Glenbob

Member
Hi,
This is my first posting. Have read with great pleasure, and some success, on solutions you folks have for P38 probs, there are some very clever guys out there. But this one has me stumped and living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland doesn't help, trust me.

First of all, my fault, left the headlights on for about four hours. Started again ok but day and a half later different messages appeared, gearbox failure, traction failure, the engine laboured as though low on tranny fluid, speedo went to zero etc. Eventually just died, no cranking. Read several posts and replaced the battery, thinking I'd cooked the old one (calcium, 100ah). Day later and same thing occurred.

It's a 1999 HSE, 4.6 with a 150 amp Bosch alternator, 160,000 k's. I checked the output with a multimeter and the battery (newly charged) was about 13 volts but quickly subsided. No charge was coming in from the alternator, hence only lasting a couple of days.

Could leaving the headlights on have caused this? Have checked all fuses, earths seem solid, terminal contact is good. The old battery holds a charge and seems fine. Living where I do resources are skinny. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

In all other respects it's a fantastic automobile.
 
Hi,
This is my first posting. Have read with great pleasure, and some success, on solutions you folks have for P38 probs, there are some very clever guys out there. But this one has me stumped and living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland doesn't help, trust me.

First of all, my fault, left the headlights on for about four hours. Started again ok but day and a half later different messages appeared, gearbox failure, traction failure, the engine laboured as though low on tranny fluid, speedo went to zero etc. Eventually just died, no cranking. Read several posts and replaced the battery, thinking I'd cooked the old one (calcium, 100ah). Day later and same thing occurred.

It's a 1999 HSE, 4.6 with a 150 amp Bosch alternator, 160,000 k's. I checked the output with a multimeter and the battery (newly charged) was about 13 volts but quickly subsided. No charge was coming in from the alternator, hence only lasting a couple of days.

Could leaving the headlights on have caused this? Have checked all fuses, earths seem solid, terminal contact is good. The old battery holds a charge and seems fine. Living where I do resources are skinny. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

In all other respects it's a fantastic automobile.

Try checking the voltage output carefully at the back of the alternator to see if you are just experiencing a drop in voltage through the cables.
But if it's still 13ish volts at the alt,replace it.
:)
 
You could try fitting a new controller and brushes. But if it's on that many miles odds on slip rings will be knackered.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. A sparky has looked at it today, reckons it's the regulator, and the headlight issue is just a coincidence. Trouble with that is there are no regulators in Australia but they CAN supply a new alternator for a lazy 1200 bucks! By the by Wammers, the miles are k's, so about 100,000 miles, sorry for the Aussie speak.
 
As I have learnt from many discussions between Datatek and Wammers your voltage is too low to recharge a calcium battery. If this is the same voltage at the back of the alternator then your either looking at a new alternator or a re-build.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. A sparky has looked at it today, reckons it's the regulator, and the headlight issue is just a coincidence. Trouble with that is there are no regulators in Australia but they CAN supply a new alternator for a lazy 1200 bucks! By the by Wammers, the miles are k's, so about 100,000 miles, sorry for the Aussie speak.

ebay any use to you?
 
If I leave my lights on , the car has a delay and then switches them off is this function not on foreign models , even so it still sounds like alternator .
 
Thanks for the quick replies. A sparky has looked at it today, reckons it's the regulator, and the headlight issue is just a coincidence. Trouble with that is there are no regulators in Australia but they CAN supply a new alternator for a lazy 1200 bucks! By the by Wammers, the miles are k's, so about 100,000 miles, sorry for the Aussie speak.

When did Aus go to Froggy measure? You'll be driving on the wrong side of the road next and eating Frogs legs. :D:D:D
 
Leaving the headlights on flattened the battery, the alternator expired trying to output full current to recharge it, so not really a coincidence. If you can manage without the car for a week or two, order a new regulator and diode pack from Ebay or a UK supplier like Island 4 x 4, must have a set point on the regulator of 14.2 volts and just replace the bits. There is an outside chance that the winding have failed on the armature but it's fairly unlikely.
 

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