I had a very enlightening conversation with a starter/alternator/generator engineer with Bosch. He was very familiar with this particular alternator and as luck would have it, I happened to talk to him on the same day that he was researching options to rebuild the alternator in his E39 540i M Sport.

To make a long story as short as possible, his advice was to buy the bearings, replace them, call it good. So I ordered the bearings. But when I opened up the alternator, it was nasty inside. The rotor had been rubbing on the stator and part of it had actually melted. I talked to the engineer again and his "gut feeling" was that it would probably still work fine. But that didn't give me much confidence. So I just coughed up the 400 bucks for a premium rebuilt alternator from Bosch - which is the only way to get a rebuilt alternator with genuine Bosch parts instead of Chinese junk.

So it's back together and running again. But for how long this time? I think I'm going to open a betting pool on what the next failure will be. Anybody want a piece of that action? Here are the top 10 potentials, in no particular order:

1. ABS Module
2. Transfer Case
3. Catalytic Converter(s)
4. SRS Module
5. Transmission
6. Power Steering Pump
7. A/C Compressor
8. Suspension Air Spring/Compressor
9. Oxygen Sensor(s)
10. I would say Navigation Computer, but it's already on the fritz

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2002 X5 4.6is - Imola Red/Black (Sold)
2001 740i M Sport - Anthrazit Metallic/Black (Sold)
1998 M3/4/5 - Technoviolet/Dove (Sold)
2003 Z4 3.0i Sport - Sterlinggrau Metallic/Black (Sold)
2009 Mini JCW (The Wife's)
2015 i3 REx - Arravani Gray/Tera World (Daily Driver)