Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Move this to chitchat if you feel the urge, mods


I'm having a bit of a problem with alternator not charging properly. Anyway to eliminate the battery from the equation i stopped at a small battery dealer in Moorabbin (melb)

Mate, this bloke was awesome. couldn't be more obliging, friendly and helpful. And he didn't charge a cent and didn't try to flog me a battery either.

I am not trying to give a mate free advertising here, i was just impressed with guys customer service, if anyone in melb bayside is after a battery check out

John Kiriakos from

Battery Distribution Services

288 Wickam Rd. Moorabbin

03 9555 8588
0414 444161


very good prices too, and honest advice. I'm spewing i've recently bought 2 new batteries, i could have saved myself $100 if i knew of him earlier.

Do you a deal: come back and tell us what happened with the alternator, and we'll leave it here as tech.

Cheers,

Scott

What Scott posted, it’s good to spread the word about good service as it’s hard to come by.

Now, tell us more about your problem.

GQ TB42e, had a blown head gasket. cooked it something shocking several times on last two 4bying adventures. Engine bay full of mud and .......well you get the picture, car cops hell

anyway, had been sitting for about 2 weeks and i needed to drive it to move it. Battery totally dead - brand new century overlander, tryed the dual battery - bond 650cca, brand new and dead also. Both batteries were able to be jump started

i took century back to autobarn where purchased and they charged it and then got it tested - came back marginal, so they swapped it for a newie. anyway i payed extra $20 for a deep cycle (thought i'd try difference - i usually use 2 crankers and have no problems - this is my experiment)

Got head overhauled and i refitted it last w/e. Battery guage reading under and around 12v only with no dual battery fitted after lengthy drive. Always starts and battery reads 12.3V only (should be heaps more imo)

Now that's where John comes into play, i stopped at his shop on way home yesterday and he checked battery and alternator. Battery was fine, alternator was only charging about 12.3V @ 2500rpm

Since then the battery is starting to get better readings, about 13.5V on dash guage. I've got a auto sparky mate gonna look at it on w/e. It may have just been clogged with mud and crap (which it is still) or brushes may be furooted???? I will let you know more as i know more

Do any of you electrical wizz's have any ideas???

btw, i have edited original post to include ph. numbers






far out i feel like Dale Kerrigan from The Castle after such a long posting, anyway "...and that's my story..."

GQ Bear wrote:It may have just been clogged with mud and crap (which it is still) or brushes may be furooted???? I will let you know more as i know more

I'd pretty much bet on this angle. Alternators don't like mud. Crap between the brushes and the commutator keeps them from working. Crap in the brush housing keeps the springs behind the brushes from working... etc. Or... just lousy connections on the alternator itself, again due to mud.

These are the most likely explanations imho.

chimpboy wrote:

GQ Bear wrote:It may have just been clogged with mud and crap (which it is still) or brushes may be furooted???? I will let you know more as i know more

I'd pretty much bet on this angle. Alternators don't like mud. Crap between the brushes and the commutator keeps them from working. Crap in the brush housing keeps the springs behind the brushes from working... etc. Or... just lousy connections on the alternator itself, again due to mud.

These are the most likely explanations imho.

I concur.

-Scott- wrote:

chimpboy wrote:

GQ Bear wrote:It may have just been clogged with mud and crap (which it is still) or brushes may be furooted???? I will let you know more as i know more

I'd pretty much bet on this angle. Alternators don't like mud. Crap between the brushes and the commutator keeps them from working. Crap in the brush housing keeps the springs behind the brushes from working... etc. Or... just lousy connections on the alternator itself, again due to mud.

These are the most likely explanations imho.

I concur.

Do you think it's worth pulling apart to clean thoroughly or just hose with water, use spirits, ???????
Can a standard alternator be beefed up to higher amp alternator, or are they completely different units. I'm sorry if this question makes me sound dumb, but when it comes to this sort of stuff i am.

GQ Bear wrote:Do you think it's worth pulling apart to clean thoroughly or just hose with water, use spirits, ???????
Can a standard alternator be beefed up to higher amp alternator, or are they completely different units. I'm sorry if this question makes me sound dumb, but when it comes to this sort of stuff i am.

