3 replies to this topic

[checo]

HI.
I'm having the following issue with my Mini (Austin 1000, 1986)
 

I recently fit a new wooden dashboard and everything went well. Suddenly the igintion red light came on and stays on, no matter the revs. Suspect the alternator, so I change it for a new one one and everything goes back to normal. Mettered the charging volts with new alternator and were 14.5V at the battery.

 

Then this past weekend the ignition light went on and then it refuse to goes off no matter the revs. The volts at the battery are now 12.9 (no charging). But also notice that the rev counter sudenly goes to cero and after pushing the throttle, nothing happens. I shut the car off and started again, then the rev counter started to work again but is erractical, meaning some times stays at cero some times mark normal revs and some times mark but doesn't pass 1,000 RPMs or the needle just jump al around the dial and ignition light still on after starting no matter what the revs.

 

I took the old alternator to be bench tested and they told me that there was nothing wrong with it and is charging at a normal rate so obviously the first issue wasn't the alternator, is something else, buy don't know what; however I kept the new alternator in the car at this time. 

 

Any idea what is causing this behavior?

Can the voltage stabiliser be the cuplrit?

 

I'll appreciate any help where to look to fix the issue.

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

[Alice Dooper]

Does sound like the stabiliser.
Is your rev counter mechanical or electrical?

[neal]

I'd like to think it's the voltage stabiliser but you haven't mentioned any problems with the temp and fuel gauges, these are both connected to the voltage stabiliser and would have expected you to notice the needles on the gauges acting differently.

 

You mentioned that you have recently changed to a wooden dashboard, so I would be considering that either the connections have been disturbed, possibly an earth wire to the binnacle is not making a good contact or maybe a trapped wire???

 

If it were me, I would be carefully removing the dashboard and looking at the wiring at the back, there could be a possibility that the loom could have been disturbed and loose causing intermittent faults, but I would be checking connections and then cleaning. I'd certainly be using a multimeter checking feeds following your wiring diagram, it might be a good idea to isolate each fault I.E. disconnect and isolate rev counter whilst trying to work out your charging fault as this will help in diagnosing the faults.

 

It just seems strange that multiple problems have occurred after the dashboard change also it seems to be earth related, very tricky to diagnose without physically checking it myself so I can only offer ideas what and where to look.

Edited by neal, 12 January 2017 - 10:28 PM.

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

I agree with above.

 

I would back track and undo what you have done, and look at the loom as you do it. Something is trapped, has moved, loosened, it will be something daft, normally is. Voltage stabilisers are pretty solid items, and as above has said, the other gauges are not showing erratic behaviour.

 

Additionally, if you tinkled under the bonnet at the same time, look at what you did tinkle with. With what you have described, look at the alternator plug, and check inside the cap. If you have touched the coil wires, check they are not corroded on the terminals and that the wires are making contact correctly.

 

Sounds a bit like an earth problem as well as the wires I mentioned to check too.