Charge light staying on

[crimsonchim]

I'm stuck!

The charge light stayed on (brightly) when I started the car, it'd only been stood for a few minutes after a very short drive when it was fine.

It's quite difficult to get at the connections on the back of the alternator, so I took it off completely and had it tested. They told me it was knackered and offered an exchange replacement.

Just fitted the replacement and no difference, the light remains on!! This probably means I've been shafted and exchanged a perfectly good alternator, but it also means my car's broken and I don't know where to look next!!

Could this be the mythical 100A fuse, or would that stop the car dead?
Found this that might be relevant:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=186628&f=8&h=0&hw=charge+light
It starts and runs fine, just the light stays on and I haven't had the courage to just drive it and see if it dies!

I'm off to borrow a trolley jack to get at it, but by that time the shops'll be shut for b/hol weekend. :(

I'll check the fuse, but any other ideas folks?

Andy

[GreenV8S]

Sounds strange. Since you've taken the alternator off yourself I assume you know what you're doing round an engine bay, but just to double check the alternator is actually going round is it, you haven't simply lost the fan belt? Daft question I know, funny how the obvious can be missed sometimes though.

[crimsonchim]

Checked that straight away. It's a serp belt so I'd lose everything including the water pump! Thanks anyway.

I wanted to check the alt myself, but I didn't really know what I was doing with that, large currents and very little space led me to take it to the experts.
Who probably fleeced me. Oh well, I'll have to talk to them next week.

>> Edited by crimsonchim on Saturday 27th August 14:22

[crimsonchim]

damn bugger and blast, the fuse has gone. Looked OK, but broke as soon as I touched it. At least that bit should be cheap.

Should have looked there first. muppet. I assumed that when that went, everything stopped. muppet.

I'm sure the electrical specialists that pronounced my alternator dead and happily supplied a recon one will say that the dead alt caused the fuse to go. I have my doubts, but we'll never know. Bugger.

Oh well, not going anywhere until decent motor factors open on Tuesday I guess, local Halfrauds don't have anything like that, I looked earlier.

[parrot of doom]

Just short it out if you need to drive. Dunno why they put it there tbh, unless they used dicky Alternators that had a habit of going short circuit.

[GreenV8S]

parrot of doom said:

Dunno why they put it there tbh

Me neither, they seem to cause no end of trouble due to mechanical failure, never heared of one blowing electrically.

[parrot of doom]

Actually if you must replace it, I'd put it inside the engine bay. Much more accessible, and much less prone to wear.

[crimsonchim]

It was the fuse, all sorted now. Except the electrical specialist who told me the alt was dead, he's not sorted yet! Suppose it might have been, but I doubt it.

Yes, a very stupid place to put a bloody fuse, makes a simple visual inspection into a 1/2 day task! Unless you've got trolley jack, axle stands and a garage it's a dealer job!

Oh well, seems OK now.

Cheers.

[parrot of doom]

Whack a load of grease over it, keeps the water out.