Alternator Behaving Like A Dynamo

[jackherer 543]

The difference is that I've just told you how its broken, they're telling you how it works

 

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

I've found the problem.

 

The battery warning light doesn't illuminate when the key is in the last position before the starter. So either the bulb has gone or the connector on the alternator is no longer connected.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

Oh shish! Well the connector is still on...

[Anthony 1,000]

Short that exciter wire to the block - the battery light should light on the dash if the bulb/wiring is OK. If it does, then the alternator is faulty.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

Fanks Ant, just discovered though that wiggling the bastid brings the battery light on so it looks like I need a new connector.

[saveloy 8]

What you have basically found Kris, is a break in the circuit. Without that connector making proper contact your alternator thinks it is fully charged. So the regulator stops topping up the battery.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

Indeed. And one shall go forth and crimp on a new connector. Only a decent crimping tool costs about 3.5 billion pounds.

[saveloy 8]

Yes, Halfords really can extract the urine sometimes. Try a cheaper brand, such as Snap-On, or Mac Tools instead.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

What about those ones on egay?

Hell, I dunno, I gotta replace the seals on my heater matrix first.

[GLPoomobile 958]

Indeed. And one shall go forth and crimp on a new connector. Only a decent crimping tool costs about 3.5 billion pounds.

 

Are you talking about re-crimping the spade to the exciter wire or the ring on the thick +VE cable? A non insulated crimping (ratchet) tool shouldn't be expensive, unless you call £20 a lot If it's the ring terminal then I'm in the same boat, think the cheapest I've found for the size of ring terminals I'm using is about £75 from VWP (I have bought a tool suitable for ring terminals up to 10mm in diameter in the hope I might get away with it but sadly not , which was about £20). I just used a ton of solder to hold the cable in the ring. Got mixed opinions on that though.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

Yeah it's just the "female" spade connector that is loose and needs taking off and replacing with a new one.

Would need to be something heavy duty to do that thicker wire wouldn't it!!

 

... which reminds me - the thick alt wire with red insulation - I had a butchers at it and the insulation is all bubbly like the wire inside got super hot. Could my bad exciting wire connection have caused this?

 

I tried a bit of soldering recently, hated it, why's it so hard to use?

Edited December 6, 2007 by KRISKARRERA

[GLPoomobile 958]

Yeah it's just the "female" spade connector that is loose and needs taking off and replacing with a new one.

Would need to be something heavy duty to do that thicker wire wouldn't it!!

 

... which reminds me - the thick alt wire with red insulation - I had a butchers at it and the insulation is all bubbly like the wire inside got super hot. Could my bad exciting wire connection have caused this?

 

I tried a bit of soldering recently, hated it, why's it so hard to use?

 

For the exciter wire I am using a female heat seal blade. Strip back wire insulation, crimp on terminal (you can use one of those basic crimping tools for this) and then melt using a heat gun. The insulation shrinks around the wire and a glue inside the terminal flows to fully seal it once cooled. Cost about 50p per terminal from VWP.

 

Soldering? Yeah it's a bastard when you are crap at it Just takes practise to get the right techniques. Having a crap soldering gun won't help things though. I'm still far from great but getting better.