james christie Posted July 7 Report Posted July 7 (edited) Can somebody point me in the right direction, please? Went out yesterday and today and the ammeter from time to time shows 15amp charge but then flicks back to 0. Then it goes back up to 15amps - sometimes a little over. Do I have a problem with the diodes ? - the same Lucas GEU2206M (Lucas Part No A115/45A/14V, replacing LRA100) 45amp alternator and its protective shield from the exhaust has been in service for many years without an incident. I have also had some squealing, initially I thought from the water pump, which I have changed together with the fan belt, but the noise came back this afternoon. Another problem is that the overdrive relay (Bosch 30amp) has become irregular in action. Any helpful comments? I should add that it is around 37/38C here at the moment and TRing is not a lot of fun! james Edited July 7 by james christie Quote
RobH Posted July 7 Report Posted July 7 If the current reading flicks about it might just be a bad connection James. Diodes which go bad tend to stay bad. As a first step you should check all the connections between the alternator and the battery, including those on the ammeter. When the current drops to zero, does the ignition lamp come on? After starting do you still get the large charge current which drops slowly towards zero? The squealing may be the fan belt but since you have checked that and changed the water pump it might be a bearing in the alternator. As for the OD relay - that is easy and relatively cheap to change. Quote
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted July 7 Report Posted July 7 Agreed with Rob on that. i had similar issues and it was a bad connection where the 3 big wires come together at the old regulator box. Cleaned and re connected. Job’s been a good’n for 5 years now. The spare alternator purchased in haste remains in its box. For Ron. Later-on. Unless my brother needs one. Quote
james christie Posted July 7 Author Report Posted July 7 19 minutes ago, RobH said: When the current drops to zero, does the ignition lamp come on? After starting do you still get the large charge current which drops slowly towards zero? Thanks RobH for the quick reply! No , no ignition light Yes large charge current initially then drops to zero but can go back up to 15 I'll have a good rummage in the morning and look for a loose connection As for the Bosch relays, like many of their kind, they don't seem to last long!! james Quote
james christie Posted July 8 Author Report Posted July 8 So in the heat of the day in my air cooled garage at 26C but 37C outside, I checked through the wiring loom from alternator to ammeter and haven't found anything awry. However, I'm going to change out that OD relay tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks for the pointers james Quote
Trev Good Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 Just a thought! Is the overdrive not engaging when the ameter shows zero and okay with charge, if so, I would look to the faulty connection or a battery cell that is faulty, as perhaps there isn't enough electrical energy to throw the overdrive in? Quote
james christie Posted July 9 Author Report Posted July 9 No road test as it's too hot outside (37°!) and my 3A doesn't have ac. But I have changed out the OD relay and it would seem to have sorted out that problem Further report when I can road test. james Quote
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted July 9 Report Posted July 9 Sounds like you might have it on the run. As an aside. The temp in my garage was at 31° I changed the coolant in my car this week imagining it to be a simple undo two plugs, drain into trays then refit plugs and refill. I struggled to undo the radiator tap and got very sweaty, the block plug refused to seal. That 1/2 hour quick job just doubled in time taken. The hard job I had also chosen to do, of renewing a flexible fuel pipe with R 9 hose was a 5 minute off then back on task. I had expected that to be the fight. Squeezing to Corbin clips open was the only minor challenge to allow the hoses to slip off the rigid pipes. I even got out the rigid Oetiker clips and pliers just in case I couldn’t get the sprung Corbin clips back in place securely. All done now and running without leaks. I showered and sat in the shade after that. Quote
Waldi Posted Thursday at 08:10 PM Report Posted Thursday at 08:10 PM (edited) James, Maybe the carbon brushes are worn or sticking. Worth checking. Waldi Edited Thursday at 08:10 PM by Waldi typo Quote
james christie Posted Thursday at 08:16 PM Author Report Posted Thursday at 08:16 PM I'll try and road test tomorrow, Waldi, and report back. But 40° is forecast tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday......... james Quote
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