Alternator Issue ?? I'm puzzled
27-01-2012, 12:24 PM
#1
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Alternator Issue ?? I'm puzzled
I've finally got my Cossie registered and road legal, only to find a new problem !
It seems the battery wasnt charging so I removed the alternator, took it to a local recommended Cossie friendly auto spark.
He confirmed it was only putting out 10.6volts.so he fitted a new regulator and now its showing 13.2 volts on his test bench. Back in the car its showing 12.2 volts when running at 2000 rpm.
To me that means its still running off the battery ?
This is the puzzling thing though.... With the car running the charge light is OFF. When the ignition is off and the car is NOT running the charge light is on permanently ??
Whats going on?
I'm no sparky but this does seem strange to me.
Can anyone shed some light please ?
Soon..... ? , I really want to drive the car I've owned for nearly 8 months and done 27 miles
Cheers
Keith
It seems the battery wasnt charging so I removed the alternator, took it to a local recommended Cossie friendly auto spark.
He confirmed it was only putting out 10.6volts.so he fitted a new regulator and now its showing 13.2 volts on his test bench. Back in the car its showing 12.2 volts when running at 2000 rpm.
To me that means its still running off the battery ?
This is the puzzling thing though.... With the car running the charge light is OFF. When the ignition is off and the car is NOT running the charge light is on permanently ??
Whats going on?
I'm no sparky but this does seem strange to me.
Can anyone shed some light please ?
Soon..... ? , I really want to drive the car I've owned for nearly 8 months and done 27 miles
Cheers
Keith
27-01-2012, 12:38 PM
#2
Your suspicion is correct, a charge is defined by that higher than the open circuit voltage of the battery, (It has to be to overcome the internal resistance of the battery) thus yours isn't charging!
You want to be seeing 13V+ WITH the engine running
You have a problem with the rectification side on the alternator, there are diodes (Think of them as electrical one way valves) that serve two purposes on an alternator.
A) The correction of AC to DC voltage needed by the car (Hence where the name derives from)
B) Allow current to flow in the one and only correct direction.
What is happening is that part isn't working correctly so with the ignition off current is going from the battery via the alternator and lighting the bulb. Where as normally the field excitation wire on the alternator acts as an earth when working correctly when the alternator is stationary.
Now when you turn the ignition off it's the reverse, the ignition feed is no longer and the field excitation wire has + potential thus why your light illuminates
When working correctly the bulb has two + feeds one for switched ignition feed and one from the alternator which is what extinguishes the light, indicating as is well.
Martin
You want to be seeing 13V+ WITH the engine running
You have a problem with the rectification side on the alternator, there are diodes (Think of them as electrical one way valves) that serve two purposes on an alternator.
A) The correction of AC to DC voltage needed by the car (Hence where the name derives from)
B) Allow current to flow in the one and only correct direction.
What is happening is that part isn't working correctly so with the ignition off current is going from the battery via the alternator and lighting the bulb. Where as normally the field excitation wire on the alternator acts as an earth when working correctly when the alternator is stationary.
Now when you turn the ignition off it's the reverse, the ignition feed is no longer and the field excitation wire has + potential thus why your light illuminates
When working correctly the bulb has two + feeds one for switched ignition feed and one from the alternator which is what extinguishes the light, indicating as is well.
Martin
27-01-2012, 12:53 PM
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There are no alternators available in Western Australia today so It seems I have a real prob !
One supplier has some parts so I will look into it on monday......Damn, I wanted to go to an autokhana on Sunday ! mind you its forecast to be 42*C so maybe I should stay home !!
Thanks guys
Cheers
Keith
One supplier has some parts so I will look into it on monday......Damn, I wanted to go to an autokhana on Sunday ! mind you its forecast to be 42*C so maybe I should stay home !!
Thanks guys
Cheers
Keith
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28-01-2012, 02:57 PM
#11
lol did I waste my time when I wrote the above explaining it to you?
Basically the rectification side is faulty, what is happening is current is coming via the battery and going through the alternator to the dash light thus illuminating it, usually the field excitation wire usually has 0V when the alternator is stationary, thus the bulb stays off.
When you turn the ignition on a switched feed is supplied to the bulb, not only lighting it but doing the important job of energising the field coils in the alternator itself.
When the engine runs and everything is working correctly the terminal where the bulb connects changes state from being a ground to having +13V, and so as the bulb now has two lives it will extinguish.
Martin
Basically the rectification side is faulty, what is happening is current is coming via the battery and going through the alternator to the dash light thus illuminating it, usually the field excitation wire usually has 0V when the alternator is stationary, thus the bulb stays off.
When you turn the ignition on a switched feed is supplied to the bulb, not only lighting it but doing the important job of energising the field coils in the alternator itself.
When the engine runs and everything is working correctly the terminal where the bulb connects changes state from being a ground to having +13V, and so as the bulb now has two lives it will extinguish.
Martin
Last edited by martysmartie; 28-01-2012 at 05:24 PM.
28-01-2012, 05:04 PM
#14
I've found that life I needed.. It's HERE!!
Ok don't shoot me down as I know naff all about car electrics, but I was getting a similar problem as you I also changed the alternator which didn't work, it turned out to be a bad cable joint on the + feed to the battery, if you follow the + from the alternator to the point it meets the wiring loom on the inner wing strip back the tape and you will find a crappy solder joint that ford have made to step up to a larger cable which corrodes, it's worth replacing the alternator feed to battery with a new larger cable which helps with voltage anyway,
you can do a quick test by using a jump lead as a jumper wire from the back of the alternator to the battery and see if this helps.
you can do a quick test by using a jump lead as a jumper wire from the back of the alternator to the battery and see if this helps.
