Mazda MX3 Alternator Issue (HELP)
 

So I just recently bought a cheap 1.6 B6D engine MX3, it's got a few problems like bad motor mounts and tie rods, but I'm not as worried about that right now. My main concern is that it's not holding charge and it won't charge. There's a squealing noise whenever I start it up, and it is accepting jumps, but it's taking a while, which I've heard is a sign of failing alternator. The serpentine belt looks pretty new, and it doesn't really have any damage. Before I jump it, the blinkers, wipers, hazards, and A/C aren't working, but once I get it going they all seem to work pretty well, and when it's being jumped I can usually get some electrical stuff running after a couple minutes. The alternator, I'm pretty sure at least, isn't working. My lights were varying with the RPM, flickering, etc when I took it for a drive last night. I have another car that I can do battery swaps with for the foreseeable future, but I need to get the alternator fixed in the next 2 weeks.


Which brand would yall recommend? I've heard bad things about Duralast and the AutoZone house brands, but Napa is supposed to be pretty decent. I can't really shell out the money for top shelf parts, so I think that Napa would be the best option. Not 100% on this though, so some help would be appreciated!


It's got 200k miles, but it's still running pretty well, and once I get some new transmission bushings on it, I think it'll be a really fun manual car to learn on.