General Alternator wires? charging regulator?

[Ronnie]

Hello!

I have some problem with the charging. The batteri lamp is never on, not even when you have the key half way. It seems like th alternator is not working properly. I put an Voltmeter over the battery and it shows 12.15 Volt. When I start the engine it drops to 11.7 Volt, isn't it suppose to rise to 13,7 Volt or something if the alternator is working? Do I messure at the wrong way?

I went to 2 garages and they both said the alternator was broken, now when I changed the alternator it is still the same... so nothing wrong with the alternator. I found a page on internet describing my problem with the lamp. The problem could be solved in 3 ways

1) Change the alternator. Done!
2) Check earth between alternator and chassi.
3) Change the charging regulator

How do I check if the alternator is grounded? I have 3 wires from the alternator, one red, one brown and one to the instrument panel. If I loook at Haynes electic schedule it is a earth symbol on the alternator. Is this another cable, that I don't have? Or is the fact that the alternator is joined with the car earth enough?

Where is the charging regulator? There 3 different kinds showed in the pictures below...

Ahh I found it, (I think), it is attached to the alternator, so when I changed the alternator I changed the regulator too. Hmm now It is only the earth left to check... how?

 

[custard]

on the bracket where the alternator is bolted on to and then this bracket is bolted to the engine block/head.make sure you have an earth cable(use a ring end connector) so it can connect using the existing bolts at either end of the bracket and clean up the metal that the ring connectors sit on,this ensures the alternator body is earthed to the engine and thus to the engine main earth strap which you should incidently check as well

Custard boy the man who loves the man from Creative

 

[The Negotiator]

And Ronnie,

When you say the voltage drops to 11.7 volts, do you mean during starting? You will find that the voltage of a battery drops during load. A battery has what is called an "internal resistance". When the current drain on the battery is high - e.g. starting - or noticable - e.g. during running - the potential difference (voltage) will drop as some of the voltage is lost over the small internal resisitance of the battery.

A car battery has a very small internal resistance for this reason - the time when it is mainly use is at start up and this is why you will notce the lights dim when you start the engine. The current drain is higher and hence the overall P.D (voltage) will drop.

I am not altogether too sure of what size the charging voltage of the alternator should be.

Paul

 

[Morty Mort]

Yes, and when driving you'll get a higher voltage. Hence the car amplifiers are sometimes (not very serious I say) ratet in watts depending on 14 volts. When starting the alternator charges much more than when driving. That's why some alternators whine when the car starts. Well it's a worn belt that wines actually, and needs replacing because it doesn't charge enough.

Morten.


abarth alloys, steering wheel. inter alloy lowering. phoenix gold audio. refurnish.

projects: induction. seats. exhaust. tinting.

 

[Hoei]

Either the connection from the charging bulb is bad or the bulb is simply blown. Try measuring the voltage on the cable from the instrument panel. If it reads zero change the bulb. If it reads battery voltage, it could be ground connection or a faulty regulator, but this would seem unlikely.

The bulb should always light up with ignition turned on before engine start and then shut off when the engine starts spinning the alternator. It's the current through it that magnetizes the rotor.
You should experience that if you tried to apply some voltage on the B+ terminal, the generator should start charging and become "self-magnetizing" so to speak.

 

[Cooper]

Your problem may be due to the battery warning light on instrument panel. If the small bulb is blown, this may lead to a charging failure.I experienced recently the problem on a friend's car, it was a Citroen XM, the replacement of the bulb is a tricky job, calling for steering wheel removal (!) On the Uno, this is much more easier. There may be a poor connection somewhere. During starter operation, it's normal that the voltage drops below 10 volt. However, when engine running @ 1,500 rpm, the voltage should be between 13.5 and 14 volt. If the reading exceeds 14.5 volt, the voltage regulator should be considerred as faulty.

 

[Ronnie]

Hello again.

I still looking for the problem, I´ve checked so the alternator have good earth connection and connection to battery+. One wire left, the grey/black to the lamp. It is in bad condition so I will change it (and the lamp again just to be sure). I found the place where the wire starts and ends. But it seems very tricky to get the wire from the alternator to the instrument panel. There is one big black tube where every wire is packed inside, but seems impossible to open it and press another wire into it. Maybe I should only change the part of the wire that are in the engine apartment and try to open the tube before it goes to the instrument panel. And connect the new wire to the old one. The old wire that are inside the car seems fresh.

Anyone have a better way to get a wire to the instrument panel from the engine? (I don´t want to take it in from the window [8D])

 

[Morty Mort]

On the upper right corner of the engine bay there is a predrilled hole with a plastic plug. Push wire through and stick your hand up underneath the glove comp. (right side of car since were from nordic countries) and reach for it. This is how I stretched a cable for my amplifier.

Morten.


abarth alloys, steering wheel. inter alloy lowering. phoenix gold audio. refurnish.

projects: induction. seats. exhaust. tinting.

 

[Ronnie]

okey, now I'm pissed, where is the fckng hole? I bring some pics, where should I put my wire from the engine into the car? I tried on the right side, next to some other wires (se the red wires, that's mine), but I can't find the wire then on the ínside. I'm so fukcing tired of this. And finally a pic of my car, is this fare working conditions? where is the spring???

 

[Ronnie]

The pictures did not show up? I try again... so where should I put the red wire so it goes to the inside of the car. I put it next to some other wires, but I can't find it then on the inside. Any better place or way to do it?

 

[Morty Mort]

Tjenare.

Well, I understand better now, as I didn't realize your Uno was an MkI. Sorry. Try to find the plastic bush that is covering the water inlet to the heater matrix. You may propably be able to either squeeze in or drill a new hole in the rubber bush for your new wire. Or look for any other rubber bush. Push a screwdriver (long and thin) through and eventually get another person to feel for it on the inside.

Morten.


abarth wheels & steering. ia lowered. pg audio. refurnish.

projects: air intake. (used) seats. exhaust-repair. legal tint.

 

[Ronnie]

Now the alternator is working, the wire to the lamp where broken... so easy when you found it.

So if your battery runs flat because the alternator is not working, and the battery lamp is never on.. then it is probably the wire to the lamp that is not correct.