Marelli alternators ok?

[86mud]

Hi All

I have just ordered a 100amp Marelli alternator for my 300tdi Defender.

Anybody had any problems with these? I have a 12month warranty - but I am hoping it will last more then 12 months!

Cheers
Andrew

[BigJon]

They are the original equipment suppliers. It should be fine for years.

[PhilipA]

Magneto Marelli is the new name for the Prince of Darkness (Lucas) to hide his true identity.
IMHO they are the weakest link in Land Rover products.

If you are talking an old RRC with V belts then a Bosch conversion is the best thing you can do as they are cheap , parts are available anywhere and they are more reliable, except for the regulator which is available anywhere and costs 50 bucks.
Regards Philip A
Once again I didn't read a post thoroughly enough and see 300Tdi Defender. Sorry but I do not know if a Bosch will fit.

[miles]

I agree with Phillip A

My Disco is a 94 model. I replaced the Alternator 3 years ago.
The one I have now is heading the same way.

It does not like working in the cold mornings. So when I start up in the mornings there is no charge until the engine gets warm, then it is ok. In the summer time or on a warm day I don't have this problem.
I am told it is a faulty diode in the alternator and as time goes on it will get worse. Just like the last one.

[PhilipA]

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/106447-bosch-alternator-tdi-300-a-3.html

To make up for my carelessness I found the above for you by searching.
Regards Philip A

[glenn82]

hi sorry to hijack this thread....but is there another option for a 3.9 disco? or do i just have to settle for the marelli? im looking to have a few spares and was about to look at buying 1 of the above for the v8

[Lionel]

Magneto Marelli is the new name for the Prince of Darkness (Lucas) to hide his true identity.


It's a good story, but this is incorrect. :(

Magneti Marelli have never had any connection to Lucas Industries, which In August 1996, merged with the American Varity Corporation to form LucasVarity plc.

Cheers,

Lionel

[PhilipA]

before you contradict someone on a forum you perhaps should do a little research.
It took me all of one minute.
Lucas, Magneti, Marelli agree to formation. - PR Newswire | HighBeam Research: Online Press Releases (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-5215246.html)
Apologies will be accepted
Regards Philip A

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

My original Marelli alternator on my 93 RRC wore out the brushes finally last year. Absolutely no issues with it the whole time I had it apart from I cracked one of the legs after failing to put the crush tube back in once when I took it off to do the PS pump, and even then, it stayed there for a good 5 or so years that way.
The only reason i replaced it rather than repair is that i needed a bigger output.

Cheers

Andrew

[PhilipA]

Well my 92 RRC 65 amp job died at about 85KK when the diodes died.
I was able to get a new board from UK and fitted myself, but I never trusted it from then on.
It seems the Poms never seemed to think that a Vogue would have aircon as they fitted a 65 amp to it but an 80 amp to the Vogue SE, when even a Magna had an 85 amp .
I fitted an 85 amp Bosch and it has gone well although the regulator died after about 100KK and I got new one at Repco Darwin for $50 and 5 minutes work."Have you got a Magna regulator?" "No but I have a Commodore one." "Let me see. That will do." Exactly the same.

Apparently the bearings last forever on Bosch , but the regulator /brush holder dies in some cases. I tried to get a second hand one but the workshop in Jabiru had 6 alternators in good nick but NO regulator/brush holders.
For me one of the big issues is ability to get parts in the bush and I carry the still working but intermittent regulator as a spare, since it only weighs a few ounces.

Regards Philip A

[clubagreenie]

before you contradict someone on a forum you perhaps should do a little research.
It took me all of one minute.
Lucas, Magneti, Marelli agree to formation. - PR Newswire | HighBeam Research: Online Press Releases (http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-5215246.html)
Apologies will be accepted
Regards Philip A

This seems a little harsh, I'll throw a question. Did you read the article? Marelli are taking over lucas, not the other way around. So hopefully Lucas will get better, or atleast not worse. I have had experience with Marelli since the 70's and had a marelli equipment running in vehicles for over 20 years without issues, even a starter that stuck engaged and didn't die even though driven for a few dozen K's. Marelli supply elec gear for F1, LMP and WRC and many more levels of motorsport.

No apology necessary.

[PhilipA]

Well yes It was a bit harsh but you are not the first. Anyone with a lot of experience with Land Rovers knows that the alternator is probably the worst performing part of the earlier RRCs and discos anyway. Funnily enough the starters seem to be quite good.

I know Marelli took over Lucas. That is why they changed the branding to Magneti Marelli. However the alternators are just a progression of Lucas designs up to the 92-93 series anyway.

They are renowned for their poor rating compared to say Bosch.

