Quick Question - Honda parts - ACDelco, Duralast or Bosch - Preference?

[C-2]

I need to change the alternator/belt tensioner/serpentine belt on wifey's accord.

Are ACDelco, Duralast or Bosch on par with each other, or is one better in your experience?

Original Honda offers 1-yr warranty, ACDelco - 2yr, Duralast is limited lifetime, Bosch 2-yr on alternator.

Any thoughts?

 

[rrrr]

What are the limits on the Duralast part?

 

[Ace in the Hole]

What are the limits on the Duralast part?

I ran through 4 sets of their brakes on my last truck. Never an issue getting them swapped out. Autozone will pretty much warranty anything as long as its not the "base" line

 

[C-2]

On the Duralast I just called - they said lifetime, if it stops working 7 years from now they'll replace it. Dang...

 

[C-2]

Okay remanufactured or new (same warranty)? $50 difference

 

[ElAzul]

Keeping the car for a bit? OEM all day vs. Chinese shit tensioners

 

[bowtiejunkie]

Honda.

I consider lifetime warranty an excuse to produce crap parts. Especially when it comes to vehicle parts. Most ‘original purchasers’ won’t own the vehicle long enough for the crap lifetime part to fail.

If you enjoy replacing parts get the cheap stuff. Otherwise, buy OEM and enjoy longer component life.

 

[Ace in the Hole]

Okay remanufactured or new (same warranty)? $50 difference

on the alternator I'd either buy OEM, bosch, or reman oem...some of the "new" ones are pretty shit.

belt is fine from autozone....belt tensioners Either OEM or a highline aftermarket.

 

[C-2]

2013 Honda Accord, 200K

OEM AC Condenser just replaced at dealer
2 OEM starters, 3rd aftermarket is in car now
1 OEM alternator, this will be the second
2 OEM tensioners, this will be the third

 

[bowtiejunkie]

I buy Honda parts from: www.oemacuraparts.com . It’s Acura of Peoria (Arizona). They sell Honda parts as well. Excellent prices and service.

 

[C-2]

RockAuto has a "BBB Industries" remany w/3-year, which is about the remaining life expectance of the car

 

[C-2]

I buy Honda parts from: www.oemacuraparts.com . It’s Acura of Peoria (Arizona). They sell Honda parts as well. Excellent prices and service.

I see they are $100 cheaper on the alt, $30 cheaper on tensioner. Honda dealer quoted $476/$139, which are also the "original prices" quoted on the Acura site.

Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[GOTTBoat]

Get OEM parts, your "free" labor replacing shit parts repeatedly is what sucks.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

I see they are $100 cheaper on the alt, $30 cheaper on tensioner. Honda dealer quoted $476/$139, which are also the "original prices" quoted on the Acura site.

Thanks for the heads-up!

hope it helps save you a few bucks for remainder of years you own your Honda. I buy everything for our Honda (filters, brakes, etc) from this place. Has never done me wrong. Had our Accord since new in 2010. 120k miles now. Aside from 3 piston rings under warranty, and a few positive battery cables, it’s been free of any other part failures. Good luck!

 

[3queens]

cracks me up with all the OE only peeps

Car company's put cars together with parts sourced from vendors that manufacture parts with there specs they do not make parts
Honda for example does not build alternators Denso/Bosch/Valeo ect do
you can find the Original manufacturer very easy with a little effort and pay alot less than bending over the counter at Honda as in this case

keep paying retail tho by all means

 

[Marios Metalworks]

@3queens it’s more complicated than that. Parts built that don’t meet OEM spec are still viable in the marketplace. Honda might call for tolerances way under the bell curve while parts that don’t meet those still function incredibly well.

@C-2 I’m and OEM fan for my Honda/Acura parts. Albeit the newest Honda I’ve owned is a 2001

 

[ka0tyk]

i had a focus that needed an alternator. i grabbed a duralast unit, lifetime warranty, etc... about every 3 months it would go out again. I had already replaced the cable, new grounds, etc... it was just a POS unit. the bottom tiers are all just remans... they finally grabbed me a gold unit which is brand new and it was good ever since. I figured "lifetime warranty" and it was pretty easy to get to, it would just suck if I was like 100 miles from home and the alternator died. I'd have to stop by an autozone, buy a 15mm wrench and replace it in the parking lot.

I really have given up on autozone parts. they're just junk.

 

[77charger]

I replaced a crank sensor on my chevy used an ac delco it lasted under 2 years thought ok. Got another it was dead on arrival. Truck would not start.
Went to oreily got their brand with lifetime warranty fit good truck fired right up did the relearn on it right after.

 

[C-2]

The 2 starters and 2 belt tensioners and AC condenser have me wondering about OEM. The car also had 2 throttle body issues and the display went out, too.

My 90' Honda civic - the ignition igniter went out and that was it.

i had a focus that needed an alternator. i grabbed a duralast unit, lifetime warranty, etc... about every 3 months it would go out again. I had already replaced the cable, new grounds, etc... it was just a POS unit. the bottom tiers are all just remans... they finally grabbed me a gold unit which is brand new and it was good ever since. I figured "lifetime warranty" and it was pretty easy to get to, it would just suck if I was like 100 miles from home and the alternator died. I'd have to stop by an autozone, buy a 15mm wrench and replace it in the parking lot.

I really have given up on autozone parts. they're just junk.

Using the place bowtiejunkie put up, OEM (1-yr) The Bosch (2-yr) and Duralast Gold (lifetime) are all the same price. OEM lasted 8 years.

