Battery light, alternator woes....

[shake n bake]

Hi Chaps, can anybody please give me a few pointers please, my battery warning light doesn't come on upon ignition on or battery failing, (which I am having issues with now. I believe that if it doesn't the alternator won't be recieving a signal to switch on and charge the battery?
The bulb is ok, (i've had it on a meter to check) can anybody give me some help on where to start to check the feeds, or lack of them?
There is consistant 11.73 feeds at battery, alternator and charging fuse (either side), but the alternator is not charging at all.
Please help me!!

[s p a c e m a n]

Charging fuse? You're talking about the 100amp one on the chassis rail near the stater motor yeah? Have you tried taking it out, sometimes it cracks and looks intact until you unbolt it.

[Mr Jenks]

Back of the alternator, disconnect the block connector. Two big wires go to 100A fuse and battery. Small wire comes from warning light, check this for voltage with ignition switched on.

Edited by Mr Jenks on Monday 26th May 14:47

[shake n bake]

yeah 100 amp is fine, checked and checked and triple checked again to be sure. There are 3 leads at the back of the alternator, the feed to the 100 amp fuse and beyond, one that has a spade connector and one that straps directly on to the alternator. Which one is the feed from the light?

[Mr Jenks]

shake n bake said:

....one that has a spade connector and one that straps directly on to the alternator

straps directly onto the alternator ? don't understand, sorry
chance of a picture?

[shake n bake]

Sorry for the rubbish description, I was typing as I was dealing a car.
See what I mean now?

[shake n bake]

I've established that there is a brown/yellow wire that runs from the alternator to the light on the dash. I've put a meter to this and it comes back as ok, there is a clear signal from dash to the alternator, I thought at first it may be a broken signal wire but now that has been ruled out.
When the ignition is turned on, there is no voltage going to either of the smaller connections on the alternator, so I think I need to know what sends the signal and why is it not doing it's job?
I'd really appreciate some help, I want to drive it without fear of stopping with a dead flat battery!

[shake n bake]

I've established that there is a brown/yellow wire that runs from the alternator to the light on the dash. I've put a meter to this and it comes back as ok, there is a clear signal from dash to the alternator, I thought at first it may be a broken signal wire but now that has been ruled out.
When the ignition is turned on, there is no voltage going to either of the smaller connections on the alternator, so I think I need to know what sends the signal and why is it not doing it's job?
I'd really appreciate some help, I want to drive it without fear of stopping with a dead flat battery!

[shake n bake]

Not wishing to bomb my own topic but I fixed it, seems kind of funny now but it was simply the bulb wasn't making a good connection and that was enough to break the circuit.

[s p a c e m a n]

So if that bulb blows then the alternator doesn't charge the battery? I know the wiring in these cars is dubious but that's beyond a joke

[shake n bake]

Yup, it's hard to believe but it breaks the circuit and your left running on whatever's left in your battery until it's empty and stops you just round a blind bend like mine did!
Hopefully if nothing else one day I'll have saved someone a few hours of searching with this post :-)

[Mr Jenks]

s p a c e m a n said:

So if that bulb blows then the alternator doesn't charge the battery? I know the wiring in these cars is dubious but that's beyond a joke

A TVR is no different to any other car in that respect, if there`s no supply then it aint gonna work, even if you put a BMW or Mercedes badge on it,