New alternator
New alternator
Author
Discussion

t4ngo

Original Poster:

384 posts

265 months

Wednesday 19th October 2005
quotequote all
Hi, my altinator decided to stop working. Does anyone know a decent place to get one, or maybe have one they don't require anymore? I am based in Southampton, but getting mail order is fine.

1996 4.0 Chimaera (Serpentine I believe)

Ta

Alan

2 Smokin Barrels

32,019 posts

264 months

Wednesday 19th October 2005
quotequote all
..just a thought, but are you sure it's the alternator? 100a fuse, or broken wire can give similar symptoms.

If you get the part number, many motor factors offer exhange units.

t4ngo

Original Poster:

384 posts

265 months

Wednesday 19th October 2005
quotequote all
It refused to start initially, like a flat battery. I did manage to start it, then it started to cut out and miss really badly, by which time the battery light came on on the dash. Then as cruising in the outside lane it just died. While I was on hard shoulder waiting for the AA, the lights all totally died. AA man said that it wasnt charging and didnt have the power for the ECU, hence the cutting out, till it lost too much and died on me.

Dunno? Sound plausable? Sounds logical to me, but any other ideas? I assume if it was a wire or fuse it would be all or nothing? Not slowly degrading over 30 mins or so.

Parrot of doom

23,075 posts

263 months

Wednesday 19th October 2005
quotequote all
If its definitely the alternator, just take it to any motorfactors and get an exchange unit.

If you don't fancy fitting it yourself, any garage in the land would be able to do it, its an old Rover engine after all

Cider Andy

1,889 posts

254 months

Wednesday 19th October 2005
quotequote all
Did the AA patrol test the battery? I would suspect that first, especially as the charge light was not lit initially.

The fuse previously mentioned is a good place to start. It has a habit of physically breaking down. If your car is fitted with it (not all are), you'll find it fixed to the chassis on the offside, near the starter motor. Motor factors sell them for pennies and it is more often a problem than the alternator itself.

If you have a multimeter check the battery voltage once it has been fully charged up again. It should read around 12V. With the engine running and the charging system working again it should read up to 14V.

t4ngo

Original Poster:

384 posts

265 months

Thursday 20th October 2005
quotequote all
Ok, hopefully I will have time at the weekend to try all of the above.

Thanks

jonathant

880 posts

313 months

Thursday 20th October 2005
quotequote all
FWIW I've made my 100A fuse a service item so it gets replaced every year. Shocking thing was that after only 12 months, you could see it physically breaking down already.

First time it broke, I was doing ***mph on a french autoroute.

>> Edited by jonathant on Thursday 20th October 09:51

t4ngo

Original Poster:

384 posts

265 months

Thursday 20th October 2005
quotequote all
Just as a thought, is access to this 100a fuse in the bible? I assume it is. If not how do i get to it?

bigdods

7,175 posts

256 months

Thursday 20th October 2005
quotequote all
Page 238 of the second edition bible.

jonathant

880 posts

313 months

Thursday 20th October 2005
quotequote all
I got my local friendly garage to stick it up on their lift. It's on the main chassis rail just behind the driver side front wheel. Little black box.

t4ngo

Original Poster:

384 posts

265 months

Thursday 20th October 2005
quotequote all
bigdods said:
Page 238 of the second edition bible.



OMG... now thats an answer! lol
Just looked and spot on. Thanks
Gold star to that man.

Only problem I got now is getting her out of the garage and somewhere I can look at her, I had to jump start her last year after a month off - how difficult can a battery be made to get to?

As a side note I've just been reading that 22 page porsche v ferrari then porsche v porsche rant. Very entertaining

rude girl

6,937 posts

288 months

Thursday 20th October 2005
quotequote all
Some have one 100amp fuse, and some have two. Similar symptoms for each (I've had both go, and an alternator rebuild). One's behind the battery (this one always exists) and t'other's on the chassis.

If you don't have a friendly TVR garage who will let you stick it on the ramps, it might be worth asking around. My local VW dealership let me put the Griff up occasionally - it makes a nice change for them to see something different