I replaced the alternator in my wife's '79 244 and the new (reman, actually) worked well for about a week. My daughter noticed the alternator light didn't go on when the key was turned on, which was one of the symptoms of the old one. Voltage across the battery terminals is only about 12-12.25 volts, irrespective of engine speed (so, no output). Newly installed alternator was taken to a shop and isn't doing anything, as they told my daughter - it's "dead".

Is there something about the car and its wiring that would cause an alternator to fail in a few days, or is it probable that the reman was faulty.

The light indicating a light failure is on now, but it wasn't before. When I looked at the wiring diagram, the amp light and light failure indicator light seem to be grounded through the same wire - the red one that goes to the alternator. Is it possible a short there could be the cause? I don't want to have this guy exchange the alternator and then find out there's a wiring problem in the car that is the cause of the problem. He's willing to give me another one, but if it's not the fault of the alternator, I don't want to take advantage of the guy. By the way, this guy is meticulous in everything he does, so I imagine he has a good re-manufacturer. He's also been a sort of mentor as I've learned about this car and, I'm sure dosen't make a lot of money on me.

Incidentally, if anyone in the Salt Lake area needs good quality used parts - or work done on old Volvos, the guy's business is Vintage Volvo.

Thanks for the help.

Jim Hampton