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So went to start up the old Patrol and had a veritable christmas tree greet me. You can see the engine is running, but battery voltage is 11.8v (fricken cold at the mo) and usually the only dash light I would expect to see lit up is the hand brake one.
What do the experts think? Failed alternator.....or mice:omg:
we have lots of mice. I keep bait in all the trucks. Little bastards get into everything.
Attachment 253514
Climate change.
Is your vehicle triple-vaxed as a minimum?
Bulbs in the dash playing up. Just remove the annoying things
shoulda bought a land rover
Then nothing would work
I was just contributing to the useful advice already given
With the engine running put a voltmeter on the battery terminals. If the alternator is good, you should have voltage of somewhere between 13 - 14.5 volts.
Already have one of those: leaf suspension, armstrong steering, duals an a 6.5 gmc diesel powered Landy. Not much stops it......:oQuote:
Originally Posted by Brad S
Yeah, 11.8 volts. Just bled the diesel filter, light still doesn't go out. Overdrive orange light has gone out cause it was already on:XD: So just left with battery and A/T overtemp.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducksnchips
Brushes sticking in the alternator due to mud or moisture? Give it a few (gentle) taps to try free them.
Otherwise, Volt reg on the fritz or worn brushes
That sounds like the alternator or wiring from the alternator are bad. A 12 volt battery is flat at 11.8 volts.
before anything else check battery terminals for corrosion and get the battery load tested.
Faulty alternator dying when the dash lights start dancing,speedo and rev counter fade away.
Use a bigger generator.Attachment 253517
If it was a manual I'd suggest what I had to do with mine when the batteries (24v) went on the fritz... Reverse park on a gentle incline, and hope the cardan shaft brake holds and it's still there when you get back. Of course, every time I did that the batteries were still good when I got back and it was only when you had no option but park on the flat that they would be dead in 5 mins...
Basic checks you report would indicate that the alt is not playing the game, but on these the earthing setup is a common culprit as well as a buggered battery. Swapping the battery out for a known good one and seeing what happens to the warning lights is a start (I'd suspect they would go out) and then rechecking the alt. It's the right time of year for all of these to end up dead though.
Has it got a fan belt on it
Hey! I resemble that remark:D
Got some things to think about. Will check in, in a few days and report back. Need to go and borrow @HuntBeta' s battery load tester and start at the bottom.
Could buy a second hand hilux or ranger and then have the fun of replacing and recoding entire computer modules... Look on the bright side!
Seen it catch folks out before..check belts are tight so not slipping.
First rule of auto electrics is only test with a known fully charged battery. As already stated 11.8 volts is a flat battery for a start, May light up bulbs but won’t carry a load.
usually brushes worn out.
Mine didn't, Got out to check the heat tracing on the emulsion tank after a thunderstorm, turned around and it was gone.Quote:
Originally Posted by No.3
mud in the cable, handbrake pulled up tight but no brake.
It was nice being ignorant about the Cardan shaft type brakes before I learned how unreliable they can be. Just pulling the lever up, getting out and walking away with full faith that it will still be there when you get back!
That's what the gearbox is for: from my days driving old bedford hay trucks as a teen, the parking brake was always a nice to have. I have never relied on a handbrake on steep country. Vehicle is always left in gear/park whatever
And we were taught to turn the front wheels towards the kerb,bank etc.
Update: Replacement alternator turned up today. Has been used as a basketball by the various couriers during its journey all the way from NSW. All wrapped up neatly in a brown paper bag with foam on two sides of a six sided bag (started life as a cardboard box, but after the courier fun its now a bag:omg:
But amazingly it works fine. The old one looks like the stator has got quite hot at some stage. At $400 new I can see why people do not get them rebuilt these days, what with labour rates sky high. I may pull it to pieces at some stage to have a closer look. But bottom line its working, so all good.
electricians black tape small square over the annoying light gone no more problemQuote:
Originally Posted by XR500
if its not badly fuked they arent to bad to reco
I'll add it to the 'to do ' list:D
My local auto Sparkie gave my alternator an overhaul after it died 4wding. Pulled apart and cleaned and checked and replaced brushes for $80 all up. Don’t need bearings or stator tho but could be worth asking the question, price might surprise you and you’ll have a good spare.
Good ol Dannevirke prices:thumbsup:
Have to take an AES with you to restart your heart if you ask for a quote from most places in Taupo.:XD:
Send it up to me Simon. Ive got a fantastic auto sparky girl up here who seems to be able to fix anything for a good price.
Gives free advice too. bloody great, I dont go anywhere else.
Old fashioned service is still king.
@tac a1, Cheers, that would be great. Always good to have a spare, running two GU's now:thumbsup:
Update: The supposed brand new 110amp 12 volt alternator supplied for my Patrol by the Nelson bays based TradeMe shop has just died. 3 months work and its dead. Pumps out 25 odd amps at high idle but only at 11.7 volts:XD:
For the electrical geniuses out there, could there be something electrically wrong with the Patrol that's chewing up alternators???? Its a bog standard truck. No mods.
Of course the other Patrol with 535,000km on it hasn't put a foot wrong in 8 years:ORLY:
Tried a different/new battery? Assuming that it won't be that - but worth an ask...
If it isn't the battery, then a possibility that a connection somewhere is rather crusty and not doing what it should - but if the thing was working as it said on the label when it was installed then the most likely situation is the voltage regulator in the alternator is not doing the job anymore. Should be around 13.8-14.2v at charge, 25A seems about within the ballpark assuming your high idle is around 1050-1100rpm?
I don't know what type of alt you got fitted, a voltage regulator should be good for longer than a few months but I guess they do die for time to time.
Can you check what voltage the unit is supplying at high RPM? Any possibility of belt slip or something odd like that, again that for me is an unlikely cause but it would pay to eliminate the mechanical faults before blaming the alt...
My new alternator was put in 2016.Done about 130000ks.Hasnit missed a volt.Tdi4.2.=603000ks.Hmm something a miss in yr wiring,regulators,fuses,some gezmo.Hope you get it sorted XR500.Mine start charging at about 750 rpm.
Alternator brand Mitsubishi,but it works.
