Charging light coming on whist driving

Gregg1100 · Post by **Gregg1100** » 28 Jun 2010, 19:09

Hi,
I have now noticed the red alternator charging light flickering on and off recently. When it stays on, it is only half the brightness as it is when ignition turned on but no engine running.
I have checked all the leads I can get to for tightness, also the auxiliary belt is nice and tight.
Any ideas anyone.?
Thanks
Electrics and me are total strangers

Greg

Post by **CitroJim** » 28 Jun 2010, 19:25

Almost certainly a dying alternator Greg

Confirm by placing an accurate digital voltmeter across the battery. If it does not read 14.4V with the engine running at about 1500 rpm then fear the worst.

One other cause can be a poor connection on the thin wire going to the alternator. This feeds the warning lamp and any resistance here will make the light glow dimly. I've known the wire fracture where it is crimped onto the ring termination.

The alternator is not such a rotten job as it looks to replace.

Gregg1100 · Post by **Gregg1100** » 28 Jun 2010, 22:25

Thanks Jim,
Will check that out tomorrow. Its funny that I never noticed it until I had that tensioner spring done. Perhaps with all the spannering, he may have done something awry.
Thanks again,
Greg

Gregg1100 · Post by **Gregg1100** » 29 Jun 2010, 13:35

Hi Jim,
11.46v across battery. All leads good and tight. Bummer.
Thats my transport knackered now and I am on holiday. The bike has a camchain rattling now too, that is another job. Easier than the car one though. Double ohc Hy-Vo chain.
Thanks,
Greg

spider · Post by **spider** » 29 Jun 2010, 14:16

Alternator should not be bad to do (although I've not seen a Xantia one) but its going to be almost the same as a 406 (with the addition of the hydraulic pump)

Remove oil filter for better access (clean rag around exposed filter mounting to prevent anything going in!)

It's probably the brushes going if its on dimly all the time now... Although that output voltage is too low.

Post by **RichardW** » 29 Jun 2010, 15:49

CitroJim wrote:The alternator is not such a rotten job as it looks to replace.

I'd like to think that's the case on my HDi, but I am rather of the opinion that it isn't going to be....

Looks like it is not going to be conducive to painting widows this weekend, so I might have to bite the bullet and get on with it - it is getting embarassingly loud now!

BTW Greg - Mike T indicated he had a spare MK1 alternator in this thread - might be a fit for yours (no good for my MK2 HDi....

)

Post by **CitroJim** » 29 Jun 2010, 16:30

The alternators differ on the 1.9TD depending if they have the earlier or later aux belt tensioning arrangements. They have differing mountings.

If Mike's came off a car with the 2.1TD type spring tensioner as fitted to the later 1.9TD then it will fit.

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 29 Jun 2010, 17:06

As long as you can get the bits (ask your local auto electrical specialist), alternators can be repaired / rebuilt fairly easily. The expensive parts are pretty rugged, and the other bits are quite cheap (obviously), so it's worth looking into.

Gregg1100 · Post by **Gregg1100** » 29 Jun 2010, 20:32

I failed to remove the alternator this afternoon. Couldn't get at the auto tensioner to release belt tension. The fitter(?) that put new spring and tension roller on for me had graunched everything up so tight, the tension roller was not moving at all. Solid. The square hole was not square either. Been rounded out.
The oil filter will have to be removed and the air pipes to turbo to try to make room for the genny to be removed.. These designers (tossers ) want ******* with the blunt end of a pineapple to come out with these crazy ideas. The only Xantia I will have again is an early one- NO abs, NO aircon- just a basic LX, with no unecessary junk on it. If I have a cit again.
If I had finished messing about with the car earlier today, I would have asked a breaker to collect the car and scrapped it.
And turned the chevrons up the other way and pointed them at citroen. Never been so hacked off with a car manufacturer as this one.
Sorry about the whinge, but I am fed up now.
Greg

PS. Forgot to say that if you take the box out that holds the computer, you can actually get to the area a bit better. Lay the gubbins on the top of the engine mount and remove the box ( 2 bolts ).
The starred out word starts with sh--got an a, 2 g's etc

addo · Post by **addo** » 29 Jun 2010, 21:38

I'm with dnsey on the aternator repairs. The only difficult bit is needing an air impact driver to remove the pulley nut. Wood Auto sell most of the parts required save for bearings which are standard items at a bearing/oil seal supplier.

jgra1 · Post by **jgra1** » 30 Jun 2010, 00:03

I can sympathise with the belt gregg.. i think half of us can get a 3/8 in and release the tension, half find badly machined square holes or previously rounded ones..

i am happy to post my 'bit' that will fit perfectly? will be with you thur or fri? makes a big difference

Gregg1100 · Post by **Gregg1100** » 30 Jun 2010, 20:18

Had a day away from the car today. I have noticed that the alternator is covered in oil. Been like it for a while. I am wondering if the oill has got in the nator and gummed up the brushes, and commutator, and made it die that way. Just a hope. Still need to get it off the car.

Jgra1---your `bit` would be much appreciated. :lolsign:

PM sent,
Thanks,
Greg

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 30 Jun 2010, 22:14

Gregg1100 wrote:Had a day away from the car today. I have noticed that the alternator is covered in oil. Been like it for a while. I am wondering if the oill has got in the nator and gummed up the brushes, and commutator, and made it die that way. Just a hope. Still need to get it off the car.

Jgra1---your `bit` would be much appreciated.
PM sent,
Thanks,
Greg

Pretty sure that's happened to mine too, annoyingly it's less than 3 years old.

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