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Re: Charging
Posted by jfrancis (more from jfrancis) on Fri, 12 Jan 2001 14:30:34
In Reply to: , Kok Chen, Sat, 17 Dec 1988 12:00:00 

>Sally saab (86 900s) stranded our family yesterday. The brake fluid light
>came on when I started the car in the parking lot (even though I'm not low)
>and then the car died 15 min of driving later. (headlights, AC, heater,
>defroster all on) The starter made little whirring noises, but no real
>turning, head lights were dimmish.

Kai-ming, my 87 900S gave me some interesting problems along these lines.
For two years it just wouldn't put out the juice, charging usually at only
12.5 or 13 volts, dropping below 12 with a big load.  If I ran the AC at
night with the headlights on, the engine would eventually die due to lack of
electricity.  I replaced the brushes with no change in performance.  It
turned out to be a bad alternator.  I got a used one from an '88 in a
junkyard for around $40.00, I think, and it has worked great ever since.  It
puts out a steady 14 volts no matter the load.  

The interesting part is that not once in all of my charging problems did my
alternator light come on!  It came on and went off as normal each time I
started the car.  Apparently it won't come on as long as the alternator is
putting out some current, as perhaps yours was.  

You can check the brushes; they'll come out easily with the alternator still
in the car.  If there is less than 5mm of brush showing, it's time for
replacement.  Of course, that may or may not solve your problem, and new
brushes are surprisingly expensive!  ($50.00 sticks in my mind, although I
may be wrong)  Your other alternative would seem to be to pull the
alternator and have it load tested.  

This is a silly question, I know, but you HAVE checked the tightness of the
belts, haven't you?

John Francis
1987 900s
160,000

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