Does the ignition warning light come on when you first turn on the ignition
and go off again when the engine has started and revved to at leats 900rpm?
It should.
What is the voltage on, say, a brown at the fuse block with the engine
running? If it is 12v or so the alt is not charging, if it is 13.5v to 14v
it is.
The warning light acts as the initial field excitation to start the alt
charging at about 900 rpm. Without it you may have to rev to 2k or 3k to
get it started, or it may not start at all.
Have a look at the web site below for info on faulting the charging
circuit - select 'Spanners', 'Electrics' and 'Ignition Warning Light &
Charging'. Also make sure you have 12v on the browns at the alternator plug
with either a charged battery or jump cables connected.
PaulH.
http://freespace.virgin.net/paul.hunt1/
(or if that URL doesn't work try )
(http://194.168.54.52/paul.hunt1 )
----- Original Message -----
From: Tyson Sherman <mts3@ra.msstate.edu>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2000 5:54 PM
Subject: Alternator?
> My 76 B is finally running again with its new block, and running quite
> well. However, the battery is not charging. The alternator was rebuilt
> before I had the car (It's a Lucas alt.).
>
> Here's the symptoms: Car requires boost to start. All the accessories
> do not work at once, or the car dies. Car will die after a few minutes
> of running and require a boost (I highly doubt fuel system problems),
> good spark. Car dies if I unplug the negative battery cable while it's
> running. Car will idle forever if connected to jumper cables. The plug
> for the alternator is keyed so it can't go on backwards. The wires to
> the solenoid / starter seem okay and the battery posts are clean and
> free of corrosion.
>
> I had no alternator problems before I took the car off the road back in
> November.
>
> I boosted it off about seven times yesterday.
>
> What can I check to be sure it's the alternator before I spend $100 I
> don't have on a new one :) Electrical system problems are no fun but I
> don't want to have to keep replacing parts to find out that's not it.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Tyson Sherman
> mts3@ra.msstate.edu
> http://www.tecinfo.com/~tsherman
>
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