No charging of battery by new alternator - link / whatever diagnosed by garage. Anyone know how to establish breakage of 'link" location ?
- Thread starter MARTYN
- Start date
PlasticMac
Member
Give us a bit of history please.
Start with the fitting of the new alternator, then did it run fine? What happened just before and what alerted you to the fault?
It's often easier to figure out what has happened with a bit of background.
Mac.
Start with the fitting of the new alternator, then did it run fine? What happened just before and what alerted you to the fault?
It's often easier to figure out what has happened with a bit of background.
Mac.
Thank you, the alternator was replaced a few months ago and has been tested as ok by the garage I broke down at after 700 miles overnight ! The car had been giving starting problems prior to coming up and the starter motor had been replaced - it was faulty. I was under rescue contract when I broke down at the garage - mechanic duly looked at it and said would have to establish where fault is between the front and back, if that makes sense...so its booked in Monday afternoon 26 miles away ( Im remote highlands ) He says the replacement of the starter motor has not caused the fault - its a seperate one. ...I drove back 26 miles to caravan where staying - battery must have been very low as I started having a problem with the steering ( unless a seperate fault.. ) Am told need electric to keep steering ok...plus the engine can cut out if it gets too low ? have purchased charger and lithium starter to try and ensure get to garage - and home of course in Plymouth ! Question - If I have the charged the battery up to maximum level possiible how much can i rely on getting home if the mechanic cant fix it.....will electric be enough given need to use lights etc - or if did it daylight only would that be ok, and not raining re wipers ! Tricky, again thanks for replying so soon. Martin
PlasticMac
Member
If it started, when the battery was OK, then the "link" front to back, (battery in the back, starter in the front), should be OK.
So, we're probably looking at the battery not charging.
Could be alternator, if it really was OK, the battery would charge, and while the engine is running, the car, steering etc, should be fine, as a good alternator would run the car on it's own. Seems to me, that everything is running on the battery, and the alternator isn't giving any output.
Let's see what others think.
Don't think it's a good idea to start the journey as things are.
Edit: Add your approximate location, you never know, there are other A2s up there
Mac.
Mac.
So, we're probably looking at the battery not charging.
Could be alternator, if it really was OK, the battery would charge, and while the engine is running, the car, steering etc, should be fine, as a good alternator would run the car on it's own. Seems to me, that everything is running on the battery, and the alternator isn't giving any output.
Let's see what others think.
Don't think it's a good idea to start the journey as things are.
Edit: Add your approximate location, you never know, there are other A2s up there
Mac.
Mac.
Adding had stopped several times on way up, no problem starting - it only went flat - really flat when I went to move onto diesel pump at the garage - which just so happened to be "rescue garage" callout for my "motoring assistance " ! Hard to believe, so no precursors of No charge going into battery. It is starting now having been charged with new charger...
Thanks again - battery def not charging - only journey will be to garage in light / no rain, 26 miles at the moment. have come for 2 - 3 weeks. The alternator was replaced when in a previous repair back in April, a problem was found with it. The mechanic at the garage taking it on here checked it as working.....he said to find fault take longer, so its booked in Monday.
If the car is starting, but battery very, very, flat, will cutting out of engine be issue - or steering - when I arrived at the caravan the steering light warning came on, stiff to steer....maybe another fault, maybe can check with short drive when the battery max charged..?
If the car is starting, but battery very, very, flat, will cutting out of engine be issue - or steering - when I arrived at the caravan the steering light warning came on, stiff to steer....maybe another fault, maybe can check with short drive when the battery max charged..?
Mechanic put reader on Alternator to establish working - so he deduced no current, presumably between front and back ! I am not much good at this, just go on what I am told have learnt a little !
If I get home in 2 weeks with it charged up - and with a lithium starter as back up, that might be option ? But not if I lose all power and leads to cutting out, or maybe power steering loss, which im told can lock..? Just as it used to be - stiffer !
If I get home in 2 weeks with it charged up - and with a lithium starter as back up, that might be option ? But not if I lose all power and leads to cutting out, or maybe power steering loss, which im told can lock..? Just as it used to be - stiffer !
PlasticMac
Member
Hmmm, if the cable between the battery, (in the back) and the engine, there'd be no dash lights when you turn the key, nothing, dead.
Is that how it is, or was, when the battery is OK ish?
Mac.
Its how
Thank you so much, I will pass on to mechanic - there has been recent "work' around the starter motor and the alternator too as when the stater motor was replaced they checked alternator....
