Burning smell, smoke....alternator

**Dagilmo** · 24th May 2018, 03:06 PM

Hi All,

Arrived at work today and could smell something not right. Hoped it was from someone else's car (funnily, colleague following me in his old Jag, was having same thoughts) but inspection upon parking, uncovered smoke coming from the alternator area (couldn't see it well enough to see smoke emanating from the alternator). Call to Kevan at Rovertech and R/S alternator diagnosis given. Tilt tray (photo on truck sent to LC200 owning brother as we were talking alternators last weekend. Apparently the 200 alternator is susceptible to water damage and a sealed water cooled unit is the fix, all be it, an expensive one) and off to Rovertech for a new one (hopefully this is all). Would have had a crack at changing it myself. However, I have the transmission service and regular oil and filters service to do this weekend. And I'm half way through a refurbishment of our camper trailer.....All needed to be finished before end June for school holidays trip north. So just no time.

I've read about alternator failures on here, but usually it seems like they stop charging and result in battery failure also. Has anyone had a smoking/burnt alternator failure?

Tombie · 24th May 2018, 03:43 PM

You’re lucky it didn’t burn!

**justinc** · 24th May 2018, 04:51 PM

About 80% of the ones we replace are losing smoke when we get to them... 'orrible stench 🤢

**Dagilmo** · 24th May 2018, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Tombie

You’re lucky it didn’t burn!

Agreed. Lucky it was on the 15 minute run up the freeway to work and not on the way to somewhere further. I checked it a few times and it was smoking for about 30 mins. Who knows what it would have been like after three hours of driving....

Repair update: Alternator replaced this arvo. Cooked the less than 12 month old battery

. But back on the road.

**Dagilmo** · 24th May 2018, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by justinc

About 80% of the ones we replace are losing smoke when we get to them... 'orrible stench 🤢

Yes, horrible, stunk out the work under cover car park. A sort of plastic, electrical combo.....

**101RRS** · 24th May 2018, 11:06 PM

With the smell you should have had heaps of lights going on and off on the dash with the battery light on - and the car doing weird stuff as well.

**Dagilmo** · 25th May 2018, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by garrycol

With the smell you should have had heaps of lights going on and off on the dash with the battery light on - and the car doing weird stuff as well.

Nope. Car was running perfectly. Even started and drove out of carpark and onto road for pick up.

**Geedublya** · 25th May 2018, 10:48 AM

The smoke was from the battery supplying current back through the shorted regulator/rectifier. The battery is dead as it discharged completely.
My D3 did the same, no lights or warnings. Stopped to get some lunch smelt a strange smell. Went for lunch thought about the smell and came back to the car after a couple of minutes. Battery completely dead.

**Bigbjorn** · 25th May 2018, 11:10 AM

You should regularly check electrickery gadgets for smoke leaks. Let too much smoke out and they rarely work again. Land Rovers and British motor cycles are well known for both smoke and oil leaks.

**Pinelli** · 26th May 2018, 10:06 PM

I recently had an alternator lose some smoke in the driveway at home, with lots of bells and whistles both before and after. Disco still ran. Throwing the voltmeter on the battery it showed about 18V while the engine was running. That will cook your battery if driven for a period of time.

I was able to change out just the regulator in the alternator. Not much more work than replacing the whole alternator, but took a bit for the regulator to arrive from the states. Couldn't find one locally. This may or may not work for others.

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