Alternator electrical issues, very confused

**toby** · 22nd July 2006, 01:48 PM

Hello,

Borrowing my bros account here.

My 93 SSE is having a few issues. I'll begin from the start.

About two weeks ago the wife rings asking for a tow as it won't start after pulling into the shops on the way home. Quick diagnosis was flat battery, thats odd, the battery is only 6months old. Take it home (being towed by a DISCO (whats worse it was my little brothers)) and repair some frayed looking alternator wires the following morning. I then jump start the car and drive it all day and also at night with absolutely no dramas. The following morning i jump in the car and its flat again, won't start. So i grab another alternator thats lying around stick it in wire it all up, and again with only jump starting the car drive it into town for work. After 30mins of driving and about 1km from work the speedo dies, the orange traction control warning light comes on, and the ABS warning light comes on and it starts to misfire. I make it to a car park get a new battery in it and drive home presumably only on the battery.

This then all gets checked out: the alternator is charging (at least every time i test it), and there is that new battery in it, there doesn't seem to be any major draw from the battery with the car switched off either.

Wife then drives about 15km through the day not noticing any problems. I go to drive it a night (lights on) and the two warning lights come back on with the speedo dies as well, all this intermittently, on for 30sec-1min off for 30sec-1min. Turn around come home.

This car hasn't had any such troubles in the last 2years, My little brother did however change the coil and "fix" some coil wiring about two weeks ago. And just cause its a English built car and it may have some effect I lifted the front by about an 1.5"

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Josh

**PhilipA** · 22nd July 2006, 02:36 PM

Have you actually tried an alternator known to be good?

What was the ignition light doing through all this? Did it come on when you turn the ignition on? Did it go off when the engine started? Did it stay on when the ignition is off?
What about the tacho? Did it work when the engine was going? Did it stop working at any time? Do you mean Tacho when you say speedo?

Regards Philip A

**toby** · 22nd July 2006, 04:53 PM

Yup, I mean the Speedo wasn't working. The tacho was always working with the original alternator. When i installed the second one (10/10 waranty from my brother, ten minutes or ten K what ever comes first) I didn't wire up the two small wires properly so the tacho wasn't working, (but alternator was giving charge through to the battery).

I'll take it for a quick spin now to see what the ignition light is doing, I'll call if i need a tow....

cheers,

Josh

**toby** · 22nd July 2006, 05:10 PM

Back,

Didn't get far, battery was flat again. I jump started it. Ignition light comes on like usual then goes away like usual. the ABS and Traction warning lights come on intermittently not always together. Car stalled in the driveway (battery related), but i don't think its the alternator as the battery charge was definitely higher when revving.

COuld this in anyway be related to the ignition coil? My car is dual fuel if that adds light to anything.

thanks again,

looks like a big saturday night at home!!!!

Josh

**DEFENDERZOOK** · 22nd July 2006, 08:11 PM

where are you testing for charge....?
at the actual battery terminals....?
and what sort of charge are you getting....ie....how many volts is the alternator pumping out.....?

**PhilipA** · 23rd July 2006, 08:31 AM

Well, the first thing I would do is checks the battery connections at both ends and where the cables terminate on the body or at the starter.
It could be as simple as a bad pos or bad earth.
It sounds like the ECU is shutting down from low volts, and this could be the ECU earth also, so check it.
seeing the red light works properly, and the tach works properly, this explanation is more likely than a bad alternator.
Check that the coil has positive to the positive terminal +. I do not think that this could cause the problem, but who knows. The ECU takes a RPM signal from the -of the coil. make sure it is connected. Its in the loom going to the MAF. But I do not think it would run without that.
Regards Philip A

**CraigE** · 23rd July 2006, 09:18 AM

Probablly not the same, but I had simiar with my old Rangie. Alternator charging, battery charging but would come out to find a flat battery. Very little current draw. Turned out to be a relay that had been wired up incorrectly by the previous owner.
I would start with the coil mods you had done.

**PhilipA** · 24th July 2006, 08:35 AM

On reflection, if it is really the issue that the battery is going flat, and not that it APPEARS flat because of no cranking and /or low ECU voltage, then you should place a multimeter across the pos or neg terminal of the battery with everything off to see what current draw there is.
If there is significant EG above say 0.1AMP then you should pull each fuse until you find the circuit with the draw. Then trace the circuit to its end points.
Regards Philip A

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