21 replies to this topic

[firstforward]

Vonski - the voltage is about 14V (dashboard voltage gauge) with nothing running, however when idling at traffic lights with headlights & wipers on, it dips down to about 10v. This is when the squealing (also now accompanied by a regular clunking noise) kicks in.

Battery should be fine, it's a four months old Bosch silver bought after the previous one, a cheapie, packed up. Only had these issues for the last ten days or so, as it's undercharging rather than overcharging shouldn't have done any damage.

I think the car cutting out/stalling (which only happened on that one day by the way) may have been a temporary blockage somewhere, no problems like that since so it seems like a red herring.

I'm thinking that an alternator is only £50 from Minispares (I take it http://minispares.co...rs/GXE2211.aspx will be a direct replacement for the 36 Amp LRA100?) and not sure what else could produce these symptoms.

Surely you will only get 10V if the belt is squealing and not turning the alternator? Assuming the alternator bearings are OK?

[smurfomatic]

The new alternator arrived, installed and tested - no squealing / clunking (even with the same belt) and charging fine. Stop/start on the test run - stuck behind a bus and then in traffic - so the voltage dropped off a bit like previously but sounds a lot better! Thanks for all the advice.

I checked the driveshaft pulley tiger, and all seems fine there. Phew!

[firstforward]

Sounds like the belt is not tensioned enough.

Could Mr Cooperman have been correct all along?

[smurfomatic]

Firstforward - I don't think so, as I'd re-tensioned the belt (and replaced it) while still having the same issue. However, replacing the alternator, and having the "old" (well, at least ten days old) belt with roughly the same tension sorted it out.

[Vonski]

You're welcome Smurfomatic. Glad it sorted it for you, but then vehicle electrics are my area of expertise so i wasn't guessing or second guessing when i tried to help you. But i suppose i had the experience of working on over 10,000 cars to draw from. You get to know a thing or two by then.

[firstforward]

Firstforward - I don't think so, as I'd re-tensioned the belt (and replaced it) while still having the same issue. However, replacing the alternator, and having the "old" (well, at least ten days old) belt with roughly the same tension sorted it out.

You're welcome Smurfomatic. Glad it sorted it for you, but then vehicle electrics are my area of expertise so i wasn't guessing or second guessing when i tried to help you. But i suppose i had the experience of working on over 10,000 cars to draw from. You get to know a thing or two by then.

Just so I know, so the alternator was seizing up under load or what? Is that the bearings?

[smurfomatic]

I think it's the bearings firstforward, it only happened when it "slowed down" as once the revs came up the alternator ran fine. I suspect that if I'd continue to use it, especially running lights, wipers etc in this weather, it would have seized completely in a few days/weeks time.