Battery discharging after going through deep water

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brillo21

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56
Location
Kent
Hi All

This car seems to constantly cause me issues, so after fixing my previous problem with the HP fuel pump, I took the Freelander 1 TD4 out on a test run and from a clear sky got caught in a rain storm (very deep water) the car started to misfire the wipers slowed down the lights dimmed the heater blower stopped working and the dash lights all lit up hill decent and everything speedo dropped to zero and tachometer swung from one side to the other and barely got the car home.

Now it has dried out it will start with the battery charged but I assume there is no output from the alternator as with a meter across the battery it starts at 12.8v and starts discharging immediately the engine is running, the strange thing is that the charging light on the dash lights before the car is started and goes out with the engine running but battery continues to discharge, it discharges even more quickly if load is increased IE: (Lights/heater/radio switched on).

Could it be that the deep water I ended up driving through could have wrecked the alternator or is there a fusible link somewhere that could be replaced.
 
There is a fusible link, there are a couple. However it's not unheard of for a alternator to die if submerged in water. They're not designed to be dunked, so yes bad things can happen to them, especially if they're old.
 
brillo21 said:
Hi All

This car seems to constantly cause me issues, so after fixing my previous problem with the HP fuel pump, I took the Freelander 1 TD4 out on a test run and from a clear sky got caught in a rain storm (very deep water) the car started to misfire the wipers slowed down the lights dimmed the heater blower stopped working and the dash lights all lit up hill decent and everything speedo dropped to zero and tachometer swung from one side to the other and barely got the car home.

Now it has dried out it will start with the battery charged but I assume there is no output from the alternator as with a meter across the battery it starts at 12.8v and starts discharging immediately the engine is running, the strange thing is that the charging light on the dash lights before the car is started and goes out with the engine running but battery continues to discharge, it discharges even more quickly if load is increased IE: (Lights/heater/radio switched on).

Could it be that the deep water I ended up driving through could have wrecked the alternator or is there a fusible link somewhere that could be replaced.
Click to expand...

How deep ? Above axel height ?
 
That must have been pretty deep, should have reversed out.
I know we all like a bit of splashing through water but it asking for trouble really, especially on a modern car. In general the new the car the more expensive it will be to fix it.
Lest us know how you get on.
 
It was water on a dual carriageway not through a deep puddle, the heavens opened and suddenly I was going through water 2-3 inches deep with horrendous spray from the lorry in front of me, it was so sudden and traveling at 50 - 60 mph it was like driving into a waterfall.

How would I check that the alternator is getting the 12v to energise and where are the fusible links so I can check they are still in tact. If I put a meter across the thick wire on the back of the alternator and the alternator body, should I get 12v with the engine running ?
 
Engine off, ignition on check the charge light is on the dash, then check the alternator is getting 12v
Check between where the thick wire comes from the alternator, to the alternator body, you should get at least 14.5v with the engine running
 
brillo21 said:
It was water on a dual carriageway not through a deep puddle, the heavens opened and suddenly I was going through water 2-3 inches deep with horrendous spray from the lorry in front of me, it was so sudden and traveling at 50 - 60 mph it was like driving into a waterfall.

How would I check that the alternator is getting the 12v to energise and where are the fusible links so I can check they are still in tact. If I put a meter across the thick wire on the back of the alternator and the alternator body, should I get 12v with the engine running ?
Click to expand...
with a test meter you should see 12volts on the heavy wire to the output terminal on the alternator with the engine stopped and 14.4 volts with the engine running, if there is voltage present then presumably the fusible links are intact. To change the alternator if I remember the a/c pump has to be moved and the fixing bolts will probably not be easy to move
 
brillo21 said:
It was water on a dual carriageway not through a deep puddle, the heavens opened and suddenly I was going through water 2-3 inches deep with horrendous spray from the lorry in front of me, it was so sudden and traveling at 50 - 60 mph it was like driving into a waterfall.

How would I check that the alternator is getting the 12v to energise and where are the fusible links so I can check they are still in tact. If I put a meter across the thick wire on the back of the alternator and the alternator body, should I get 12v with the engine running ?
Click to expand...
Travelling at speed through water can force it everywhere, but I suspect in this case its more likely that spray from vehicle in front has got through the grille and been drawn through the alternator with the cooling air.

To test the circuit, you'll need to measure the voltage at the large terminal, which should be battery voltage with the engine off, and about 14.4 with the engine running. If the engine off voltage is very low, you'll need to check the fusible links, which are in the engine bay fuse box.

From memory, the alternator is controlled by the ECM, so checking it's being told to make power isn't easy, but the control signal is also very reliable and environmentally sealed, so weather can't get to it.
 
Just to chime in. If you are running the engine and battery voltage is dropping rapidly and more so when increasing idling then you could have dropped a diode or two in your alternator. Diode prevent current from returning to the alternator when charging the battery as the battery will ‘lose’ the tussle of ‘Powertrons’..

You would need to test the resistance of the alternator using a DVM..

 
You can test for AC current at the battery too. There will always be a small amount of mV showing,i think the normal amount is up to around 200mV
 
Anaconda said:
That must have been pretty deep, should have reversed out.
I know we all like a bit of splashing through water but it asking for trouble really, especially on a modern car. In general the new the car the more expensive it will be to fix it.
Lest us know how you get on.
Click to expand...
Quote myself with an apology as it sounded like you had driven through a ford or flooded road.
Sounds more like bad luck than silliness then.
 
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