the alt. was a rebuilt for the x5,,had the bat. and the alt. checked, both were up to specs. i did not do the work so im not sure what was removed. he did say some of the vac hoses looked dry and brittle. i plan on changing those asap the car is just weak, not like a 4.4i should be. i just dont trust the car on long drives.....thanx so much for your help...