| Author |
Message |
Steve (Steve)
Member
Username: Steve
Post Number: 260
Registered: 2-2001
| | Posted on Friday, January 03, 2003 - 7:54 am: | |
Jay the 1st assessment should be with a volt meter directly on the battery. You should see 13-14 Volts with the engine at idle.If that checks out then you have a problem most likely in the fuse panel.Any contact resistance in this area will cause dimming or even shuting down of lights or raido or etc. I kind of think you will find your problem in the ALT. So if the regulator is shot have the alt rebuilt and ask them to bump it up to the higest amp capability they can do.Remember its a Bosch unit and other than the pully it has been used on many of foreign cars. Should cost between $75-$150. |
jeff ryerson (Atheyg)
Junior Member
Username: Atheyg
Post Number: 134
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 7:57 pm: | |
Alternators usually work or they dont, turning your radio on shouldn't make a difference unless you are just running off the battery and its almost dead
If you are just running off the battery and the alternator has quit it will run for a day or so or if at night a few hours then the car will totally die from the dead battery
Check with a voltmeter at your battery with the car running you should see at least 13 volts any less your system is not charging
You may have a short somewhere in your wiring also
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Mark (Markg)
Member
Username: Markg
Post Number: 354
Registered: 2-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 9:21 am: | |
My 308 is in the shop for exact same problem - voltage regulator. (check yout battery electolite level - mine would burm off in less than 5 miles!)
I had already disconnected every connection I could get to, cleaned and Stabilant-22'd them-including removing and Stabilant'ng all relays and fusus (made dash lights brighter and windows quicker). Also removed and cleaned all ground straps. But in the end it was a regulator issue..but Verell is right, take a day and check/clean all connectors, fuses, relays etc. |
Verell Boaen (Verell)
Member
Username: Verell
Post Number: 472
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 7:33 am: | |
Most radios don't usually draw anywhere near enough to put a significant load on the alternator. (Exceptions are ones with high-power amplifiers.) I'd expect turning the headlights on to kill it also, as they're a much heavier load.
More likely your wiring panel has the infamous F* connection corrosion & the extra draw from the radio is just enough to cause a relay to drop out.
Search the archives, there are several good threads on dealing with wiring panel corrosion.
With any electrical problem, the 1st thing is to make some voltmeter checks to see exactly what's happening. I'd start by observing the battery terminal voltage while turning various things on & off. Then watch the voltage on the wiring panel while doing the same. Another spot to check the voltage is the power to the ECUs.
You can get an inexpensive digital voltmeter from Radio Shack for $15 or so if you don't already have one. |
Jay S. Morris (J_saber)
New member
Username: J_saber
Post Number: 15
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 12:52 am: | |
I think I may have an alternator problem. When I start my Mondial the lights are dim until get the rpms up. Sometimes they dim again when I am at ide and sometimes they don't. The dim at idle more when my interior dash illumination lights a turned on/up. When I use my radio the car sometimes dies all together. The car only seems to die with the radio on/or the radio face in place. I was thinking maybe the radio was installed incorrectly and/or the alternator needed replacment. What are the normal or classic signs of alternator trouble? |