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Sept 17, 2012 6:08:06 GMT
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My lada has a very new alternator on it, the battery light doesn't come on with ignition and it no longer charges the battery. It was intermittent for a day and now isnt charging at all. I've read about possible dodgy voltage regulators? I readily admit that I am not the best auto electrician in the world (or even in my road) any one got any ideas? Looks to have some rubbish wiring going to and from the alt and the batt negetive has been extended to the cab with a kill switch in it. I've disconnected and reconnected all the fittings but no luck
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Sept 17, 2012 8:26:33 GMT
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Blown bulb?
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R.S. Autotech. Servicing/Repairs/Diagnostics.
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Sept 17, 2012 8:45:32 GMT
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Ok, wiring first - Put the ignition on, and take the small wire on the alternator to ground - the light should illuminate. This rules out the bulb and the cables. If it doesn't, check bulb, check for 12v to one side of the bulb and continuity from the other side to D+ (alternator small wire). If all this checks out and it still won't charge, chances are you do have a dud voltage regulator.
PS, battery isolating "kill" switches are a really good way of destroying voltage regulators - same goes for loose battery terminals.
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,714
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Lada charging problemsDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Sept 17, 2012 9:01:29 GMT
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they're internal reg, so chances are if the alt is new so is the reg. but as SOC says, if its got a killswitch youve been using, it could have fried the new one. don't really know why you need a killswitch anyway, but if you get one of the FIA spec ones, they have some extra wiring setup that stops it frying em.
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Sept 17, 2012 11:16:31 GMT
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Hmmm previous owner says it had a new alternator and a new reg - cant find the reg though at the moment. Thanks for your advice guys, I'll rip the kill switch off as it probably had something I do with why it has a new alt on it in the first place :/
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Sept 17, 2012 15:15:48 GMT
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Should I be concerned that the spade terminal on the alternator has a wire running from it that is soldered into the top of the brake fluid reservoir wiring??!!
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Sept 17, 2012 15:44:18 GMT
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Yes, probably  |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Sept 17, 2012 15:56:20 GMT
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Thought as much! :/ I'm guessing that 'should' be going to the voltage reg? Not the brake fluid reservoir!
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Sept 17, 2012 15:59:08 GMT
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The regulator is internal to the alternator - what you should have is thick cable straight to starter or battery, and thin cable to the charge light on the dash (and nowhere else...). Other side of the charging light goes to ign +.
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Sept 17, 2012 16:05:47 GMT
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Flat battery sir?
Have you checked your brake fluid?
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R.S. Autotech. Servicing/Repairs/Diagnostics.
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chevazon
Posted a lot
1939 Chevrolet 2 door coupe, `67 `Zon estate, `87 Ragtop Cavalier, 4 x 800 Drifters,(!) 1500 Drifter
Posts: 2,259
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Sept 18, 2012 9:15:06 GMT
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Might seem silly but I had a similar problem many moons ago (30 yrs !) with my Lada 1200. I changed the alternator and still it didn`t seem to charge. I discovered that there is a fuse in the ignition system which had blown. I think this fuse was under the dash somewhere.
Good luck.
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Sept 18, 2012 11:06:44 GMT
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As said before, the alternator has a thick gauge wire directly to the battery and a small, usually spade, connector for the charge light. You can think of this charge light as a kickstarter for the alternator, it is connected to the ignition live and the alternator.
If you turn on the ignition, the charge light turns on indicating that the alternator is acting as a ground and a current is running through the bulb and alternator. This current magnetises the alternator and when you start the car, the rotation combined with the magnetisation creates a charge current.
This makes the spade connector on the alternator a +12V post and then the charge light turns off since there is +12v on both connectors.
If you don't trust the charge light wiring, you can "kickstart" the alternator manually by putting a test light between the spade connector and +12v. Start the car, test light turns off, remove test light and check charging voltage, 14.2V-ish is fine. There should be no AC voltage/current.
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