>
> Hello all, and thanks for the many useful responses to my question about
> the TR-6 brakes/vacuum servo. Now to the matter at hand. Last Saturday
> on the way home from the Dayton British Car Show (in a torrential downpour)
> I noted that my alternator was apparently dead, as the amp gauge showed a
> strong discharge (I turned off the headlamps and the discharge dropped
> significantly). When we got home, I noticed that the red ignition light
> no longer burned whether the key was on or off. So here is a dumb question;
> should the ignition light go out with an alternator failure? I thought it
> was the other way around, that the ignition light would burn red if the
> alternator was turning but not putting out any current. Being more or less
> ignorant regarding the more subtle features of Lucas systems, I am puzzled
> about this. Does the lamp failure indicate some problem OTHER than the
> alternator? Can this be checked somehow? Any help here would be greatly
> appreciated. Thanks.
> Sincerely,
> Gary W. Morrow ('72 TR-6)
>
I had the same experience. If you lose the connection on the back of the
alternator then you get no charge and no red light. Try cleaning up the
contacts on the big plug that fits on the alternator - pop them out of the
plug for better access. Once you get the ign light back with the key on the
car should charge again. I got a much steadier output from the alt after I
did this - wobbly ammeter reading all the time before.
Good luck. Don't buy an alternator before you try this.
Pete
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