Thread: Smoke coming out of engine bay when stopped @ lights....

Fan/accessory belt on a frozen bearing/idler?

Thanks for the Reply,
I pulled the fan off and it felt normal so i removed the belt and found the ACE pump was firm to turn not sure if its normal? The rest of the pulleys seemed fine.

I refitted them all and took it for a dive as the smoke starts when hot.

When it started it really smelt like electrical so I left it idling and the smoke was coming from the Passengers side near the bottom of the fan. I stopped the fan from spinning and sure enough it was coming from the alternator area so I check the volts and it was reading 12.2 @ idle. I let it cool down and rechecked and it was 13.2 so i i would say the Alternator is Stuffed.

I had no lights come on only when i drove it home and then had to restart it to move it i got a chime before it cranked.

I also had a flat battery yesterday which points to the alternator also being the issue.

Now to another question where is the best place to get an alternator? I have herd there are aftermarket ones but with a vacuum pump and oil system etc on it would better to go the genuine for long term.

Cheers
Rhys

There's a recent dragged up thread of an alt for sale, a P38 150amp. There's a ref for somewhere in the states to get them cheap rather than get ripped here for even a rebuild. Even a std D2 one is cheap on ebay, eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d

I had something similar,followed by battery lacking power,M&S lights on,limp mode etc.
Meter check showed alternator putting out about 13.2 V at the battery a bit low!!!
Turns out it was the alternator connection to motor.Loose enough to cause a high resistance and heat up the lead enough to smoke.
The lead is under the acoustic cover right hand side towards the front.remove cover and trace up the lead to the block.If it is loose and burnt looking that could be your problem.
If so disconnect lead and clean well and refit.
I think the issue was the voltage seemed,well ,sort of reasonable but bugger all current was getting to the battery,so big problems.

Trev

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

There's a recent dragged up thread of an alt for sale, a P38 150amp. There's a ref for somewhere in the states to get them cheap rather than get ripped here for even a rebuild. Even a std D2 one is cheap on ebay, eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d

The V8 alternator is totally different to that on a TD5.

Not sure how long you can wait but you can order complete Alt from UK (Island 4x4 or Paddock Spares) Britpart 125.00 pounds or Denso 208.00 pounds. I have purchased items from both suppliers without fault and freight is usually very reasonable from UK.

Cheers

Dave

Great info guys the plan is to check all the main cables and earths etc first while approaching the removal of the Alternator. I would most likely try and find someone local that could run a test on it first before i purchased an alternative.

I also checked the injector loom and there is signs of oil so ill fix that while im there.

The Alternator listed looks different to the RAVE cd description as their is an oil pipe on the front from the look of the image on the CD.

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

There's a recent dragged up thread of an alt for sale, a P38 150amp. There's a ref for somewhere in the states to get them cheap rather than get ripped here for even a rebuild. Even a std D2 one is cheap on ebay, eBay Australia: Buy new & used fashion, electronics & home d

Hay Trev i hope your right as its works then doesn't even if the reg is changeable it should be cheaper than a replacement.

Originally Posted by trev

I had something similar,followed by battery lacking power,M&S lights on,limp mode etc.
Meter check showed alternator putting out about 13.2 V at the battery a bit low!!!
Turns out it was the alternator connection to motor.Loose enough to cause a high resistance and heat up the lead enough to smoke.
The lead is under the acoustic cover right hand side towards the front.remove cover and trace up the lead to the block.If it is loose and burnt looking that could be your problem.
If so disconnect lead and clean well and refit.
I think the issue was the voltage seemed,well ,sort of reasonable but bugger all current was getting to the battery,so big problems.

Trev

Hay Dave thanks for the recommendations i would not know where to start looking or who to trust when it comes to UK Rover suppliers.

Originally Posted by davrac

Not sure how long you can wait but you can order complete Alt from UK (Island 4x4 or Paddock Spares) Britpart 125.00 pounds or Denso 208.00 pounds. I have purchased items from both suppliers without fault and freight is usually very reasonable from UK.

Cheers

Dave

Cheers
Rhys

Just wanted to update what was going on.

I traced all the wiring and all seemed to be connected and tight. Using the RAVE instructions i was able to remove the alternator with out any major issues apart from not having a Torx 50 in my tool set @ home.

I dismantled it and cleaned it all up and went to the local auto electrician to have the components tested. Straight away they noticed the stator windings where cracked due to excessive heat and one was white rather than red. As i had it in bits they couldn't test it correctly but from the symptom its most likely the cause.

They did run tests on the other components and they all tested fine. The brushes where almost gone and would have disappeared in the next few kms so im glad i went almost straight to alternator.

Now to the repair, as its pretty much impossible to buy parts im relying on there pile of alternators to hopefully show one up with a good stator. Luckily the local Rover specialist also uses them so my chances are better. Hopefully they find one tomorrow.

Cheers
Rhys