Alternator OEM Volkswagen or Duralast

check the charging at the battery while the car is running about 2000 or 2200 rpm with multimeter. The alternator should be charging at 14 volts (give or take a little)

I just replaced the one from my 1996 Passat Tdi. 326k miles on it. The alternator still works too!

Autozone one here. 3 years deep going strong

After installing it, all of the intermittent electrical issues disappeared. I'm guessing the old alternator couldn't power all of the electrical issues at once, particularly since the battery light would not come on with the higher rev's of a cold start, but would come on with the low rev's of a warm start.

The only good thing about buying a duralast is it'll be the last alternator that you have to *PAY* for. But it def will *NOT* be the last alternator you install in the truck. Lol

Right on schedule, about 7 months later, that reman also went out and I decided to pay more to get the Duralast Gold which is all new. That one lasted about a year and a half but then the bearings went out on it, but I don't think that issue was the alternator's fault because after I replaced it, I found out the Harmonic Balancer had lost its integrity and was wobbling a little. Again, not sure what caused what (did the bearings put extra pressure on the aging balancer or did the balancer go out and damage the alternator?), but all I can say is that since replacing the harmonic balancer and using the Duralast Gold alternator, I have not had any issues for over 2 years now.

Spent 300 on an alternator to get the whole car apart just to find out it was the wrong one

All I could recommend is stop buying the autozone/duralast alternators. Buy a good brand, ie Denso, Delco, Motorcraft, etc. and return the duralast one outright for cash in hand.

Duralast..... if you want to get really good at changing them.

I went through 5 of those Durlast gold alternators (supposedly the best version of autozone's stuff) in 2 years before I had enough and bought a the Denso.