28-01-2012, 05:20 PM
#15
Indeed the cable to the battery can cause problems, they tend to build resistance due to age and so you get a loss along the line.
However in this case it has to be the rectification side, this is the only thing that could cause the symptons that OP is having with the battery light (The battery cable can not cause this)
Martin
However in this case it has to be the rectification side, this is the only thing that could cause the symptons that OP is having with the battery light (The battery cable can not cause this)
Martin
Last edited by martysmartie; 28-01-2012 at 05:24 PM.
28-01-2012, 11:20 PM
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Martin,
my apologies, I didnt see your explanation.
I must have gone further down the thread and missed it.
Thanks anyway it makes good sense now !
Cheers
Keith
my apologies, I didnt see your explanation.
I must have gone further down the thread and missed it.
Thanks anyway it makes good sense now !
Cheers
Keith
29-01-2012, 05:44 PM
#17
Part of the Furniture
Give this a try.... on my alternator there are two small studs and a big one. The big one of course is connected to the battery, but I thing when I was connecting it to my escorts loom only one of the small studs made the light work fine and the other was kind of doing the same
30-01-2012, 08:26 AM
#18
Give this a try.... on my alternator there are two small studs and a big one. The big one of course is connected to the battery, but I thing when I was connecting it to my escorts loom only one of the small studs made the light work fine and the other was kind of doing the same
Have a look but I am sure this terminal is not live with the alternator stationary so wouldn't be able to light the bulb.
Martin
30-01-2012, 08:44 AM
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I'm trying to buy a new one from the UK at the moment, none available in Australia.
I've just rang DFJ automotive in Preston, waiting for them to email me back if they have one, bloody hard to get one south of the equator !
Anyone recommend anyone else i can try who would be willing to send it to the other side of the globe ?
Cheers
Keith
I've just rang DFJ automotive in Preston, waiting for them to email me back if they have one, bloody hard to get one south of the equator !
Anyone recommend anyone else i can try who would be willing to send it to the other side of the globe ?
Cheers
Keith
30-01-2012, 05:00 PM
#20
Do you now have a specialist over there that could repair your one?
I have just read this thread again and noted a couple of things, I seemed to missed the fact that it was working on the bench, in actual fact I would not rule out the regulator he fitted seen as I guess the battery light issue happened after you got it back?
Try this, Rev to around 3000RPM and then check to see if it's charging, as regardless of the field excitation if it's working this will start it charging regardless.
Let us know what happened after you tried the above.
Martin
I have just read this thread again and noted a couple of things, I seemed to missed the fact that it was working on the bench, in actual fact I would not rule out the regulator he fitted seen as I guess the battery light issue happened after you got it back?
Try this, Rev to around 3000RPM and then check to see if it's charging, as regardless of the field excitation if it's working this will start it charging regardless.
Let us know what happened after you tried the above.
Martin
Last edited by martysmartie; 30-01-2012 at 05:22 PM.
30-01-2012, 11:56 PM
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Battery is on charge at the moment , will try that later today.
Also there are no repair parts available in Aus/ NZ according to the many suppliers I've tried so far.
The prob is the Sierra was never available in Australia, never imported here, so there is no demand for parts. I believe one of the Transit alternators is the same but again , not many of them of that vintage found there way here.
I have one leaving the UK by DHL today, the freight was almost the same cost as the alternator
Cheers
Keith
Also there are no repair parts available in Aus/ NZ according to the many suppliers I've tried so far.
The prob is the Sierra was never available in Australia, never imported here, so there is no demand for parts. I believe one of the Transit alternators is the same but again , not many of them of that vintage found there way here.
I have one leaving the UK by DHL today, the freight was almost the same cost as the alternator
Cheers
Keith
31-01-2012, 08:20 AM
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The one on it is the original from new and its a 70 amp
The listed replacement on the several sites I researched on all say 70 amp and its a 70 amp on its way.
I hope your wrong
Cheers
Keith
The listed replacement on the several sites I researched on all say 70 amp and its a 70 amp on its way.
I hope your wrong
Cheers
Keith
31-01-2012, 09:54 AM
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No the granada, Sierra and Escort were not on general sale in Australia.
Ford aust had an agreement with mazda and sold a version of the mazda 323 as a Ford laser and the sierra and granadas could not compete price wise with the ford falcon. Aussies love big 4 ltr straight sixes and 5 ltr V8's !!
My daily runaround is a Ford Territory, a lovely big 4 ltr straight six and i love it.
But... our fuel is nearly half the cost of yours in the UK and I run LPG in it as well so a quarter of the price of your petrol
Today I paid $1.40c per ltr for premium unleaded, about 92 p per ltr. I dread to think how much it is over there.
Cheers
Keith
Ford aust had an agreement with mazda and sold a version of the mazda 323 as a Ford laser and the sierra and granadas could not compete price wise with the ford falcon. Aussies love big 4 ltr straight sixes and 5 ltr V8's !!
My daily runaround is a Ford Territory, a lovely big 4 ltr straight six and i love it.
But... our fuel is nearly half the cost of yours in the UK and I run LPG in it as well so a quarter of the price of your petrol
Today I paid $1.40c per ltr for premium unleaded, about 92 p per ltr. I dread to think how much it is over there.
Cheers
Keith
05-02-2012, 10:55 AM
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Alternator arrived friday morning, great service !
I've been away all weekend so it will be installed along with the fan modification and a battery isolation switch this week.
Thanks to all for the guidance !
Cheers
Keith
I've been away all weekend so it will be installed along with the fan modification and a battery isolation switch this week.
Thanks to all for the guidance !
Cheers
Keith
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