With winter approaching and the seasonal slowdown beginning in many parts of the country, coach company maintenance shops are cranking up their heavy servicing operations.

Among the checks technicians will be making is comprehensive electrical system testing. And that includes the heart of the system the alternator.

When maintenance chiefs find that an alternator needs to be replaced, either because of failure or its nearing the end of its life cycle, they often face a difficult decision: Do they rebuild, replace with a new OEM model, or switch to a non-OEM alternator.

The factors to be considered in such a decision are many and complex.

However, increased reliability should be the driving factor when consideration is being given to switching to a non-OEM alternator, notes Charles Paden of PennTex Industries, which makes a comprehensive line of replacement alternators.

The key features of a heavy-duty alternator design are the rating and number of diodes used, as well as the diode heat-sink design, which helps dissipate heat and reduce operating temperatures.

This is critical in prolonging service life, especially in high-heat environments, says Paden.

If reducing life-cycle costs, while maximizing the service life of the charging system is a goal of the bus or coach operator, switching to an air-cooled, externally-regulated system should be given thoughtful consideration.

Alternators equipped with external regulators are an important design feature of heavy-duty electrical charging systems. An external regulator provides the strong benefit of increased performance and reliability, as well as reduced life-cycle costs.

This is especially true in many motorcoach applications, where the regulator is often located in an area away from the heat generated by the alternator and engine. Mounting the regulator away from external sources of heat not only prolongs the life of sensitive regulator components, but also extends the life and enhances the performance of the entire charging system.

Todays leading air-cooled replacement alternators are more efficient and provide additional amps. And some are designed specifically for motorcoach and transit bus applications.

The key benefits of these alternators are:

Increased fuel economy because of improved alternator efficiency

No oil leaks and hazardous waste because they are air cooled

Reduced life-cycle costs

Easy servicing with commonly available components

External regulator, providing maximum service life