Is it Just my Alternator that has packed in?
As I was driving home tonight (about 100 miles) my battery light came on a few miles from home, it was not very bright about 50% of what it is when the engine is not running. I stoped to see if the belt had fell off but it is still ok, when I started up again the battery light was no longer lit, when i got home I turned off the engine and turned the key to the red light position but None of the warning lights came on, but the car started up when I turned the key. Do I need a new Alternator or are there likley to be more issues? There has not been any problems before now.
Answers:
It could be the battery. Check the level of power on your battery. If it is old, you just may want to replace it. If it's not the battery, it is likely the alternator.
sounds like the alternator. you need to watch your volts gage.
Yup when an alternator goes bad it usually happens gradually. The good news, you still have time. If the light comes on again and doesnt go off on its own, get a hard metal object of a good weight and smack the alternator with it, not really really hard but a good whack. This resets the brushes and buys you some more time. You can do this a number of times but each time will be shorter before the light comes on again.
i own a repair shop,and it might have been a temporary power drain on it,,id wait and see if it did it again before i started spending money on it,,my truck did it this morning and then went off and both the alternator and battery are new,and then it went out,so i knew it was just a temporary drain on it,,if it does it again id have it checked out real good before it gets too cold,but it may be OK,good luck i hope this help,s.
first thing to check:check battery lead connections are clean and secure
second thing to check:check wiring connections at alternator are clean and secure and no signs of burning or breakage or other damage
third thing to check:if you know where they are,remove engine and gearbox earth straps,clean up,and clean up part of vehicle where they bolt to,so it is free from rust etc.
if this does not cure fault,then it could well be alternator worn,or wiring loom fault.but third check to do is a common fault on this age of vauxhall.
prob just a diode ,go to auto electric shop and explain
theres your problem, its hardly been used..which is rare.in the back of the alternator is a armamture, behind the black plastic part are two carbon brushes. they need to slide in teh carriers.. spray some WD40 down there. hopefully that should free them off.
or you may need new ones..they cost around a quid.
Take it to autozone or a store of your choice and have them do a charging system check for you, usually free, before you start throwing money at the car.
are you sure it aint done 132000 miles
This may have nothing to do with it, and it certainly isn't directly related to the charging circuit, but some Cavaliers had a weakness in the ignition switch. It was fairly easy to spot as the terminals and contacts on the switch-body itself would be loose/burned. I've seen some very strange effects of this on more than a few Cavs, and it has to be worth a check.
I don't think it is a problem with the alternator or the battery. If your alternator had stopped charging your battery then the car would not start. The fact that the warning lights, which require very little current to illuminate, don't come on where as the car starts, which requires a massive current, tells me that your battery and alternator are fine. The first sign of a dying battery is that the engine will not turn over on the starter, or turns slowly. A failing alternator will cause the battery warning light to come on when driving but once the engine is stopped the car will struggle to start. It would certainly not affect the dash warning lights but not the starter.
It sounds to me like you have an electrical problem related to the dash display and other ancilliary electrical items such as the rear window heater.
I think a visit to an auto electrician is in order.
Get a clip on ammeter and put it round one of the leads to the battery. It will show whether the alternator is producing power - or not!
Roy S
Phish is correct ignition switches were a problem on cavs Also check your fuse box the terminals going to the box corrode causing the fuse holders to burn out.Its usually around fuse 13 that causes the problem.If ign switch is faulty a slight smell of burning will occur if you remove the screws over the plastic cover you can usually see scorch Marks on switch.
maybe its your belt slipping but u would hear a screeching sound if this were the case.anyway when your car is started turn on your lights rev the engine if the lights get brighter this usually means your alternators on its way out.ps try this at night
it could be the voltage regulator that can cause a similar problem
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