Stuffed Alternator?
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 7:44 pm
Gday everyone, i hooked up another 2 driving lights to my car tonight (4x100watt) + normal high beam. When i was aiming them smoke started to come out from under the bonnet (not usually a good sign) obviously i switched the car and lights off but could not find the source of the smoke.
This has happened to me before when a wire was arcing to the body but that time the wire burnt out(in my old car-no it didn't burn down). There are no scorched wires and all the wiring seems to be in place, i have run the same lights on the roof before with no issues. I have wired them up to the same relay (cos i am lazy and don't want to re route the roof light wires) is this bad(bad enough to cause smoke?)?
Now when i drive the battery warning light stays on at idle but higher in the revs it goes out. Coincidently the handbrake light comes on at the same time.
Does this mean i have a stuffed altenator? Could the altenator have been smoking? The belts wern't slipping either.
My engine bay was muddy but i have cleaned it now(especially the altenator) and the problem is still there.
As far as i can tell it is a standard altenator and the car has previously had a winch
Thanks
Rob

This has happened to me before when a wire was arcing to the body but that time the wire burnt out(in my old car-no it didn't burn down). There are no scorched wires and all the wiring seems to be in place, i have run the same lights on the roof before with no issues. I have wired them up to the same relay (cos i am lazy and don't want to re route the roof light wires) is this bad(bad enough to cause smoke?)?

Now when i drive the battery warning light stays on at idle but higher in the revs it goes out. Coincidently the handbrake light comes on at the same time.
Does this mean i have a stuffed altenator? Could the altenator have been smoking? The belts wern't slipping either.

My engine bay was muddy but i have cleaned it now(especially the altenator) and the problem is still there.

As far as i can tell it is a standard altenator and the car has previously had a winch

Thanks
Rob