Evening all.

On the way home tonight I noticed that my battery warning light was coming on very dimly.
I tried turning all non-essential electrics off (rear wiper, heater, radio, etc) and the light may have gotten a little dimmer.

The one thing I am sure of, is the higher the revs of the engine, the dimer the light was. Driving around at 40mph in 3rd gear made the light go out.

Ok, so it sounds like an alternator problem.

When I got home, I opened the bonnet with the engine running to have a look round the alternator. The belt was still in good condition and not slipping. The alternator cables appeared to be pushed in firmly.

Does this mean that the alternator is on its way out, and it is only a matter of time, or is it something else entirely?

I wish that the Uno wasn't so low to the ground - that way I could get underneath it and have a good look round.

Thanks in advance.

Ucof.

Well spotted!!

Battery light stays lit when belt falls off as the light goes out when it starts turning, not intil.

Battery light don't light when ignition energised just before starting the car when there is a connection or alternator issue.

First port of call is usually the low tension wire which runs off the alternator via a lucar spade connector and a thin wire to the dash. next try the bulb in the dash er if it's glowing dimly, I guess the bulb is OK, but when it blows it will prevent charging.

So that leaves the alternator it's self. Maybe brushes or rectifier box? possibly something else inside?

I have had the same scenario with dim glow / dull clocks just over a year ago, so I fitted the spare Alt. then after about 11 months, it came back. Took the older one apart and the brushes were so low that one has snapped. Couldn’t see owt wrong with the brushes from the second failed alt (apart from being a bit low), so I swapped them for the snapped ones as a temp fix.

3 months on and it's still OK. Now I have another spare alternator for next time, which came attached to an engine and gearbox I swapped for some Turbo parts

You ain't let oil leak into it have you? I remember from my 903cc Uno they don't like it!!!

Charge the barratry up if you can, soon as possible as you don't want to be replacing that too . they don't like getting cold when they are low on charge :bang: too late for mine .

Louie gives good advice as usual, but my first suspect is the brushes. If you can unbolt the alternator's black plastic cover (if fitted), you can unbolt the brush holder (a small finned aluminium block) with the alternator still fitted to the engine. Disconnect the battery first, though...

The brushes should stick out about 4mm - any less, or if one is much shorter than the other, then you should replace them.

The slip rings (which the brushes run on) often have deep grooves worn in them, but I've learned to ignore these Otherwise you get into a whole lot more trouble replacing those.

The brushes can either be replaced by replacing the brush holder (integral with the voltage regulator), or you can desolder the brushes and solder the copper braid of each new brush. Needs a powerful soldering iron (>80W) and patience.

-Alex

hi guys,
i'm from the philippines, i've been having this problem for a couple of months now. i've had my alternator overhauled, even bought a new IC/voltage regulator. but to no avail, light stays lit. what's weird is alternator seems to charging normally. a couple of uno owners have experienced the same problem. what can be another cause?

*side note* The worst happened today Had to get the RAC out, then had to get the Uno on the back of a recovery truck, and then hauled home. RAC man said there was NO charge at all coming from the Alternator. Would this one work as a replacement? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ALTERNATOR-FOR-FIAT-PANDA-UNO_W0QQitemZ190268762351QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item190268762351&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Ucof said:

*side note* The worst happened today Had to get the RAC out, then had to get the Uno on the back of a recovery truck, and then hauled home. RAC man said there was NO charge at all coming from the Alternator. Would this one work as a replacement? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ALTERNATOR-FOR-FIAT-PANDA-UNO_W0QQitemZ190268762351QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM?hash=item190268762351&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1683|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

Click to expand...

No - that particular alternator won't fit the FIRE engine (it fits the other type of engine) - sorry!

BUT the brushes and various other parts of that would make your alternator work again. It's an expensive way to buy brushes, though.

Now that you're home, put the battery on charge as soon as you can - assuming that you have a battery charger? The battery won't take kindly to being left in a discharged state (as Louie said).

