Need help :(

Cuchulain

Cuchulain

Cuchulain

Soldato
Joined
28 Dec 2004
Posts
7,620
Location
Derry
My wifes car (again, 106 Diesel) appears to have some kind of electrical fault.

The battery light flicked on the other day and refused to go out so I assumed her alternator was on the fritz, I took the battery out and charged it overnight, stuck it back in, battery light still on.

I've just taken it down and had a new alternator fitted, battery light came on when I started it but went out when I revved it, got a little way down the road and it came on and wouldn't go out. Took it back to the garage and he mechanic said "No idea, here's your money back" ...

Anyone have any idea what it could be?

Thanks
 
I had a similar thing with my old Rover. It would randomly show the battery light whilst driving and discharge itself very quickly. Replaced battery and alternator but still did it. Garage couldnt find a fault as it was random, so I took it to an auto electrician who found a short in the dashboard - a loose wire touching another, hence the intermittance. Once he soldered it back I never had another problem.
 
Sagalout said:
I had a similar thing with my old Rover. It would randomly show the battery light whilst driving and discharge itself very quickly. Replaced battery and alternator but still did it. Garage couldnt find a fault as it was random, so I took it to an auto electrician who found a short in the dashboard - a loose wire touching another, hence the intermittance. Once he soldered it back I never had another problem.
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That's what I was afraid of :( Finding anyone nearby who knows the first thing about electrics is almost impossible. Thanks anyway.
 
Was it a new or reconditioned alternator that was fitted?.....there is a slim chance that it could be thay fitted a duff alternator...it happened to me once and because I had got another alternator fitted that was the last place I looked.

Only way to tell with any certainty is to get an auto electrician or a meter to check the charging system and battery. A local Halfords or Quick-Fit should have a battery load tester so the battery is relatively easy to get checked (it was checked by the garage who fitted the alternator wasn't it ???)

If the battery is OK and the alternator is good then the only thing left could be a short or bad earth.
 
I don't think they could possibly have tested it, the battery warning light came on as soon as we started the car outside the garage, the new (reconditioned) alternator seems to make a whining sound too, I checked the fan belt and that seems fine, sounds more like bearings going. She's going to drop it off with them again tomorrow morning and give them an earful like only a Derry woman can. Fingers crossed :(
 
Cuchulain said:
Is there any easy way of finding one if there is?
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Not sure mate, all I know is that it involves using a multimeter.

Make sure that the battery clamps are on nice and tight over the terminals.

Just the condition of the earth strap from the negative terminal to the gearbox. Either side of the radiator should be some earthing points. They're probably yellow and look like lego bricks sort of, wiggle those about, perhaps get some contact cleaner from ******s or somewhere and give them a good spray.

Check the earthing point in the passenger wing, should be fairly easy to spot.
 
Enfield said:
Not sure mate, all I know is that it involves using a multimeter.

Make sure that the battery clamps are on nice and tight over the terminals.

Just the condition of the earth strap from the negative terminal to the gearbox. Either side of the radiator should be some earthing points. They're probably yellow and look like lego bricks sort of, wiggle those about, perhaps get some contact cleaner from ******s or somewhere and give them a good spray.

Check the earthing point in the passenger wing, should be fairly easy to spot.
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I'll have a bash as soon as I find some batteries for the torch, cheers.
 
Have you tried a new battery?

They can be a bit weird. I once had a car where it would fire up fine with no worries at all, but then every now and then it would fail to start up. Swapped the battery over and it was all hunky dory.

How old is it?
 
Cuchulain said:
I don't think they could possibly have tested it, the battery warning light came on as soon as we started the car outside the garage, the new (reconditioned) alternator seems to make a whining sound too, I checked the fan belt and that seems fine, sounds more like bearings going. She's going to drop it off with them again tomorrow morning and give them an earful like only a Derry woman can. Fingers crossed :(
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Yeah give them an earfull. I can imagine that a Derry woman can give quite an earfull....as much as the Scottish woman I am married to.

Just giving you your money back does not solve the problem....my moneys on a second duff alternator.....
 
Enfield said:
Have you tried a new battery?

They can be a bit weird. I once had a car where it would fire up fine with no worries at all, but then every now and then it would fail to start up. Swapped the battery over and it was all hunky dory.

How old is it?
Click to expand...

Battery is around 3 years old, never given any trouble before. I had to top it up tonight as the electrolyte level was low in places but it made no difference.
 
In some ways a duff alternator is the best outcome. If it wasn't that then you were looking at chasing ghosts finding a short or bad earth.

When it happened to me I spent hours and hours checking all the connections and then went to a second garage who diagnosed the alternator that I had just had fitted. Needless to say they didn't need a phone to hear me.....

Hope thats sorts it for you now mate.
 
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