Alternator OEM Volkswagen or Duralast

First, if your alternator is putting out 13.8V while the car is running, your alternator is fine. Period. If your battery passes a load test after being fully charged, it is fine.

I agree, alternator from autozone is not bad. I replaced mine with a Duralast and never had a problem so far.

The MK2 alternator setup has a fatter bolt than the Mk1 alternator uses. I've seen how the thinner bolt eventually wears into the alternator and it doesn't sit straight. The MK2 alternator setup also scoots the alternator closer to the timing belt end of the engine, giving a little more room by the radiator and a shorter shaft means less torque on the bearings. You'll need the MK2 alternator wiring,.. I just bolt it to the starter.

When I had mine I had to replace the alternator just outside of warranty.

I've had 3 issues with the car: 3. recently - replace alternator (the car just knows I'm about to retire it).

It was in fact a Duralast dud! One more example of a “new” alternator being broken out of the box.

I had a new remanufactured duralast alternator as well that I thought was defective but I kept following the power cable off the alternator and found the fusible link.

When I lived in walking distance of a 24-hour AutoZone, there seemed to be more people waiting in line to get their lifetime-warranted DuraLast alternators replaced than for battery replacements.

And while I dont recall Hyundai being one of them, there are certain make/models that need an OEM alternator or they just wont work right (i.e Duralast Alternator in a BMW X5=bad idea)

Upon only 3 days of ownership, the alternator went out due to the battery going bad, that took out the internal voltage regulator.