I think you should check those brushes straight away and replace if they are only sticking out by a few mm, as it's an easy job to do if you buy the brushholder complete. As I described, it can be done with the alternator in place (though access might be a bit tricky working behind the engine).

Otherwise, you could unbolt the alternator from the engine (two 16mm bolts, plus the wiring terminals) and take it to an auto electrician who can repair and test it.

Incidentally, to make the Uno less low-to-the-ground, you really need to get yourself one of those "jack" things - they're amazing

-Alex

Battery went on charge last night thinking that at least I could get to work this morning.

But no.
I accidentally connected the battery up the wrong way round... resulting in smoke from the alternator. I swore, then reconnected the battery back up the right way round, resulting in more smoke from the alternator.
The battery light turned on even when the keys were not in the ignition. I think this was because there was a short in the Alternator.

Will be picking up a new one from the scrappies later tonight/ this weekend.

What really annoys me, is that my dad has a spares and repairs fiat Uno sitting on his driveway in london, complete with alternator

Also radio and ECU (if yor car has injection) can be fried.

Oh bugger
The car did manage to start before the battery died completely. I hope that means the ECU is ok. Come to think of it, I think the radio came on too after the battery had been in the wrong way round. Will let you know in a few hours when the battery is fully charged and I'll reconnect it up.

Anyways - I managed to get the alternator out now, however, I wish to know which utter tw*t at Fiat decided that it'd be a great idea for the alternator to be accessed by taking the front wheel off!!


How long do you reckon I could travel on a fully charged battery and no alternator? I need to goto the scrap yard tomorrow (if they DO have a spare one) which is only 15 minutes away. Do you think I can get there on one battery, then back on another?

Ucof said:

I wish to know which utter tw*t at Fiat decided that it'd be a great idea for the alternator to be accessed by taking the front wheel off!!

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It is the 999cc Fire engine you have?

I didn't remove no wheels to swap my alt took about 20 mins

There is a splash cover you need to remove first I didn't put it back first time round so it's loads easier the cover didn't come with my car any way, I got one when I got the spare a few years ago :devil:

I don’t worry about the ECU. I have a spare i'd sell if you need it Starter may not of liked being reverse polarised (the HT lead from the battery goes to the alternator and the starter motor). I have a spare too that I'd sell :slayer:

Just the alternator it's self I need to keep as mine is a temp fix.

I have done the half hour or so drive home twice with no alt in the dark with sidelights mostly so should be no problem. Jump or bump start it at home and the scrap yard too if you can to help. Don’t use any un necessary electrics and you should be OK if the battery has taken a full charge

Yep, its the 999cc I have, well remembered

I spent about 15-20 mins with both arms deep in the engine bay, trying to find a way that the alternator would lie that would let me get it out, but I ended up giving in, coming inside, then going back outside to get the Haynes manual which said that "IN order to remove the alternator from the engine bay, remove the front right wheel, then remove the 2 push clips and remove the shroud" - Rather than remove it, I just pulled it back (it was very flexible and was happy to be moved a good amount) and out came the alternator.
This is however, for the MK2 Unos. The Mk1's don't need the wheel to be removed.

Will let you know how I get with regards to the car starting and the radio tomorrow.

Will take 2 batteries down to the scrappies and will have no radio, no lights, no NOTHING that takes any power!

Mine is a MK2

Can't remember if it came out from the top or bottom

AH, righto!

Mine came out directly left of where it is. Maybe forwards a little too..


Ok, have just been out there to try a nearly fully charged ( 11.9v) battery on it, and there are hazard lights, there is a clock and there is a radio, but in position 1 (where the petrol gauge rises and lights usually come on) there is nothing at all. Nothing in position 3 (engine start) either obviously.

Do the wires from the alternator need to be connected to something in some way?

Does the battery just need to be fully charged up?

