works

 

That’s an awesome deal. I’ll have to look into that.

 

I put a Denso reman alternator in my F150 this year. It was fine for 4 months. Then on the way to work the battery light came on. I drove 2 miles and figured I would take an Uber home after work. At the end of the day I got in the truck and started it; no light. So I drove to an auto parts store to have them test it. The guy found it was charging just fine at that moment but both battery cables had a ton of corrosion on them which means it was overcharging and cooking the battery. I had about 10 miles to go to get home so I took the risk and made it with the light staying off until 3 miles from home. Rock Auto was good about replacing the alternator but the one I got was some rebuilt knockoff since it did not have the Motorcraft markings on the casing. It has been working fine for a few months now. The warranty is only a year and you are just out of luck if you need a replacement ASAP. The large chain parts stores offer lifetime warranty so if you keep your car a long time IMHO it is worth the extra cost. I was kind of disappointed with how quickly the Denso went bad. Years ago I put a $35 junkyard factory OEM alternator in my friend's Camry and it was still working after 7 years of use when he got rid of the car. For $30 it is worth a try. If you find a junked SC with the factory part then grab it for your parts collection.

 

I would install a Denso JZ alternator. If you happen to have an SC model year that uses an oval alternator plug you can get a Supra TT Automatic OEM/Denso 100 Amp 3-phase alternator.

If you need higher than stock idle amperage and are okay doing a little modification to the casing to mount (and can switch to or use an oval alt connector) you can use a 2003-2010 SC430 130 Amp 6-phase OEM/Denso alternator.

 

Good morning Texan, Just a comment about you driving those ten miles and not knowing with the corroded battery cables. If you ever find yourself in this position again, pour a can or bottle of coke over the connections. Coke does wonders on the corrosion. This will get you home where you can clean your battery connections properly.

 

Thanks for the reply. The corrosion was actually a symptom of the alternator overcharging and cooking the battery. I did a little research on this when I had that problem. When both terminals have corrosion on them it is almost always a condition of overcharging the battery. One terminal corrosion can be a variety of things. If I had then what I do now, I would have stopped driving the truck as soon as I noticed both terminals were rotting out. I figured the battery was just going bad on its own so I cleaned it up and kept driving until that day the light came on.

 

I am glad it worked out for you. By the way I first saw the coke used in 1955 Coming back from the Daytona 500 race. I was with a friend and his dad who poured coke on the windshield to get rid of the bugs and another coke on the battery cables. We made it back to Birmingham with no problems in that big 98 Oldsmobile. Boy were those the days.

 

so we don't have to unplug our alts to figure it out, do you have any clues or hints as to how we could figure out if our car uses the oval style? like any certain model years or production plants?

 

This plug is in the back of the alternator near the top. It's really easy to tell. The early cars had a round plug, pretty large like maybe 1-1/2" in diameter. The later ones have the oval and is smaller, like maybe 1" at the widest part and 3/4" on the smallest part of the oval.