TAMPA, FL –Remy Inc. has redesigned its alternator line to offer a new model capable of handling the much higher heat being generated by today’s low-emission engines. It also has launched a new warranty partnership with truckstop chain Travel Centers of America (TA) that will help support Remy products in the field.
“Under-hood temperatures have increased so much we had to redesign our alternator,” said Mike Crull, Remy’s engineering manager, here at the Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting. “We made internal changes, such as insulating the cooper wire, to help cool it down along with external modifications so we pull in more air but from different places.”
The new Remy 36SI alternator is able to operate in under-hood temperatures of up to 221 degrees Fahrenheit, a boost from the 209 degree F ceiling of the 35SI model, said Crull. The 36SI offers 167 amps at road speed and 100 amps at idle, which is almost double the 58 amps at idle of the previous model, he noted.
“That extra idle amperage allows the engine to put more energy back in the battery when it’s running at low speed,” said Randy Andis, Remy’s director of fleet operations.
Remy has forged a warranty service agreement with TA in part to help support the new alternator – along with its other products – in the field. “It covers all our original or remanufactured products and is available to all fleets and owner-operators through TA’s 157 locations,” Andis said. “They want warranty coverage through truckstops because it’s right off the highway where they are stopping already – it’s easy on and easy off for them.”