Both thicker wires must be connected together (they are under same nut when alternator is fitted). I had the same problem when I was trying to drive to car parts shop without alternator fitted

Charged battery should have 12.6V, 11.9V means it's empty

OK, well I connected the two wires by resting one in the other with a good contact and no chance to break, and I had the same problem.

I guess I will just have to let the battery fully charge and then try it.

Will update tomorrow

Thanks all.

I have good news, and I have bad news, but let be first start with a bit of background story.

Set off this morning to the only car repair breakers yard type thing to see if they had a new alternator. They didnt, but said that their other branch might do. They didnt either, but I gave them the alternator to see if they could recondition it for me. I then went to the only dedicated scrap yard in the area that I know of, to have a nose about. Having never been in a proper scrap yard before, I think its awesome. A bit like finding a needle in a haystack it was for me however I did evenutally manage to find a rusty old "siezed" Fiat alternator in an old rusty oil drum full of, suprisingly, other old rusty and siezed alternators and starter motors. I paid the bloke a fiver for the scrap value of the alternator and headed home, picking up a large can of WD40 on the way.

At home, I got my spanners and hammer and set about unsiezing the alternator. Luckily, it wasnt that much of a job. A couple of good squirts of WD40 and a couple of good hits with the hammer to rotate the spindle and it suddenly span round freely.

Went to the car to put it in place.... then discovered that I have the wrong alternator
Whereas on the one from my Fiat, one of the fixing places for the bolts is a large curve which is used to determine and fix the tightness of the alternator belt. However, on the alternator I picked up, there are only two holes on opposite sides meaning that I could only attach one of the bolts - the other one wouldnt line up at all.

So that's the bad news - Its the wrong alternator.

However, I took the oppurtunity to test if the car all fired up nicely even though it was the wrong mounting for the alternator. I connected it all up, connected up a nearlly fully charged battery ( 12.5v ) and fired up the igniton.
Praise be! It worked! Hopefully this means that everything will be hunky dorey with the car as long as I get a new alternator.

So thats the good news - everything seems to work fine (starter motor etc) so I will only need to replace the alternator.

My alternator should be repaired (if it can be) around lunchtime on Monday so will have to give them a ring then to find out whats going on.



So this leads to wonder if I need to do anything with the earth wire that goes to the alternator in order for the engine to start up? Does anyone know?

Thanks again everyone for the help and comments

Ucof.

Ucof said:

So this leads to wonder if I need to do anything with the earth wire that goes to the alternator in order for the engine to start up? Does anyone know?

Thanks again everyone for the help and comments

Ucof.

Click to expand...

I can't remember seeing an earth wire, just a big thick live and a skinny low tension live. think the earth path is through the mounting bolts.

So if you found 2 ring connectors which were under the same bolt on the alternator, one of which goes to the starter motor, join them together and tape them up and the car should start Don't let them touch the body of the car when the battery is in cos you'll get sparks and as there is no fuse inline, could catch fire

If there was just one ring connector, just tape it up. And if there is an earth for the alternator, it won’t miss the alternator while it’s off.

There were two wires off the same bolt which were the two I rested together with friction and the car didnt start

Will try taping them together and seeing what happens.




(I have two thick wires, and one thin wire that plugs onto the alternator)

I have now tried taping them together...

...and it works


I think that there was just not enough surface area through which the current could flow to start the engine.

Huzzah!

Now the question is....

Reckon I could drive 28.2 miles (43 minutes) on one battery, down the motorway to work?
I have a spare battery I could always take...

I'd bolt them together too as you don't want them to part when your driving

Hard to say about 43 mins. My daily drive is 19 miles and by the time I get home I can't read the speedow as it's too dark. that's not using the foot brake, just handbrake to save power from brake lights.

depends if you are driving in the dark, but remember if you do brake down, you won't have any power for the hazard lights rather risky IMO :nutter::nutter:

I'd say don't do it if you can avoid it.