Battery and Heater Lights stay on? Help please!
Discussion
Hello All,
I have recently purchased a 98 Chimaera 450. It seems to have an electrical problem where when the engine is turned off the battery and heater control lights come on, and therefore drain the battery. I have read other posts of people having similar problems and them suggesting that by pressing the brake pedal or flicking the wiper arm it goes out, and it does.
But has anyone actually found a solution?? I have taken the alternator to a auto electrician who says it is fine, the battery has been checked and all is fine and both the 100amp fuses are fine.
So im not sure what it is but any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks
Neil
I have recently purchased a 98 Chimaera 450. It seems to have an electrical problem where when the engine is turned off the battery and heater control lights come on, and therefore drain the battery. I have read other posts of people having similar problems and them suggesting that by pressing the brake pedal or flicking the wiper arm it goes out, and it does.
But has anyone actually found a solution?? I have taken the alternator to a auto electrician who says it is fine, the battery has been checked and all is fine and both the 100amp fuses are fine.
So im not sure what it is but any help would be gratefully appreciated.
Thanks
Neil
Don't know if in any way related - but I had a problem with my headlights remaining on (or turning on) when the switch was "off"...
Turned out to be a short-circuit in the "birds nest" of wiring sat on the battery - a wire was touching a live feed somewhere, and putting power through the headlights.
Might be worth moving/seperating the birds nest wires, just in case you see the lights go out...
HTH,
Dom
Turned out to be a short-circuit in the "birds nest" of wiring sat on the battery - a wire was touching a live feed somewhere, and putting power through the headlights.
Might be worth moving/seperating the birds nest wires, just in case you see the lights go out...
HTH,
Dom
I'd be willing to put (a small amount of) money on it being the alternator (or more specifically the exciter circuit in the diode pack). Had a similar issue on my S after I'd blown one of the two paired diodes in the exciter circuit.
The exciter circuit takes a feed from a switched ignition source to "kick start" the charging circuit in the alternator. On some (older design) alternators it also means you may need to blip the throttle to get >1500 RPM before it starts to charge.
If one of the diodes fails (short circuit) it can bleed back 12V to the ignition circuit, pressing the brake will dissipate some residual charge and "switch off" the diode.
For the electricians out there I know I am oversimplifying things and it's not "technically" correct - but hopefully you'll agree it is "logically correct".....that's why i went the electronics engineering route rather than electrician LOL
The exciter circuit takes a feed from a switched ignition source to "kick start" the charging circuit in the alternator. On some (older design) alternators it also means you may need to blip the throttle to get >1500 RPM before it starts to charge.
If one of the diodes fails (short circuit) it can bleed back 12V to the ignition circuit, pressing the brake will dissipate some residual charge and "switch off" the diode.
For the electricians out there I know I am oversimplifying things and it's not "technically" correct - but hopefully you'll agree it is "logically correct".....that's why i went the electronics engineering route rather than electrician LOL
Julesprivate said:
I'd be willing to put (a small amount of) money on it being the alternator (or more specifically the exciter circuit in the diode pack). Had a similar issue on my S after I'd blown one of the two paired diodes in the exciter circuit.
The exciter circuit takes a feed from a switched ignition source to "kick start" the charging circuit in the alternator. On some (older design) alternators it also means you may need to blip the throttle to get >1500 RPM before it starts to charge.
If one of the diodes fails (short circuit) it can bleed back 12V to the ignition circuit, pressing the brake will dissipate some residual charge and "switch off" the diode.
For the electricians out there I know I am oversimplifying things and it's not "technically" correct - but hopefully you'll agree it is "logically correct".....that's why i went the electronics engineering route rather than electrician LOL
Wot he said ^The exciter circuit takes a feed from a switched ignition source to "kick start" the charging circuit in the alternator. On some (older design) alternators it also means you may need to blip the throttle to get >1500 RPM before it starts to charge.
If one of the diodes fails (short circuit) it can bleed back 12V to the ignition circuit, pressing the brake will dissipate some residual charge and "switch off" the diode.
For the electricians out there I know I am oversimplifying things and it's not "technically" correct - but hopefully you'll agree it is "logically correct".....that's why i went the electronics engineering route rather than electrician LOL
No need to replace the whole alternator either, just change the diode pack.
Job jobbed by any half competent auto electrician for less than fifty squids
Will have to take it off and get it checked out again then.
Always used this guy know him quite well, in the past and has been good as gold.
He didnt charge me a penny for checking it out, where he couldk have made a bit of money if he had found a fault.
But you guys have put a bit of doubt in my mind!
Always used this guy know him quite well, in the past and has been good as gold.
He didnt charge me a penny for checking it out, where he couldk have made a bit of money if he had found a fault.
But you guys have put a bit of doubt in my mind!
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