geoffbeaumont Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Now what? Driving back from a youth event at West Brom tonight I lost power to the gas kit (or so it appeared - lights went out on the switch and it was definitely running on petrol). Figured I'd got a loose wire on the battery - not the first time, they're a bit fragile - but when I stopped the LPG light only was flashing when I turned the ignition off...wierd... Decided to disconnect the battery when I got home, and the LPG kit wires appeared to be secure. The fuel guage has been wandering up and down - anywhere been completely empty and two thirds full - all week. Thought at first it was using obscene amounts of petrol, then got suspicious when it started going up the gauge. Last night I was sat waiting for someone with the ignition on (but not the engine running) and watching it go up and and down... And sorting out the engine earth hasn't entirely fixed the alternator charge light either - it was on faintly this morning - so there's still something not quite kosher there. These are all electrical problems, all new this week. I'm thinking they might just be connected...? Any ideas? I don't even know where to start with this one And I'm supposed to be back at West Brom tomorrow morning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
istruggle2gate11 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Im no expert but I have had all sorts of weird elecky problems on two cars when the alternators are not happy. One of them had the same symptoms as yours, dull charge light etc, then on the alternators final day the gauges went all weird, the rev counter ticked with indicators, temp and fuel gauges both read full. One new alternator later - all fixed. Similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted February 11, 2006 Author Share Posted February 11, 2006 Im no expert but I have had all sorts of weird elecky problems on two cars when the alternators are not happy.One of them had the same symptoms as yours, dull charge light etc, then on the alternators final day the gauges went all weird, the rev counter ticked with indicators, temp and fuel gauges both read full. One new alternator later - all fixed. Similar? Could be. I haven't (so far) had any other wierdness, other than a rough idle which seems to be much worse on petrol than gas, so I'd put it down to the ignition timing being a bit too advanced for petrol at idle. It's getting worse, though, so can't be that. Scrap yard time, methinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 With it going up and down it could be that you are getting a heating effect somewhere causing a wire to open and close due to being broken wire breaks in contact, current flows, heat builds up over joint, joint breaks due to expansion, current stops, joint cools down, joint shrinks, makes contact again and off it goes again. Do you have a multimeter? if so put it across the feed-in terminal on voltage and see if it goes on and off, if not, run a new wire to the earth and see if by having a new earth line that fixes it. Without being there it's not easy to figure the circuit and the further variations in effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR90 Posted February 11, 2006 Share Posted February 11, 2006 Could you just run it for a few minutes/miles with the alternator disconnected? Might help to isolate the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted February 11, 2006 Author Share Posted February 11, 2006 Stuck a DVM across the battery this afternoon - even revving the engine it's not even managing 12.5V with all the electrics on, and the voltage is pretty unstable too. Jonathan's Saab was holding a rock steady 13.75V or thereabouts. Looks like a shot alternator to me. Tried to get a replacement, but I only found a couple of scrappies that were open on a Saturday - one told me very curtly that they didn't have any 100Amp alternators, the other (Stirchley Spares) invited me to come down and have a root. They didn't have any 100Amp ones, but there were several 90Amp Mondeo alternators if anyone needs one of them. Should probably have bought one as a temporary fix and just not used the heated screen for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 go Mondeo, dirt cheap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 go Mondeo, dirt cheap Noticed all the 90Amp ones were Bosch, too, so I'm guessing better quality than the standard Lucas jobby? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minivin Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 Noticed all the 90Amp ones were Bosch, too, so I'm guessing better quality than the standard Lucas jobby? just think it's the luck of the draw that Lucas bits are fitted on LR's and get a bashing, while Bosch get fitted onto the likes of Mondeo's and just get used for the weekly shopping trip and taking little Johnie to school and back each day Have heard no issues from Tonk about his Mondeo alternator, Mikes seems to be going well as well after doing Italy and back et cetera Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
white90 Posted February 12, 2006 Share Posted February 12, 2006 they don't fit too well with the Poly vee on a 300TDI the pulley has 5 grooves instead of the L/R 6 and the pulley from your old one doesn't fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted February 12, 2006 Author Share Posted February 12, 2006 they don't fit too well with the Poly vee on a 300TDI the pulley has 5 grooves instead of the L/R 6 and the pulley from your old one doesn't fit. Thanks for the warning - I'll double check that. '93 Range Rovers have a belt arrangement that was unique to that year (I know 'cause the alternator belt is a pain to get hold of - no-one holds it in stock). No idea how many grooves it has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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