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I've just been out in my car (at night, with the lights on) and the battery light came on. Now it won't go out, so it stays on after the rest of the lights go out when you start the car. It doesn't go out if you boot it either (thinking it could be alternator related) When it came on, i pulled over and checked the battery connections and they were fine. Nothing else seemed to happen when it did come on - the lights stayed on etc. I got home, turned the car off and restarted it. It started fine, but as i said, the light's on
What is this likely to be? The battery doesn't look that old, and i've had no trouble with it running flat, but could it need a new one? Or is it something like the alternator (please no!)
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Pretty sure it will be alternator from the sound of it.
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My battery Light's OnDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Alternator I'd guess... Is the belt OK? Get it tested if you're not sure - Halfords wanted nearly £300 for a new alternator for my Golf when it went. I had the original reconditioned/rebuilt by a local firm for £40  |
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great
so will i be alright driving it, until i can get it looked at? what is it likely to be - the brushes, or just a knackered alternator (sorry if this sounds obvious, but i don't know much about electrical side of things). would this be a big labour bill
yeah, the belt should be ok, it was changed last year
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Last Edit: Oct 4, 2005 22:24:37 GMT by Twincam
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SteB
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,408
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My polo did a little trick like this when the regulator on the alternator died. But the light only came on when it was getting booted. And the cabin stunk of chlorine from it over charging!
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You can drive it for a while, but if the alternators fooked, it'll die when the battery runs out of juice.
No alternator -> no recharging of battery while you drive -> flat battery sooner or later.
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1972 Fiat 130 1985 Talbot Alpine 1974 Lancia Beta Saloon 1975 + 1986 Mazda 929 Koop + Wagon 1982 Fiat Argenta 2.0 iniezione elettronica 1977 Toyota Carina TA14 BEST CAR EVER!!!!!!!! 1979 Datsun B310 Sunny 4-dr 1984 Audi 200 Quattro Turbo 1983 Honda Accord 1.6 DX GONE1989 Alfa 75 2.0 TS Mr T says: TREAT YO MOTHER RIGHT! |
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My battery Light's OnDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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One problem I had with the Golf was that the little "starter" wire (I don't really know how these things work  ) was broken. If you started it up the red light would stay on, but if you wiggled the little wire it'd go out and be fine for the rest of the journey. On the Golf, it's a single thin wire that connects to the alternator, seperate from the main wiring loom plug... Don't know if that's any help? |
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Davenger
Club Retro Rides Member
It's only metal
Posts: 7,272
Club RR Member Number: 140
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My battery Light's OnDavenger
@dminifreak
Club Retro Rides Member 140
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Do the lights get any brighter when you boot it?
If they do, I'd suspect the battery
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ImpManiac
Part of things
Imps... Imps... Imps...
Posts: 868
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Twincam, it sounds like your alternator has gone west. Alternator function depends, as DarrenW says, on an "excitation" current from the battery! This sounds strange, but the alternator has field coils that need this current in order to create magnetic flux to generate electric current. At start up, the excitation current comes from the battery. Also, as an alternator generates AC, a rectifier array in the form of a diode block is needed to convert AC to DC. These can and do fail as they age or are given excessive punishment. They can fail when the alternator sees an open circuit - i.e. no load is connected. That is why you should never allow an alternator to turn without being connected to an electrical load. You should check all the electrical connections to the alternator. If there is a poor connection to the battery or a poor earth, then the alternator will see no or very little load and a replacement or recon. unit may get damaged again! If there is no excitation current, it won't work whatever you do! If a new replacement is so expensive, either plump for refurbishment (there are places that can do this - there is one in Borehamwood in Herts.) or a secondhand one from a breaker's yard. HTH I'm  |
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Last Edit: Oct 5, 2005 9:42:59 GMT by ImpManiac
1966 Singer Chamois sprint/hillclimb car in white over blue two tone
1975 Triumph Stag long term project (over 20 years so far) in colour TBA
2003 Vauxhall Vectra GSi 3.2 in black sapphire
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aye, you'll not get far without it,
in my old golf i did about 30 miles
and then i was stranded...harumph !
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jabbo
Posted a lot
soy un perdedor
Posts: 1,151
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I had a similar problem to this a little while back. The light was on constantly no matter what. After a bit of head scratching I traced it to being a wire which had came off one of the regulator terminals, and was resting against the metal bodywork.
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My battery Light's OnDarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Twincam - you're in Warrington aren't you? If you want the alternator looking at, and can't find anywhere local, I can dig the name of the place in Widnes out that refurbished mine.
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cheers everyone. it was the alternator - it was producing no charge whatsoever  did quite well with it gone though - got to salford and back today - must have been about 40 miles. DarrenW - thanks, but i've found a place in warrington that's fitting a recon one as i write, because i need the car for tomorrow. £112 all in, so not too bad (or not as bad as i was expecting!) |
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) was broken. If you started it up the red light would stay on, but if you wiggled the little wire it'd go out and be fine for the rest of the journey. On the Golf, it's a single thin wire that connects to the alternator, seperate from the main wiring loom plug... Don't know if that's any help?
did quite well with it gone though - got to salford and back today - must have been about 40 miles.