need 4th alternator in as many months!

[Andy T]

Hey all,

Got my '03 S2 111S (47k) from Chris Neils in april/may last year and since then I've had the pleasure of having 3 alternators fail on me. Usually within a few weeks of having one fitted! Now I got the last one fitted about 1 month ago and I get in the car tonight and you've guessed it, the dreaded battery light on again. I've just had a multimeter on it and it's not charging.

Now I know for a fact that all the Alternators that have been put on have all been recon units, even when I asked for them not to be, and they agreed that they would put on a brand new one!

Is it possible that 3 alternators can fail so quickly even if they are reconditioned? (which I by the way I believe shouldn't be used by a Lotus main dealer to fix problems under a Lotus warranty)

What possible other explanation could there be?

I'm getting to the end of my tether with this problem, and am fed up of taking my car to the garage which happens to be about an 80 mile round trip!

Any ideas?

Cheers

[r5gttgaz]

Andy T said:

Hey all,

Got my '03 S2 111S (47k) from Chris Neils in april/may last year and since then I've had the pleasure of having 3 alternators fail on me. Usually within a few weeks of having one fitted! Now I got the last one fitted about 1 month ago and I get in the car tonight and you've guessed it, the dreaded battery light on again. I've just had a multimeter on it and it's not charging.

Now I know for a fact that all the Alternators that have been put on have all been recon units, even when I asked for them not to be, and they agreed that they would put on a brand new one!

Is it possible that 3 alternators can fail so quickly even if they are reconditioned? (which I by the way I believe shouldn't be used by a Lotus main dealer to fix problems under a Lotus warranty)

What possible other explanation could there be?

I'm getting to the end of my tether with this problem, and am fed up of taking my car to the garage which happens to be about an 80 mile round trip!

Any ideas?

Cheers

How is the alternator failing?

Mechanically or electrically?

[ptp170]

Was your battery changed at the same time? If your running your elise with a 'nacked battery then it'll chew through alternators. S2 alternators on the k-series fail often, usually though rectifier pack failure (diodes give up, due to heat from the exhaust manifold) or the bearing tend to go on them...

Chris

[Andy T]

The alternator seems to fail electrically not mechanically. I know that elises tend to go through the odd alternator (not my first elise!) but I've never known ANY car go though 3 in a few weeks!

As for battery, no, it's not been replaced. The garage said that it didnt need need replacing!? I'm with you though, I would have replaced it as a matter of course... Unfortunately, the garage didn't.

BTW, why would a duff battery eat an alternator?

cheers

A

[Scuffers]

Andy T said:

The alternator seems to fail electrically not mechanically. I know that elises tend to go through the odd alternator (not my first elise!) but I've never known ANY car go though 3 in a few weeks!

As for battery, no, it's not been replaced. The garage said that it didnt need need replacing!? I'm with you though, I would have replaced it as a matter of course... Unfortunately, the garage didn't.

BTW, why would a duff battery eat an alternator?

cheers

A

recon alt reg packs are the problem, they don't seem to be able to stand the vibrations.

went though dozzens of them when I ran a K will I worked out that they so called new regs were cheap copies...

[ptp170]

Andy T said:

The alternator seems to fail electrically not mechanically. I know that elises tend to go through the odd alternator (not my first elise!) but I've never known ANY car go though 3 in a few weeks!

As for battery, no, it's not been replaced. The garage said that it didnt need need replacing!? I'm with you though, I would have replaced it as a matter of course... Unfortunately, the garage didn't.

BTW, why would a duff battery eat an alternator?

cheers

A

When a battery's fooked, the amount of amps it sucks up is huge. The diodes in the rectifier pack get roasting hot combine that with the heat from the manifold and the diode(s) will start to fail. Diodes have an upper temperature limit (usually 125-175C) and this is the reason so many S2 alternator fail. Strangely S1 alternator suffer less, a different rectifer pack with higher temperature tolerance diodes would be likely.

Have the battery tested before having another alternator fitted, if not 100% then fit a new battery. Also have all the earths and relavent alternator connections checked under load for dodgy connections.

[Andy T]

ptp170 said:

Andy T said:

The alternator seems to fail electrically not mechanically. I know that elises tend to go through the odd alternator (not my first elise!) but I've never known ANY car go though 3 in a few weeks!

As for battery, no, it's not been replaced. The garage said that it didnt need need replacing!? I'm with you though, I would have replaced it as a matter of course... Unfortunately, the garage didn't.

BTW, why would a duff battery eat an alternator?

cheers

A

When a battery's fooked, the amount of amps it sucks up is huge. The diodes in the rectifier pack get roasting hot combine that with the heat from the manifold and the diode(s) will start to fail. Diodes have an upper temperature limit (usually 125-175C) and this is the reason so many S2 alternator fail. Strangely S1 alternator suffer less, a different rectifer pack with higher temperature tolerance diodes would be likely.

Have the battery tested before having another alternator fitted, if not 100% then fit a new battery. Also have all the earths and relavent alternator connections checked under load for dodgy connections.

Nice one. Thanks for that. BTW, how would one go about checking a battery? Some sort of hydrometer type shennanigans?

[ptp170]

Any tyre, exhaust and battery style garage should have the equipment to test the battery. To be honest, you can pick up suitable battery's for about £30...just don't get from Halfrauds or it'll cost you the earth

[jondude]

Yep good advice. I'm new to cars, so not sure if the set-up is the same, but on bikes once the alternator goes you normally take the rectifier and sometimes the ignition module with it.

A low charge battery does indeed overwork all of the above, not least the alternator....and if there is any weak link in the circuit...cooked rectifier, loose or frayed wires, it all falls down again.