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battery light? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Thu, 29 Jan 2004 12:05:25
In Reply to: Alternator 91 9k non turbo, Mark Fischer, Thu, 29 Jan 2004 07:08:44 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Yes, the alternator should provide all the power to keep the car running, and have enough left over to replace the charge the battery lost starting the car. Otherwise, the battery is just dead weight when the car is running.
If you weren't charging the battery, you should have gotten a battery light. However, if you didn't, then the problem is simple-
The battery light serves two purposes - if the alternator isn't charging the battery, it should come on. It also provides a 'start up' current to the alternator. If the battery light circuit is bad, not only will the alternator not charge the battery, you won't get an indication anything is wrong.
The battery light bulb could be burned out, or the wire from the battery light in the dash to the alternator could be bad. My money is on the latter. That wire is thin, usually green or yellow, and goes to a connection on the back of the alternator. It's very common for this wire to corrode and break.
With a charged battery, turn the car ON, but don't start it. You should see the battery light. If not, troubleshoot it. Look at the back of the alternator - you should see the fat red wire from the battery, and the thin wire from the light.
If you do get a battery light, and the alternator isn't charging, then usually changing the voltage regulator does the trick. Usually. The brushes are integral with the VR, so changing the VR gets you new brushes. The other possibility is a bad diode in the alternator. This can be easily detected with an oscilloscope, something most folks don't have on hand, but a decent automotive shop will. Theoretically you can replace a diode pack, but if you've got the alternator out, you might as well replace the whole thing.
posted by 192.249....
, Thu, 29 Jan 2004 12:05:25 <-- Viewing This Message
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