As to alternators and starters, you might do yourself a favor by finding a local starter/alternator shop. I found one here in Texas and they fix what's wrong INSIDE the alternator rather than just selling you a new one, which they did for me once. That saved me at least $100. They also gave me a 20-30 minute explanation of what makes a good alternator and how the battery interacts with all that. The aftermarket alternators always go out in about 2 years when I put them on, so the next time I have to replace it I'm taking it to them. They have an alternator in one vehicle that's been running 14 years without a problem.