New owner needs help please

[LeeT350c]

Firstly hi all. I picked up my fantastic late 53 T350c today and all was going so well until I had a low voltage error come up. It was showing around 8.4v at the time. As you can imagine the dash started to go funny and i started to loose everything...not funny whilst on the M25!

I managed to stop but the battery seemed almost dead. RAC came and managed to put some charge in so i could move off the hard shoulder and after it started it was again showing around the 13V mark? Left it ticking over for around 40mins and it seemened to be charging OK.

The car had been standing for quite a while but always started OK for test drives / moving it etc.

So my question.. would this point to a faulty battery or is the alternator on its way out? Are there any relays etc between the alternator and batery which could be failing?

Any help / advise would be appreciated as i want to get back to driving this awsome car!

Cheers.

[VARLEYHYD]

100amp fuse under airbox
See my profile

G

[J_S_G]

VARLEYHYD said:

100amp fuse under airbox
See my profile

G

Would check that first.

And if it's on its original battery, that'll be on its way out by now; Par for the course is ~5 years on a Tiv battery.

After that, some dodgy wiring or the alternator itself as less likely candidates. If it was particularly wet at the time, the former of the two.

[LeeT350c]

Thanks for the fast response guys. The battery swap looks quite straight forward just a little awkward. I assume the airbox is fairly easy to remove? Plan to have a look today.

Cheers

Lee

[thainy77]

You have to remove two allen screws and the three clips along the side. Then take the air temp sensor off the top and remove the breather hose from the front and the smaller hose at the rear then lift it up, it may require a bit of "wiggling".

ETA. In fact try looking here: http://www.varleyhyd.com/FJ062.asp

It's Grahams (varleyhyd) very good manual, it should cover most things you come across.

Edited by thainy77 on Sunday 15th March 07:44

[BLUETHUNDER]

LeeT350c said:

Firstly hi all. I picked up my fantastic late 53 T350c today and all was going so well until I had a low voltage error come up. It was showing around 8.4v at the time. As you can imagine the dash started to go funny and i started to loose everything...not funny whilst on the M25!

I managed to stop but the battery seemed almost dead. RAC came and managed to put some charge in so i could move off the hard shoulder and after it started it was again showing around the 13V mark? Left it ticking over for around 40mins and it seemened to be charging OK.

The car had been standing for quite a while but always started OK for test drives / moving it etc.

So my question.. would this point to a faulty battery or is the alternator on its way out? Are there any relays etc between the alternator and batery which could be failing?

Any help / advise would be appreciated as i want to get back to driving this awsome car!

Cheers.

I think you had a mention in the Corvette forum.

[LeeT350c]

Re Vet forum - Wasn't me but looks like a Sag broke down just round from where I stopped!

Guys, many thanks for all your help above. I have connected my battery / alterntor tester onto the anderson port and it is showing an alternator fault. POD is showing the charge level at around 15.5v so it looks like the alternator needs changing.

Is it worth changing the 100amp fuse whilst its in bits as a precaution?

Just need to find someone local (in the north notts area) to fix it now.

Cheers, Lee.

[thainy77]

Just have a look at the fuse if it's in bits, it might be worth while changing it for a 120amp fuse and keeping the other fuse spare.

[T450t]

LeeT350c said:

Re Vet forum - Wasn't me but looks like a Sag broke down just round from where I stopped!

Guys, many thanks for all your help above. I have connected my battery / alterntor tester onto the anderson port and it is showing an alternator fault. POD is showing the charge level at around 15.5v so it looks like the alternator needs changing.

Is it worth changing the 100amp fuse whilst its in bits as a precaution?

Just need to find someone local (in the north notts area) to fix it now.

Cheers, Lee.

Lee

Before you change your alternator what plenum do you have, is it the standard black TVR one or the ACT carbon fibre one, as the type of plenum dictates what alternator you can use. The best alternator by a mile is the Denso but it is slightly bigger than the useless Lucas one hence the Denso wont fit if you have the carbon plenum. RG sell the Denso alternators which will give you no future problems. Whilst doing this work have the 100amp fuse moved to the inner wing, there usually is enough cable to play with without splicing. So any further fuse blowing is a 5 minute job. Oh and buy some 100 amp fuses when you get your new alternator and leave them in the car.

Its a common fault so don't worry, mine went on the m25 too. In future drive flat out to give yourself some coasting distance if you breakdown, its much safer that way.

Edited by T450t on Sunday 15th March 10:55

[J_S_G]

LeeT350c said:

Guys, many thanks for all your help above. I have connected my battery / alterntor tester onto the anderson port and it is showing an alternator fault. POD is showing the charge level at around 15.5v so it looks like the alternator needs changing.

Is it worth changing the 100amp fuse whilst its in bits as a precaution

Definitely. And change it and test again before you start ordering a replacement alternator, etc - that fuse is far more likely to go than the alternator itself...

[Findles]

Why not pop it down to Prestige Performance Cars at Melton Mowbray Lee,if your N Notts based, they have an open day next Sunday mid morning onwards, and im sure Paul will happily chat it through with you. If you get there earlyish he may also get it up on the hyraulic platform for you and walk you round the underside of the car, which i found really useful when i took mine for its first visit there last month.

[sidewayz]

Only one thing to add as a possibility.My T350 used to pop fuses in year one on a regular basis.I checked the connectors one day and found they were not that secure.Once I had tightened everything up it sorted the problem.

[Zippee]

Couljust be a very dodgy battery not holding charge. Yours is Nebular Blue? From Waldon Way? If so that car had been for sale since mid last year at least so quite possible the battery has gone south during the winter.

[LeeT350c]

Gents, many thanks again for your help. Turns out it was the alternator and a having a new one fitted.

To rub a little more salt into my new ownership wound I have now got a coolant leak somewhere (passenger side front) forming a puddle in my garage.

Hey ho something else to sort!

[BatleyBoy]

LeeT350c said:

Gents, many thanks again for your help. Turns out it was the alternator and a having a new one fitted.

To rub a little more salt into my new ownership wound I have now got a coolant leak somewhere (passenger side front) forming a puddle in my garage.

Hey ho something else to sort!

Had you filled it with coolant? If there is a bit too much in then it will spit some out.

[LeeT350c]

No i hadn't. I have had to add 1 litre and have 'nipped' up the hose clamps so will see if that solves it. Cheers.

[maddog-uk]

LeeT350c said:

No i hadn't. I have had to add 1 litre and have 'nipped' up the hose clamps so will see if that solves it. Cheers.

My coolant leak, was the shocks going and it was nearside front. Or if you have AC thats where it discharges. Just in case its not that.