Help - Electrical problems! Battery/heater lights stay on

[Timja]

My Alternator died a couple of weeks ago. Tonight I fitted a new Alternator. The battery was dead, so jump started car, it ran fine. Went for 45 min drive to charge up the battery a bit.

Got back and switched off engine, took keys out of ignition and now:

The battery light stays on
The lights around the heater controls stay on

When alarm armed, they all stay on and the red LED to the right of the radio flashes one very long flash, 2 short flash

When disarmed the Red light also flashes a different pattern, can't remember what...



Any ideas? Starting to get fed up of fixing one problem and getting another one!!!!

1998 Chimaera.

[Timja]

Anyone got any idea where to start?

Thanks

[davep]

You may have 'spiked' the regulator or diode pack on the alternator when jump starting.

Similar problem here:

http://pistonheads.com/GASSING/topic.asp?h=0&t...

[Timja]

Thanks,

Just found another similar one here: http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?h=0...

Hmmm... i really hope it's not the alternator!! - It's less than a day old!

[spend]

Show us a picture of how you connected up the back of the alternator?

[Timja]

Will try to get a photo later, but there is only 1 way the connectors will fit and it's the way my original alternator was connected for about 76000 miles.

There are 3 wires, one with spade connector, one with small nut to hold on, one bigger wire with bigger nut to hold on.

When i got home tonight, i checked in garage and the lights are now not on! (but headlights etc still work) - The light to the right of the radio is flashing in a pattern, do you know what the different flashing patterns mean?

Could it be that taking out the battery and giving it a good charge will sort it out? I have heard of people having electrics doing weird things when the battery does not have much charge in it. I will be doing this anyway as i guess it would take quite a lot of driving to charge from alternator.

[Timja]

spend said:

Show us a picture of how you connected up the back of the alternator?

Cant really get a photo with wires attached, but here is the back of it. As i said, only 1 way to connect.

[Timja]

so I finally put the charged up battery back in and all ran fine, switched off engine and no lights came on. Secured battery and took for a long drive and i don't think my car has ever driven better! Felt so much faster!

Stopped after 25min drive, no lights came on. drove home and reversed into garage. Switch off engine and the battery light and lights around the heater came on again! With the key out the ignition if i press the button to pop the boot or put the wipers on to slow wipe (NOT intermittent wipe) then the lights go off.

If i turn key to ignition position and back the lights come back on again. Then by switching wipers on or pressing the boot open button they go off again.

Its strange as it only happened once i got home to the garage not the 4/5 times i had previously switched the engine off.

Is the alternator the only possible problem or could it be wiring or earth problem. Bear in mind the alternator is brand new (but car been jump started once) and the problem seems to be a little intermittent as it does not happen everytime.


Thanks


Tim

NB: No lights on that shouldnt be on when driving and when stopped the battery light and lights around the heaters are full normal brightness.

Edited by Timja on Wednesday 8th June 18:18

[jvr]

Its the alternator,mine does it and flicking the wiper trips it.If you do leave it with the battery light on it will flatten it,i've done it.I haven't changed mine yet but changing the alternator will cure it
P

[coedypaen-matt]

Hey Timja,

Did you ever get to bottom of this? Mine is doing exactly the same. Never had the problem until I fitted a new alternator either...

I can; press brake pedal, push boot open, flick wind screen and they will all extinguish the light! Battery goes almost immediately flat when I forget. Or the windscreen wipers make it half way across the screen and then stop, on my entering the car and forgetting to turn off wipers before I try and start it. So I have to get back out and drag them back, a lot

It doing my head in, really want to find an alternator just to swap in to see if that is the prob!

Be great if you see this if you could let me know if you've had any joy,

Cheers,

Matt

[Timja]

Hi,

Turned out it was the alternator again! Think when the car was jump started it blew the diode pack in the alternator. It was definitely an issue with the diodes that causes the light to stay on, think I found an answer in another thread at the time explaining why it happens.

So I ended up buying yet another alternator, managed to find a good quality original new magneti Marelli one on eBay, and it has all been good since putting that one in.

Looked into getting mine repaired, but it cost pretty much the same as a new one so didn't seem much point!

Hope you get it sorted!

[coedypaen-matt]

Yep I thought it must be, I've had ever fuse / relay out one at a time. The only time the light went out was when I removed the 100 amp, so I couldn't see how it could be anything else.

I'll get another alt on there and post my results for extra confirmation for anyone else suffering the same!

Cheers,

Matt

[MADMAX2]

i had this a while ago you have a loose wire somewhere mine was at the back of the radio to the battery when the light comes on just wiggle the wires off the positive and see which one flicks the light off