2011 N55 Alternator Help

[AdgeMcoupe]

Hello. I have a 2011 n55 135i with a 170amp alternator from factory. It is defective and needs to be replaced. Would I be able to use a 180amp alt without any isssues to the electrical components. The reason I ask is because I recently had to replace my DME and I suspect the bad alternator eventually fried the ECU. FCP offers only a remanufactued 170 amp alt for 2011 cars and it’s a 3 week wait time, where there is a 180amp alt for half the price. FCP states the 180 is for 2012+, not sure if this matters between PWG and EWG turbos, but what I want to know is if I can use a 180amp without issues on my 2011?

[TURBO8]

Bump: Same question as AdgeMcoupe

[Yetii]

I too have the same question. Has anyone figured this out? The 180 amp Bosch alternator has a replaceable voltage regulator unlike the 170amp denso alternator. They look exactly the same. The extra 10 amps, the serviceablility and cheaper price make it very compelling.

[Goose350]

FWIW, my old 01 Lexus ES300 came from factory with an 80amp alternator, and a very common replacement on the forums was to use a 100amp unit from a Toyota Highlander, the layman's explanation was that since your car won't ever draw more power than it's designed to, the alternator would just be running a less capacity and could last longer. A lot of people that ran upgraded sound systems even used the 130amp alternator as well (with upgraded fuses/lines where needed).

Granted different car with much less complicated electronics.