alternator problem

daisymini

daisymini

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:help:I have a problem with my alternator and my questions is: Could a faulty split relay wiring, damage my alternator?
I had a friend wire my relay and i set off for the ladies meet and had no problems but on the way home bout 17 miles from home my battery lights and brake lights came on. I swapped the battery and limped home. I replaced the battery terminals as van is old and checked wiring best i could and all lights were out. As i set off for my next camping trip i got less than a mile and the lights came on and battery was flat again.
I dont want to replace alternator if im going to cause the same problem. Im just waiting for an ammeter to arrive to check for voltage drop.
Any advice would be appreciated and if im really stuck ill have to give in and take to a garage but finances are a little tight would like to repair myself if posssible.
Thanks:D
 
well disconnect les battery check voltage of car battery and check voltage at car battery whith engine running itshould be higher that wil tell you alternater is defunct check that the battery has a good earth point on vechile
 
there's 2 things that can go wrong on an alternator,assuming all the wiring to and from is ok
the diode pack can be blown by a voltage spike for instance
the brushes can just wear down.these are quite easy to do. alternator repair
 
still got problem..erghhh!!!

Had alternator problem, finally got auto electrician out confirmed alternator needed renewing so bought and fitted new alternator...Still the battery light is on and the volts are dropping. Had wiring checked especially newly fitted split relay all seems fine so now im lost as to what is causing the problem...any ideas anyone...????
 
I had a similar problem so just a couple of ideas Maybe the earth strap from battery to chassis or engine to chassis needs cleaning replacing or all terminals need a clean up? if there is an in-line main fuse on the live battery terminal maybe that has gone?

Mal
 
Finally sorted..!!

Well had new alternator fitted still had same problem missed the bank holiday away in the van and have now finally got it sorted. It appears to have been a wire from an old relay system causing a short, removed wire and hey presto van is back to health and ready for the road!!!
 
Phew!!

Thats great news, so glad you got to the bottom of it. Its so disappointing when you get a new van and the problems start. When I got mine last April it broke down on the way home! It needed a new carb that I couldnt afford for a while, every time I went anywheremore than a couple of miles i ended up getting pushed off the road, it was a tad embarrasing! Finally got carb replaced in August the day before setting off to Wales with a van load of passengers,, pretty untested but it made it!
 
really glad you managed to sort it......last time my alternator played up cost me a fortune, but that was mostly cos i got ripped off for a dodgy alternator.

hay ho live and learn, never go back to that garage again.....unless i have a match..:cool1:
 
lotusanne said:
Thats great news, so glad you got to the bottom of it. Its so disappointing when you get a new van and the problems start. When I got mine last April it broke down on the way home! It needed a new carb that I couldnt afford for a while, every time I went anywheremore than a couple of miles i ended up getting pushed off the road, it was a tad embarrasing! Finally got carb replaced in August the day before setting off to Wales with a van load of passengers,, pretty untested but it made it!
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Hey Anne, if you do own a Lotus I would have thought that breakdowns and stopping to pick up bits that had fallen off would have been the norm. ;)
 
Not that sort of lotus

:o
sp2 boy said:
Hey Anne, if you do own a Lotus I would have thought that breakdowns and stopping to pick up bits that had fallen off would have been the norm. ;)
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only own a campervan, and thats all I want! The lotus is to do with my work which is with Lotus Notes, don't ask!
 
No doubt the auto electrician will do the right thing and refund your money and reimburse you for costs of a new alternator.

Or maybe not.
 
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