Charging light.

dieseldoggy · Post by **dieseldoggy** » 03 May 2011, 21:16

got slight problem?.my charging light comming/staying on very faintly from first click ie acces. turn to start position when to start light stays the same then when running stays the same.
going to have a poke around tomorrow.and check charge rate!.
Thinking is it an earthing problem?. and ifso where to look or relay problem?.

anyway i'm sure one of you will know!. Cheers in advance

Post by **RichardW** » 03 May 2011, 21:43

Possibly a blown diode in the alernator. Are you suffering battery drain problems too?

dieseldoggy · Post by **dieseldoggy** » 04 May 2011, 00:59

Hi not sure yet but will be checking charging tomorrow to see how many volts i have?

Post by **CitroJim** » 04 May 2011, 05:37

With the engine just above idle, a healthy charging system will show 14.4V across the battery.

Significantly less means your alternator is toast...

Chris570 · Post by **Chris570** » 04 May 2011, 07:33

although just to be awkward swmbo's 106 had this problem and it should 14.4v at about 1k but had a weak alternator.

i'd also check the thin wire going to the alt hasnt got any breaks or damage etc

P616VKX · Post by **P616VKX** » 04 May 2011, 11:55

Take off the multiplug from the Alternator first and stick some spray lube/contact cleaner in the multiplug and refit... A bit of moisture adrift can cause this easily.

Used to get it every morning on my way to work in my old Micra on damp mornings!

Post by **CitroJim** » 04 May 2011, 12:00

P616VKX wrote:Take off the multiplug from the Alternator first

Sadly, there isn't one on a Xantia alternator. There's just the two screw terminals. Battery is on the large 134mm one and the warning light is on the small 8mm one..

Chris570 · Post by **Chris570** » 04 May 2011, 12:04

CitroJim wrote: Battery is on the large 134mm one and the warning light is on the small 8mm one..

Thats one big terminal there, some serious ampage there

Post by **CitroJim** » 04 May 2011, 12:09

Chris570 wrote:Thats one big terminal there, some serious ampage there

It's this sodding Tosh laptop I'm currently using... The keyboard is the very worst I've ever encountered... It really is a load of old tosh...

The terminal in question is just a modest 13mm

stedmancinques · Post by **stedmancinques** » 04 May 2011, 12:20

If you're anything like me, Jim, my wife has a little Acer portable notebook, which if I use, I normally press at least two keys at once, and, on the middle row, four! Then there's the Kindle.......

dieseldoggy · Post by **dieseldoggy** » 04 May 2011, 19:17

Shoved multimeter over battery terminals and showed just under 12volt and sim on 134mm nut!lol. small wire showed around 8volt if thats right?
so off tomorrow to extricate it from underneath what ever they have covered it with?.lol.
So guess its another twaddle with tensioner on aux belt again?.

The light just stays dim from accerie position on the ignition on to starting/running

Post by **CitroJim** » 04 May 2011, 19:40

That's a duff alternator then... Small terminal should show about the same as the big terminal to fully extinguish the light. The light currently has 12v on one side and 8v on the other making a potential difference of 4v - enough to light it dimly...

Removing an alternator from a TD is fun but quite possible. Remove the intercooler pipe to give a bit of wiggle room...

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 04 May 2011, 20:09

For the aux belt, pop the top off the ECU box, slip the ECU etc out and lay it out the way, remove the two 10mm bolts and move the box out the way.
This should give you plenty of access to the square hole in the auto tensioner.
Use a short handled flexible head 3/8" bar in the square hole and rotate it clockwise as far as you can, it shouldn't be too difficult to rotate (if it is, time to repace the tensioner and the spring on the other side which is so much fun!) and will give you enough slack to just slip the belt off.

If memory serves, the alternator can be removed without removing the hydraulic pump, but it's not an easy job, and removing the pump isn't hard. Just undo the metal pipes, and the first two or three metal clamps on them so you can gently bend the pipes out the way.
Check the pump thoroughly for leaks as that can be the cause of alternator death.
Oh when you pop the rubber feed pipe off the pump a large quantity of your LHM will try and make it's escape, so get some string (or a bored child) to hold the end of the pipe higher than the LHM tank.

dieseldoggy · Post by **dieseldoggy** » 04 May 2011, 21:51

Hi cheers guys.yes done the tensioner already and a 3/8 dont fit my one now it use a sump plug square ford sierra type if i remember one i brought from shop.
spoke to Edwardes today he says they only did my type for year orso? it's one with nuts on top with slotted case like the magnetti mareneli type

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 04 May 2011, 22:17

Ah the manual tensioner!

Does your car have A/C? Is the hydraulic pump above the alternator or below?