Auto Electrician in Accrington Area

XpatTech · May 14th, 2010, 00:38

Brand new alternator (80amp), brand new battery (096), bulb on dash for battery works fine and still not charging (charging worked fine for about 2 days).
This is on a 740 2.3 GLE F reg and is doing my head in.

loki_the_glt · May 15th, 2010, 16:31

Check the plug to the alternator - if the small cable that controls the battery warning light on the dash is corroded/damaged then the alternator won't start charging. The battery light should go out as soon as the engine starts up - if it doesn't then it won't excite the alternator and you won't get a charge.

JD79 · May 15th, 2010, 16:42

+1 on Loki's suggestion.

If that fails, pull the dash cluster out and check for dud solder joints and/or broken tracks. Its easy enough to remelt all the joints in about 10 minutes or so if you've got a soldering iron. One cracked track in my case meant my perfectly good alternator would not charge my brand new battery most of the time. Fixed by scraping back the film and soldering over. Once it was done i've had no problems at all.

XpatTech · May 15th, 2010, 22:40

What problems would be caused if i by-passed the original circuit for charging ?

grass hopper · May 15th, 2010, 23:16

worth checking the earth strap has not broken of under the o/s engine mount.

XpatTech · May 18th, 2010, 19:57

Grass Hopper was closest, it was a bad earth on alternator. Thanks GH

grass hopper · May 18th, 2010, 23:10

cool had many strange faults with a bad earth there

May 14th, 2010, 00:38	#1
XpatTech Junior Member Last Online: Jun 30th, 2010 12:34 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Accrington	Auto Electrician in Accrington Area Brand new alternator (80amp), brand new battery (096), bulb on dash for battery works fine and still not charging (charging worked fine for about 2 days). This is on a 740 2.3 GLE F reg and is doing my head in.

May 15th, 2010, 16:31	#2
loki_the_glt Torquemeister Last Online: Today 09:11 Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Asgard, Cheshire	Check the plug to the alternator - if the small cable that controls the battery warning light on the dash is corroded/damaged then the alternator won't start charging. The battery light should go out as soon as the engine starts up - if it doesn't then it won't excite the alternator and you won't get a charge. __________________ loki_the_glt - Skipper of the Exxon Valdez, driver of Sweden's finest sporting saloon - and pining for another Slant-4.

May 15th, 2010, 23:16	#5
grass hopper Premier Member Last Online: Mar 18th, 2011 13:38 Join Date: May 2009 Location: grassmere!	worth checking the earth strap has not broken of under the o/s engine mount. __________________

May 18th, 2010, 23:10	#7
grass hopper Premier Member Last Online: Mar 18th, 2011 13:38 Join Date: May 2009 Location: grassmere!	cool had many strange faults with a bad earth there __________________

May 15th, 2010, 16:42	#3
JD79 Member Last Online: Mar 5th, 2011 06:14 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hervey Bay	+1 on Loki's suggestion. If that fails, pull the dash cluster out and check for dud solder joints and/or broken tracks. Its easy enough to remelt all the joints in about 10 minutes or so if you've got a soldering iron. One cracked track in my case meant my perfectly good alternator would not charge my brand new battery most of the time. Fixed by scraping back the film and soldering over. Once it was done i've had no problems at all.

May 15th, 2010, 22:40	#4
XpatTech Junior Member Last Online: Jun 30th, 2010 12:34 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Accrington	What problems would be caused if i by-passed the original circuit for charging ?

May 18th, 2010, 19:57	#6
XpatTech Junior Member Last Online: Jun 30th, 2010 12:34 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Accrington	Grass Hopper was closest, it was a bad earth on alternator. Thanks GH

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