Folks,
Enjoying the top down driving in Michigan after spending 5 weeks in the UK
(only one wet day ... a record! - although I never saw 1 TR6 on UK roads in
that time, and I did some 3500 miles - did see 3 spits, 1 stag, 1 TR4, and
innumerable MGs, and 1 pristine light blue Austin A35 doing 75mph on the M5!).
Anyway, back to the '6: I do seem to have acquired a strange electrical
glitch (maybe as a result of not driving the TR6 for 8 weeks!). I've got a
strange ammeter phenomena - start up is fine, deflects to charge and then
slowly decreases to zero (as normal). But once warm and when sitting at
idle/tickover, the ammeter will suddenly start a series of wild discharge
swings (and the ignition light will come on as well in concert with the
discharge swing part). If I blip the throttle, all goes back to normal for
the time the engine speed is higher than idle/tickover. Also, if I don't
touch the pedal, but add load (heater switch, etc.) then the problem goes
away. When rolling, all the ammeter readings are OK.
I've checked the ammeter with a DVM, and the output is OK at idle and
higher RPM (but I haven't caught it when it goes down on the meter). I've
gone thro' my manuals, and nothing seems to add up - but I do have a Mazda
MPV diagnostic chart that mentions that this might be a symptom of worn
brushes in the alternator.
And, yes, I haven't pulled the alternator to see if this is the problem yet
(although I don't mind doing so), I was just hoping that someone would have
had come across this problem once before and fixed it by tightening (or
oiling with that special Lucas oil) some odd hidden Lucas connector (or
something similar). If there's a fellow lister who has the easy answer,
please pipe up now. Just in case that doesn't work, anyone able to share
an insight or confirm the worst on this one - maybe Dan Masters?
TIA,
Tony Gordon
72 TR6
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