Every Auto electrician I have spoken to reckons they are rubbish, mainly because they claim that there amp rating is a "cold" rating rather than "hot" so a 65 amp alternator only puts out 65 amps while cold.

Add this to underspeccing by land Rover and adding driving lights and high use of aircon in Australia and it is a recipe for failure. I can remember one hot wet night driving along and watching my voltage fall to about 12.9 over an hour with driving lights , headlights,wipers and aircon on.

The final nail is that the parts are not readily available in Australia and are quite expensive even when imported from UK even if you are willing to wait the time to get them.

Regards Philip A

[Peppercorn]

Funny you should mention driving with Driving Lights, Air Con on etc.

About 15 years ago I was driving from Katherine to Nhulunbuy in Arnhem Land on a dirt road that covered 788km's including 4 Crocodile infested river crossings.
I had driven from Mt Isa that day and planned to have stayed in Katherine for the night. But like an old horse dashing to get home I decided to put the kids in the back to sleep and the Mrs and I took off to do the drive through the night.
I was driving an old 72 model Range Rover V8 and had to run the fan AND the Air Con just to pressurize the car to try and stop the dust from blowing in from the back. As well, I had 2 100 watt Driving Lights on the entire time.
Anyway, around 2am I came over a small hill and headed down to "what I thought" was a small stream. Instead, it was a wide river!
I came down the hill and hit the river at about 90kph. The motor died instantly and everything just stopped and we were overcome with silence!
The kids all woke up and asked, "Where are we Dad?"
"In a river" I said.
I went to restart the motor and all I got was a "click" "click" "click" from a starter motor that was weakly being powered by a very discharged battery.
The water was just up to the height of the bonnet and was slowly seeping into the cabin, of course until I opened the door, then it poured in!
I was tired, and kind of mentally stressed as I had no idea of what I could do to get the car restarted.
It was about then that I realised that I was standing in a Crocodile infested river without a single idea of what I could do to get my car and family out of it!
Then, like a flash from heaven, I remembered seeing an old crank handle that was always just sitting there, clipped to the rear wall of the car just behind the spare tyre and jack.
I opened up the rear hatch and searched around until I could feel the crank handle.
I finally found it resting under all the wet costumes and dirty underwear, which were also wet by this time.
I had no idea if the motor would start with a crank handle, after all, it WAS a V8!
Anyway, I asked my wife to get into the drivers seat with instructions "that IF this thing DOES start, floor it and run over me if necessary, just get this thing to the other side!"
Well, I then tried to put the crank handle into the hole which started in the centre of the front bumper bar. It was really difficult actually!
It was hard because I had to actually hold my breath and put my head under the water just so I could reach the bumper bar with my hand to feel for the hole.
I eventually got the crank handle into the hole and started to crank the V8 engine with this little crank handle under water!
Soon enough, she fired up with a roar and my wife nearly drove over me. Literally!
All that really DID happen, and all because the old Rangie had too small an alternator to run Driving Lights, Fan, and Aircon all at the same time.
But for some reason, only known to the Pommies, it also had a Crank Handle!

[rick130]

[snip]
But for some reason, only known to the Pommies, it also had a Crank Handle!

Of course there was a reason, the same engineer that was made to spec a 45 amp alternator by the bean counters also reasoned it wasn't up to the job so specced a crank handle as well ;)

[PhilipA]

Yeah, I remember my 81 in Saudi. I pulled the noisy bearings out of the Lucas and they were made in wait for it Yugoslavia.

Now Czechoslovakia would be have been OK , because the Czechs do not bounce and they made most of Mr Hitlers tanks at Brno which were very good.
.
BUT I ask you Yugoslavia? Not exactly a great reputation for quality then, but probably the cheapest to put in a bloody luxury priced car.
Regards Philip A

[cockie55]

One advantage of Marelli is I think they stiill make the largest 4 leg alternator (120 amp) that will fit in V8 Disco's & RR's and <$400. I put one in when the OEM toy died over 10 years ago and it is still going strong.

[rick130]

I still have the original 65amp MM alternator on the Defender and while it's had a precautionary bearing change (and the stupid little unsealed needle roller in the back greased multiple times) it's still the original brushes and diode pack.
Current km on the car is 265,000km. The 100amp one is altogether a better alternator than the 65amp, and at least rear bearing is replaceable and sealed.

[edit] I think the MM100 amp version to suit a Tdi is sold as a Denso too.

[2stroke]

I started my old 2 door Rangie with the crank handle when I first took it camping not long after I got it and discovered that it had a bodgy battery isolator. I reckon the v8 started easier with the crank handle than the 2 1/4 S2a I had before it.