How long did you have the Focus with the gold in it?

 

[69 1/2]

Honda parts only. The designed service life is simply longer.

I worked for a GM dealer years ago that had an in-house lifetime warrranty on installed parts. They used the cheapest crap they could get while posters all over the shop bragged on “genuine GM parts” dealer principle just couldn’t understand our problem with selling crap parts for GM prices as long as “he” stood behind it. ITS THE INCONVENIENCE OF POOR RELIABILITY AND HAVING IT FIXED TWICE!

 

[sonicss31]

RockAuto has a "BBB Industries" remany w/3-year, which is about the remaining life expectance of the car

I used to like Rock but lately their shipping costs negates the lower prices.

 

[Racer56]

Maybe it's time to send the Honda down the road and start of with something fresh!

 

[ElAzul]

cracks me up with all the OE only peeps

Car company's put cars together with parts sourced from vendors that manufacture parts with there specs they do not make parts
Honda for example does not build alternators Denso/Bosch/Valeo ect do
you can find the Original manufacturer very easy with a little effort and pay alot less than bending over the counter at Honda as in this case

keep paying retail tho by all means

Pretty much wrong on most OEM spec parts but please instead of just chiming in that he can go get bent over why don't you show us what he needs and save the guy some dough on OEM stuff. We'll all be here waiting

 

[TimeBandit]

Bosch Alternator
OEM tensioner
Gates Belt

 

[lbhsbz]

Having worked in the parts industry for 20 years....

Don't dwell on the name. Bosch makes some OEM parts. If you buy a Bosch branded (aftermarket) part for an application where Bosch is OE, you have a fairly OK chance of getting the actual OE part. If you buy a Bosch part for something where they are not OE, you are typically getting some commodity grade aftermarket part.
AC Delco has about 3 or 4 product lines (I can't keep up anymore). One is their OE...same as if you go to the Chevy dealer (but not necessarily the same as what the vehicle was built with), and the others are all commodity grade aftermarket.

The entire industry is like this.

For a Honda, I'd stick with Honda OE. OE is my choice for most everything unless the cost is way out of line, which I've found is generally not the case. Go here https://estore.honda.com/ and find your part numbers, then google them and see where you can get the best price/service.

I hate Autozone and their Duralast brand. They offer a great warranty, but the parts are just lowest bidder stuff. We used to sell them chassis parts and rotors. I remember looking into a ball joint one day, our cost on it was $1.73, we sold it to AZ for somewhere about $2.50. Autozone sold it for $29.99. I installed those same parts in my truck and they were making noise within 50 miles, and worn out/galled within 1000 miles. Autozone offered a lifetime warranty on that part. Tell me, if you had both new ball joints fail within that time frame, would you exchange them for a "free" new set under warranty? Then spend another 2 or so hours changing them, only to have it happen again? You might....once...but not twice. So AZ will give you a free set, bringing their total cost to $5, lowering their profit to only $25, and you'll walk out with a smile....until they wear out again in another 1000 miles, then you'll throw them straight in the trash and go get some Moogs or OE or whatever different brand. AZ is smiling too. Aftermarket parts are a crapshoot unless you work for the company and know everything about the engineering/production of the parts. Going to the dealer is pretty much guaranteed to get you the best quality part available...but at a higher price.

How much is your labor worth? I like doing things once, if possible.

 

[3queens]

Pretty much wrong on most OEM spec parts but please instead of just chiming in that he can go get bent over why don't you show us what he needs and save the guy some dough on OEM stuff. We'll all be here waiting

Well the OP ask for opinions not a hook up
More than happy to get a RDP discount at one of my stores DM me
They do not advertise here so I don’t promote
Not following you on what part is wrong with my OE spec solution
Been selling parts and service for over 30yrs
I know a few things but forget most

have a blessed day

 

[C-2]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input.

I followed lbhsbz's common sense approach (thanks), and I found an OEM seller in nearby Fontana that allows pickup of the parts, so I will call them when they open.

I will be saving about $180 in parts, $400.00 total by doing the work myself.

Hopefully the parts are in stock so I can take advantage of the cool IE weather.

Any thoughts on a new handheld/hanging work light?

 

[lbhsbz]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input.

I followed lbhsbz's common sense approach (thanks), and I found an OEM seller in nearby Fontana that allows pickup of the parts, so I will call them when they open.

I will be saving about $180 in parts, $400.00 total by doing the work myself.

Hopefully the parts are in stock so I can take advantage of the cool IE weather.

Any thoughts on a new handheld/hanging work light?

Get a headlamp

 

[C-2]

Get a headlamp

Duh, I have kick ass headlamp that I forgot about. Thanks again bud

 

[lbhsbz]

Duh, I have kick ass headlamp that I forgot about. Thanks again bud

I buy 5 packs…I can usually find at least one after an hour of searching…and of course the batteries are dead

 

[TimeBandit]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the input.

I followed lbhsbz's common sense approach (thanks), and I found an OEM seller in nearby Fontana that allows pickup of the parts, so I will call them when they open.

I will be saving about $180 in parts, $400.00 total by doing the work myself.

Hopefully the parts are in stock so I can take advantage of the cool IE weather.

Any thoughts on a new handheld/hanging work light?

Harbor freight LED light kicks ass.

 

[C-2]

Cool, all parts in stock and will be ready for pickup later today/tomorrow morning. They are Rock Honda in Fontana, but use a different online name, all parts OEM and only ordered from American Honda.

Thanks again everybody