PlasticMac
Member
Good shout, that's the other half of the back to front "link"
Mac.
Have just checked and with 60% charge showing on my 8 hour charger the dash lights are all on......however they wer'nt coming on, or went out quick when the problem started upon arrival at the garage to fill up...also some clicking sounds ? When tried at caravan after 26 mile drive in light little happened - it does now with charge ? So answer to your question is basically yes it was, but not now I have charged it...thanks so much...
As stated above the steering assistance is driven by an electrically-powered motor that uses a large amount of current. If the battery voltage gets below a certain level assistance will be switched off. An A2 is driveable with no power steering but it is obviously a wee bit more resistance than normal.
Voltage drops will upset various ECUs - hence all the dash lights being on as there will be a bucket-load of spurious errors being recorded by each ECU as it drops out in turn.
Injectors also require electricity to function so even if you get the car fully charged up and have a starter boost thing, and are driving without lights or any other power drains, there's next to no way you're going to get to Plymouth on battery power alone for electrical supply - I drive Dundee to Plymouth overnight normally and it takes around 9 hours ; from Applecross area that's probably another 3 and a bit or more hours just to get to Perth that is 20 minutes from here before all the rest of the 8.5 hour trek south.
You and the mechanic need to establish voltage levels of the charged battery at rest (near to 12?), what it drops to during cranking, and then when the engine is running what the voltage increases to - a healthy alternator will be pushing out 14.something volts for a tdi. Dud starter motor earth normally manifests itself by starting being a real struggle (even with a fully charged battery it behaves as if the battery is part flat with very slow cranking and eventual failure to turn - unbolting this and cleaning up the contact point makes a huge difference. Also may occur with breaks in the same earth cable underneath the interface between cable and the end ring hidden behind insulation.
So - if the problem is the alternator - could be the voltage regulator inside there that is playing up?
PlasticMac
Member
If the alternator was delivering, as it should, the engine should run normally, once it's started. The battery is needed to start the engine, once it's running, the alternator is running the car, and charging the battery too .
I'm guessing the mechanic is measuring the voltage with engine running, at the battery, in the back, and is not seeing the voltage from the alternator, so suspects the cables between the alternator and the battery.
I'm thinking that if those cables were the problem, the car would be dead.
Alternator, and cables, especially earths around the alternator need to be checked.
Mac.
Thanks for that a lot - I had come to conclusion that the journey home in 2 - 3 weeks has to be with all functioning ok.
Lights being haphazard consistent with above.
So even if the alternator has been checked as ok ( Ok when read ) - it could still be faulty re voltage regulator inside ?
The symptoms of slow cranking and battery appearing flat ( though charged ) occurred before the starter motor was replaced 2 weeks ago by garage down south. So could the earth cable contact point be problem re charging ? Will screen shoot this and send to garage - note also what you say about same earth cable "underneath the interface..
So the connection, cable, whatever that connects to battery - if that breaks could it be in difficult to access location ?
Very appreciative of your input, thank you - its longer than 13 hours home ! Have a little while to sort.
Thanks Martin
Lights being haphazard consistent with above.
So even if the alternator has been checked as ok ( Ok when read ) - it could still be faulty re voltage regulator inside ?
The symptoms of slow cranking and battery appearing flat ( though charged ) occurred before the starter motor was replaced 2 weeks ago by garage down south. So could the earth cable contact point be problem re charging ? Will screen shoot this and send to garage - note also what you say about same earth cable "underneath the interface..
So the connection, cable, whatever that connects to battery - if that breaks could it be in difficult to access location ?
Very appreciative of your input, thank you - its longer than 13 hours home ! Have a little while to sort.
Thanks Martin
Thanks, will screen shot this to send on, earths around alternator noted - and engine chassis pointed out earlier.. think he checked alternator from front. When the alternator was replaced last April, there was an issue, dont know what it was but replaced.
Good Evening,
This is screaming out to me engine earth as the first port of call. Some pictures if your mechanic needs them, often considered easier to remove the N/S headlight first.
Andy
This is screaming out to me engine earth as the first port of call. Some pictures if your mechanic needs them, often considered easier to remove the N/S headlight first.
Earth tag below NS light?
Hi, Can someone tell me the exact location where the large Earth tag connection is supposed to be below the passengers side headlamp? Cause it looks like I don't have one. I have an intermittent misfire and I'd thought I try this mythical creature first. Photos would be good! I...
www.a2oc.net
Andy