Well?????????????
I've performed voltage checks......it varies all the time.
Sometimes when the car is running it's 12.7v....and does go upto a max of 13.1v.
I've not had chance yet to adjust the alternator belt, as the weather has been atrocious.....and I guess is contributing to the problem with regard to needing lights and wipers on, and making the engine bay damp.
I just hope the weather improves at the weekend so I can do some work on the car.
|
|
have you checked those earth cables, ask any AA man they will tell you how many call outs just for a carp earth cable
|
|
Yes I checked the earthing....it was fine.....and there wasn't an spurious voltages either.
|
|
have you considered the voltage regulator in the alternator, or a dodgy diode pack?
|
ironeagle
Turn on the headlights, the heater fan and the heated rear window - nothing else. Run the engine at 2000 revs and see what the voltage is across the battery.
Also check the temperature of the alternator drive pulley immediately after you've stopped it. If it's red hot [get someone else to touch it] then the belt is slipping.
|
|
|
have you considered the voltage regulator in the alternator or a dodgy diode pack?
I have....but not checked it yet, as the alternator is only about 6 months old....and the weather hasn't been good enough to work on the car for any prolonged time.
|
|
|
|
|
>>Sometimes when the car is running it's 12.7v....and does go upto a max of 13.1v.
Are you having any problems with the electrics on the car apart from the voltage variation??
I have never come across a Rover with a steady voltage so yours is no different
|
>>Sometimes when the car is running it's 12.7v....and does go upto a max of 13.1v. Are you having any problems with the electrics on the car apart from the voltage variation??
The battery seems to discharge to a point whereby the stereo loses it's preset stations....but the clock built into the dashboard doesn't reset.
This morning the car started ok...just.
Left the car all day for around 6 hours....and had to jump start it from a spare car battery I am carrying around.
Drove about 2 miles to a supermarket, and couldn't jump start the car....both discharged. Got a jump start at supermarket, drove about 1.5 miles back, left car for 2 hours....again wouldn't start, so had to bump start it.
The voltage seems to drop considerably when I am driving and have to put the lights on. When am driving it can be as high as 13.1v....but when I put the lights on, and perhaps use the stereo and/or the blower, it can drop to as low as 12volts, if not lower.
I have a spare regulator I can try once I can get round to checking out the alternator etc.
|
ironeagle
Why are you making this such hard work?
Everything you've described is 100% consistent with a slipping drive belt - you even admit that you can hear it slipping.
Tighten it!
|
Everything you've described is 100% consistent with a slipping drive belt
Agreed, tighten it so that the longest run has about 1/2 an inch of play in the centre. It won't do the pulleys any harm at this tension. If this fails to address the slipping, slap a nice new unperished belt on and tension nice and taut as described. THEN if the voltage hasn't perked up a bit, look at the alternator. Cheapest things first.
|
|
|
|
Assuming you bought a new alternator and not a secondhand unit (from breakers).
I would get the ecu checked out,its possible the main relay is not being shut down by ecu after ignition switch is turned off which will cause your problem
Check coil + for voltage with ignition off (but leave it for 5 minutes before checking)gives ecu chance to switch relay off
|
I spent several hours at the weekend working on the car....to no avail.
I tightened the alternator belt as much as I dare.....but it still squealed slightly when pulling away, and didn't improve the charging problem.
We checked the starter motor connections, and cleaned them up.
We changed the location of the earthing from the battery to the body work, as it looked like it may be slightly corroded, and not providing a good eletrical connection.
We checked the wiring from the battery....there were 3 wires from the positive, 2 thick, and one thin. The thin wire upon inspection looked like it had been getting rather hot, and some of the braids had either corroded, or broken under usage for the last 13 years. With the engine running, these wires were rather hot. We replaced this length of cable, incase there wasn't enough current getting through.
After carrying out the above, I thought we had solved the problem. Packed up....took the car or a drive, and it stalled, and wouldn't restart due to lack of power in the battery.
This was on Monday.
On Friday I had phoned to book my car in for yesterday at a garage to get the circuit and charging looked at, and repaired if necessary.
On Tuesday morning I decided I ought to take the car to the garage, as there was no point in having it at my house.
My girlfriend tried to jump start the car for me, but as the battery power was so low, the immobiliser had cut in, and wouldn't switch off. So I had to send her on her way to work.
I disconnected the earth lead on the battery for 10 seconds, and reconnected to reset the immobiliser...this worked, and I was able to try and start the car again.
|
I called my girlfriends dad to try and jump start my car. It still wouldn't start, and the jump leads were getting rather warm.
So I resorted to calling the RAC out expecting to have them tow me to the garage.
The RAC man immediately managed to jump start my car.
He checked the voltage, and agreed it was low, and then checked to make sure all the relays in the fusebox under the bonnet were ok....they were.
He thought it could be the alternator, but commented it looked new, and I confirmed this by telling him it was only aboout 6 months old.
He then removed the 3 pin connetor on the alternator, and looked at it.
He noticed that the middle pin of the plastic plug was slightly melted, and came to the conclusion that the spade connector wasn't making a good connection.
He fiddled with it, and bent it slightly in order that it would make a better connection....and it did.
Voltage immediately went up to 14volts, and there was a charge going through to the battery.
He suggested replacing the 3 pin connector.
He went away, and I took the car for a drive, and the voltage remained at 13+volts
When I put main beam on, and the blowers, the voltage goes down to a minimum of 12.6volts now.
I still took the car to the garage for them to check it over....and the conclusion they came to was that the 3 pin alternator connector needed replacing.
They did this, and it cost me £32 to have that replaced, and the rest of the charging circuit checked. All else was fine.
Thanks for your helpful suggestions guys....at least I have made some changes that needed to be made.
Would it be a good idea to change the alternator belt now?....also the power steeering pump belt?...hoepfully to try and get rid of this squeal?
Sorry this is so long winded.....but I thought it best to include as much info as possible to help anyone else with similar problems
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
