12 replies to this topic

[-IR-]

Good evening forum, I did do a search before posting but couldn't find anything solid so thought I'd pose my question directly to the hive mind.

 

I recently bought a rover mini 35 that'd been retrofitted with an earlier carb'd engine, it's had several* electrical faults the most sever of which is that it won't charge the battery.

 

I replaced the alternator with a high output number from minispares but to no avail, I've checked the earth on the battery and added a second engine earth for peace of mind. When I read the voltage at the alternator itself it's never above 12.5v even when checked differently at the positive terminal and always within about .1 V of what the reading is at the battery.

 

*Majority of gauge cluster not working, O/S tail light out, N/S headlight out, windscreen wipers were out but I've since tracked that to a dodgy connection and fixed it.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions for my charging issues?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Indra

[nicklouse]

Alternator output should be about 14.5V so either you have wiring issues or a faulty alternator.

[-IR-]

Alternator output should be about 14.5V so either you have wiring issues or a faulty alternator.

 This was my thinking too, I replaced the alternator with a new one and it's the same.

 

If I were to disconnect all wires from the alternator then test the live terminal and ground it to my subframe should that eliminate wiring and simply mean I've been sent a dud alternator?

Edited by -IR-, 10 September 2017 - 05:35 PM.

[Swift_General]

What's the warning light doing? This needs to earth through the alternator before the engine starts turning to energise the alternator. If there is not continuity there it will never work.

[minimans]

Does the Ign light come on when key turned to Ign? Does it go out when running? The alternator needs a 12V+ supply to excite the windings before it will charge. This is fed through the Ign warning light.

[minimans]

What's the warning light doing? This needs to earth through the alternator before the engine starts turning to energise the alternator. If there is not continuity there it will never work.

Beat me to it................

[nicklouse]

and some reading

http://www.theminifo...ng-basic-tests/

[-IR-]

What's the warning light doing? This needs to earth through the alternator before the engine starts turning to energise the alternator. If there is not continuity there it will never work.

 

 

Does the Ign light come on when key turned to Ign? Does it go out when running? The alternator needs a 12V+ supply to excite the windings before it will charge. This is fed through the Ign warning light.

 

The light comes on and then stays on when the engine is running, funnily enough it didn't come on at all until I replaced the alternator. 

[-IR-]

and some reading

http://www.theminifo...ng-basic-tests/

 I've gone through this and have everything as it should be but still only 12.5v so no charge going to the battery. Are there common places to find a short?

[panky]

Has the ignition light been replaced with an LED, wont work very well if it has.

[KernowCooper]

and some reading

http://www.theminifo...ng-basic-tests/

You beat me to it Nick

[andyapanel]

I had this recently on my RSP. It was a Minispares item, too.
Doing the belt tension up tighter than usual solved it.

[KernowCooper]

If you read the link that Keith put up on the Article I wrote then those tests will identify where the fault is, as a mention a short, if you had a short then its a path to earth and on the alternator you'd not have to look for it the smoke trail would identify where.