Review of Powermaxx EBAY HO Alternator

[atownmack 10+ year member]

I recently purchased a 200 amp Powermaxx HO alternator from Ebay for my 2003 camry. I have done the big 3, and have an optima Yellow Top. I was initially hesitate to purchase it due to the reviews being mixed. Some people would say they had great results with it, and others trashed it. I purchased it due to the sellers rating being so high and having a ton of good rating. My experience has been nothing but horrible! There is nothing high output about this alternator. I have not tested this alternator to find its true output, but I have no need to do so. It is worse than my stock alternator. At idle its output is very low. When the RPM's go up, you can hear the AC/heat vent blow harder, and the lights increase. My lights dimming has not improved over stock, but rather gotten worse! I'm going back to my stock alternator and will save up to get a name brand HO alternator or getting a bigger battery. Please STAY THE HELL AWAY from these alternators, and do not get ripped off like I did. It is getting shipped back ASAP!!!

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[globalminds_ent 10+ year member]

Good review.

I wanted one but man nvm

 

[shauncox26]

Globalminds u from oxford to. O town homie. I see ur a vendor what do u sell.

 

[NASTY08IMPALA 5,000+ posts]

Oh u mean u bought a 200 dollar "ho alt " and it was total garbage ?? Suprise suprise

 

[Spl4200]

Thanks

 

[yogegoy]

You'd have to have power to make power and of course $$$. I have a Power Bastard "FitzAll" 220A for my GTi and it works at 14.4VDC all the time except at idle. So bought a Mechman Billet Tech 370A with 10 yr warranty which comes in on Monday so I would shut up and enjoy my ride. It will cure my rpm problem, so it says. BTW the FitzAll 220A has this distinctive turbo whine once it gets going, a nice extra.

 

[gumby688 10+ year member]

Thats strange I bought one for my Explorer and it worked fine was rated for 160 amps at 1500 RPM when I had it tested I got 154 amp at 1500 and a max of 163 at 2200 rpm it was rated for 180 max but for the 139 bucks I paid I was fine with that. I only picked it up because the stock 85 amp alt was going to be 122 bucks so I said why not and tried one out. After my son rolled the explorer this fall I took it out and sold it to my brother in law for 80 bucks and he has used it all winter with no issues.

 

[Mass Car Audio 10+ year member]

I recently purchased a 200 amp Powermaxx HO alternator from Ebay for my 2003 camry. I have done the big 3, and have an optima Yellow Top. I was initially hesitate to purchase it due to the reviews being mixed. Some people would say they had great results with it, and others trashed it. I purchased it due to the sellers rating being so high and having a ton of good rating. My experience has been nothing but horrible! There is nothing high output about this alternator. I have not tested this alternator to find its true output, but I have no need to do so. It is worse than my stock alternator. At idle its output is very low. When the RPM's go up, you can hear the AC/heat vent blow harder, and the lights increase. My lights dimming has not improved over stock, but rather gotten worse! I'm going back to my stock alternator and will save up to get a name brand HO alternator or getting a bigger battery. Please STAY THE HELL AWAY from these alternators, and do not get ripped off like I did. It is getting shipped back ASAP!!!

Are you sure you don't have belt slip ?

 

[Boomsday 10+ year member]

I have had mine for like 3 years, 2 state titles later mine is still holding up just fine.

 

[atownmack 10+ year member]

100% positive no belt slip. I The pulley that comes with the Powermaxx alternator is much smaller, and caused the belt to slip. I used the pulley from the stock alternator. Just a disappointing purchase.

 

[atownmack 10+ year member]

Thats strange I bought one for my Explorer and it worked fine was rated for 160 amps at 1500 RPM when I had it tested I got 154 amp at 1500 and a max of 163 at 2200 rpm it was rated for 180 max but for the 139 bucks I paid I was fine with that. I only picked it up because the stock 85 amp alt was going to be 122 bucks so I said why not and tried one out. After my son rolled the explorer this fall I took it out and sold it to my brother in law for 80 bucks and he has used it all winter with no issues.

The reviews are wide ranging on the Powermaxx alternators. Some say good, others say bad. I Just wish I had your same results!

 

[Mass Car Audio 10+ year member]

100% positive no belt slip. I The pulley that comes with the Powermaxx alternator is much smaller, and caused the belt to slip. I used the pulley from the stock alternator. Just a disappointing purchase.

That's your problem right there. They use the smaller pulley so the alternator will spin faster creating more output on idle and at higher RPM. Why didn't you just buy a shorter belt to make up for the smaller pulley ? All high output alternator builders DO NOT recommend using the stock pulley off your factory alternator because it will make the alternator spin slower.

I guarantee that the problem your having is not to do with the alternator but with the pulley you installed on it. Just go buy a 1" shorter belt and use the smaller pulley that came with the alternator.

 

[gumby688 10+ year member]

That's your problem right there. They use the smaller pulley so the alternator will spin faster creating more output on idle and at higher RPM. Why didn't you just buy a shorter belt to make up for the smaller pulley ? All high output alternator builders DO NOT recommend using the stock pulley off your factory alternator because it will make the alternator spin slower.
I guarantee that the problem your having is not to do with the alternator but with the pulley you installed on it. Just go buy a 1" shorter belt and use the smaller pulley that came with the alternator.

^^^^

This if you changed pulley's then you were starving the alt for rpms.

 

[SounDrive Pro Seller]

Big surprise, a rewound stock alt with a smaller pulley was a piece of crap

This is why you get a real HO alt

 

[av83 10+ year member]

Big surprise, a rewound stock alt with a smaller pulley was a piece of crap
This is why you get a real HO alt

He put his bigger stock pulley on instead of getting a smaller belt, lol.

But I had seen these things suçk in person anyways. With the right pulley.