Thread: Alternator and charge light issues

Hi All

I've been slowly losing charge over the last few weeks probably due to an intermittent fault.
Symptoms:
1:Battery light will sometimes flicker faintly without apparent rhyme or reason, then no sign of it for a week or so, and then back it comes. This coincides with lose of charge
2: Alternator is only putting out 12.4V at both idle or half revs. This is disappointing as I replaced it about a year ago.
3: Battery light does not illuminate with ignition on before starting. Bulb appears intact. I couldn't get any indication that there was continuity in the Brown/Yellow (N/Y) wire from the alternator through to the warning light on the dash, but it was flickering during the week.

I've exhausted my electrical problem solving capabilities, so if anyone has any insights I'd be pleased to hear them.
It's a '98 130 (300 tdi)

Thanks in advance.
Cheers
Lafia

At my old work we had UD trucks. One truck had a faulty alternator diagnosed by the auto elects down the road. They gave us a price on genuine and after market. They assured us that the after market one was just as good as the genuine but a fair bit cheaper.
About a 18 months later charge light comes back on so back to auto elecs and once again alternator is knackered. They only gave 12 months warranty but I argued with them that our other 4 trucks are still on original alternators so what's going on. It just happens was the reply. So we struck a deal on price coz I wasn't paying top dollar again and truck was back on the road.
Well bugger me, 6 months later and light came on again. So out of the blue this fella comes into work to order something and on his t-shirt was a logo for a truck mob. I quiz him a bit and he says bring it down so I do. As soon as the lift the cabin the mechanic comes over and says the alternator is knackered. You haven't tested it I said but he just taps his nose in that knowing way.
I go and find the fella who came to work and he said that alternator on our truck will keep failing, they're !@#$.
So we get them to fit another new one and till I left that hadn't failed in 7 years.
So who would of thought that a fairly reputable auto elec was using crappy alternators.
Cheers