Ok, so my alternator pooped out on me, my question is this... I got the old alternator off and took it down to autozone to see if they had one. Well, they had one, but the wiring harness that plugs into the alternator has three prongs and so does the old alternator, but the new one they had at autozone only had two. I'm a little reluctant to buy one that isn't exactly like the one I took off. Is this gonna make a difference? I got the girl at discount auto parts ordering one but it won't be there till 7pm, so I can't look at it till then. What's the deal?

 

I would try to buy one from NAPA or Carquest rather than Auotzone. There may or may not be a reason behind the difference in the plug wiring that would cause a problem.

 

You're smart to wait. There is generally a good reason for each plug on the alternator.

Mr. P

 

Three prong is for the SE and GLE and the two is for the GXE. The three prong has a higher power rating than the two.

 

WTF, really? My GLE only has 2. You sure it's not for hte cold weather package?

 

Well maybe I'd better research that info. The last time I was at the local parts store I was told they were for the GLE and SE models.

 

I got a brand new Bosch at Rockauto (about the same price as reman)... had two prongs.