Charge fault

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sparksie
(Donor 2016)
Posts: 595
Joined: 04 Jan 2014, 22:35
Location: R.O.I.
My Cars:
x 33

Re: Charge fault

Post by sparksie »

The plot thickens...
Under Cit's bonnet today, just having a cursory look for anything about to fall off, checking levels and so on, when my eye fell on the alternator.
On my 2000 Xantia, it's a Bosch (Yay!!!) 2 wire item.
Phone rang and I had to go before I could investigate further, but interest having been piqued, I'll be returning to it whenever I get a few minutes to myself.
It looks like a well thought out arrangement, right at the top of the engine, out in front, with the connections at the top for ease of access. Mounting bolts are no tougher than any traditional model.
While Cit is currently the youngest road legal vehicle on the fleet, I still regard her as an old lady and expect her alternator, starter and most other systems to be conventional analogue designs. Is it likely I have an ecu controlled alternator, on such an elderly car?
I hope not!
Despite the success of CANBUS, I'm not a fan. With modern thinwall cable being so susceptible to movement, and manufacturers ongoing quest to reduce size and weight by underspecifying cables, the inevitable result is going to be something like a wired LAN in buildings that move and change shape at will.
Intermittent connections in Ethernet cables are great fun to find! In a car, such things will write off an otherwise perfectly good vehicle. Probably are already doing so, in fact.
I much prefer things I can fix at the side of the road, without access to special tools.
And I bought a Citroen!?!
Perverse, or what?
Sparksie

2000 Xantia 1.9TurboD
Davey1000
New User
Posts: 1
Joined: 02 Apr 2017, 01:28
Location: Cornwall
My Cars: Peugeot 406 HDi (110) Peugeot 306 HDi (90)

Re: Charge fault

Post by Davey1000 »

On a 406 watch out for a worn-out ignition switch. There are two high current loads (1) The heater blower motor. (2) The air-conditioning compressor electric clutch. These are not buffered with relays so eventually the switch wears out. No heater blower and no air-con is usually the switch. Replacement switches can be obtained online from Poland at quite reasonable prices. Unfortunately French cars are notorious for dodgy electrics so its a case of doing one's best.
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