Eating Alternators

[UIL9794]

Hi,

Is it a common problem for the earlier Chims 4.0 to destroy alternators?

Mine seems to. If so are there any solutions? Better brands etc?

Cheers

Lee

[shpub]

Wouldn't say it is a common provlem. A few have gone recently but before that it was almost unheard of.

The trouble is you never hear of owners saying my alternator is OK today.

[greenv8s]

Destroy how? Electronics? Bearings? They won't last forever but if its eating them either your supplier is giving you duff ones (or failing to rebuild them properly) or there's something unusual with your installation.

[Nick P]

sounds like a problem with the car electrics to me....you wont get several duff ones consecutively I wouldnt think

[mongoose]

Lee,where are you getting them from?i once got through 4 starters in as many months from a well known midlands specialist.just cr4p std of re-con i reckon.it may be time to change your supplier as has already been hinted.

[trefor]

My alternator is OK today

[trefor]

Sorry about him, he's my twin brother.

[UIL9794]

The problem seems to lie with the actual alternator. When i purchased the car back in July the charge light on the dash used to flicker very dimmly - this was a constant flickering not rev or speed related. I checked the alternator and found it to be spicking with the voltage output, ranging from 12.0v through to 13.8v. I had the a re-con alternator of a higher amp rating, the original was 70 so i had the 100amp. Within about 6 weeks (1200 miles) the charge light began to stay on when first started, gradually getting worse and staying on permenantly. I'm now on the 3rd re-con from the same place as i'm still in the warrenty period. With similar problems occuring again. Apparantly the regulators often pack up due to bad design? This doesn't seem correct as i have friends with V8 land rovers / range rovers who never have problems. I have checked all the circuits on the car and have no faults or any strange problems.

Does the heat in the engine bay really get that bad for alternators? I think not.

Perhasp the problem is the supplier if no-one else seems to suffer any regular problems.

Anyway back in favour of the Tvr since all the starting gremlins have been cured.

Lee