You'll be surprised how easily most modern alternators can be opened up and cleaned out. Just be very careful with the brushes as they are fairly fragile.

As for the higher amp option, it's usually possible to beef them up internally, but personally I have always opted for a new, better alternator. On a previous vehicle I completely relocated the alternator so it wasn't as close to the ground, but if you have a GQ yours is already fairly high up. Don't rule out the possibility of adding a bit of aluminium shielding or something while you have it out. Can't hurt, as long as it can still vent to stay cool.

GQ Bear wrote:Do you think it's worth pulling apart to clean thoroughly or just hose with water, use spirits, ???????
Can a standard alternator be beefed up to higher amp alternator, or are they completely different units. I'm sorry if this question makes me sound dumb, but when it comes to this sort of stuff i am.

I don't know much about beefing up, but you'd be extremely lucky to fix your problem WITHOUT a strip down clean.

I know some alternators can be "uprated" but I don't know how - I recommend speaking to an auto sparky.

Cheers,

Scott

yeah thanks guys. A mate of mine told me the same thing last night. As for my sparkie mate, i got shocking hangover and have to work this arvo so prob another time. I will keep you posted on outcome tho

that hangover may have cost me

They're strange things these alternators, firstly it's showing low volts, then pumping 14V and i'm happy, and since this morning it's showing 10V I'm surprised the car starts

Battery light is now on, 10-11V only, Air filter element light and handbrake light on Is a diode or something about to die? How long have i got before car stops? Can this be fixed or has it had it?

GQ Bear wrote:that hangover may have cost me

They're strange things these alternators, firstly it's showing low volts, then pumping 14V and i'm happy, and since this morning it's showing 10V I'm surprised the car starts

Battery light is now on, 10-11V only, Air filter element light and handbrake light on Is a diode or something about to die? How long have i got before car stops? Can this be fixed or has it had it?

This just makes it more likely that you have crud in your alternator, imho.

Sometimes you get lucky and the brushes make contact despite the crud, other days the crud wins.

Everything can be fixed, it's just a matter of time, money and effort

Strange that your alternator light is on, this possibly means a regulator failure - usually disconnected brushes don't cause the charge light to come on (at least on the std GQ TD42 alt.)

If you had heaps of mud in the alternator itself it may have cooked the regulator or diode pack.

Might be time to pull the alternator and strip it (or have it stripped) to check it's functionality.

Yeah, i think that's what's happened. Last night had to jump start it off 2nd battery to start it. Proceeded to head home from work and got cupla hundred metres before i lost headlights.

Hooked jumper cables to 2nd battery and cable tied everything in engine bay. Proceeded to drive home from city. Murphy was out in full force; had to crap itself when i'm on nightshift - ie headlights, and then it started to rain - wipers.

I got half way home when i virtually lost headlights - faint dim only. So i pulled into father-in-law's place and left car there. Put battery on charger and picked it up this morning and brought it home.

Voltmeter was reading 6V and car was still running fine. It's very hard to STOP a Nissan Patrol

Anyway, autoelec mate is coming around on monday to have a look. he'll then take it to work and fix it for me. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ok, running again.

Diodes burnt out New rectifier, new regulator and new bearings

cost me $190 to fix, including little Johnny's cut

My mate could have got me a new one for $185 + Johnny's cut, but i couldn't wait a week for it to come in.

So, fully reco'd 70amp alternator, and she's pumping out a solid 14.5V

GQ Bear wrote:Move this to chitchat if you feel the urge, mods


I'm having a bit of a problem with alternator not charging properly. Anyway to eliminate the battery from the equation i stopped at a small battery dealer in Moorabbin (melb)

Mate, this bloke was awesome. couldn't be more obliging, friendly and helpful. And he didn't charge a cent and didn't try to flog me a battery either.

I am not trying to give a mate free advertising here, i was just impressed with guys customer service, if anyone in melb bayside is after a battery check out

John Kiriakos from

Battery Distribution Services

288 Wickam Rd. Moorabbin

03 9555 8588
0414 444161


very good prices too, and honest advice. I'm spewing i've recently bought 2 new batteries, i could have saved myself $100 if i knew of him earlier.

I've dealt with this guy on a number of occasions and they only thing I can fault him on is being busy!
He takes customer service to a whole new level!