Battery Charge Error

[south74]

Hi all - hopefully this is a simple question to answer... hang on, I have a Citroen... that's not possible!

I have a Mk1 C8 2.2 Exclusive and recently the 'Batter Charge Fault' popped up on the dash, and the nice red battery symbol came on. it did this momentarily and then went out. now it has happened more frequently and the battery has died twice.
I've checked on the Lexia and the error says something like 'Permanent Fault - Battery Charge Status'.

I am assuming this is an alternator problem, however has anyone known this error to be due to something else?

(In 13 years the alternator has never been replaced, so it's probably due a new one!)

Thanks all in advance...

[white exec]

If 17 years old, check and renew the battery clamps (possibly internally corroded), battery and engine/alternator earthing points, and alternator output connections.

[GiveMeABreak]

Very likely to be the alternator or the battery is no longer charging properly. I would get your battery tested first, then see what Lexia says about the alternator.

[south74]

Very likely to be the alternator or the battery is no longer charging properly. I would get your battery tested first, then see what Lexia says about the alternator.

Where in the Lexia menus can I see the output of the alternator? I couldn't find anything which would show me the alternator output/voltage/current.

I did the 'Global Diagnosis' and the permanent battery charge fault was listed under the BSI fault log.
There is a 'Battery Status' section, but that requires an additional tool.
The battery itself is not too bad - seems to charge well on the CTEK charger I have... and i have 'reconditioned' it a couple of times to be sure.
The terminal connections look ok with no corrosion at all.

Thanks.

[GiveMeABreak]

Mine is all under the Battery Charge Status module on the X7 so you probbly don’t have this fitted.

You can purchase a cheap battery tester to do the same sort of job, but the Midtronic piece of kit is only usually used by the dealer or as an add-on.

You should be able to check the alternator and see the data under live parameters. Where exactly I can’t help with as I have a different setup.

[Paul-R]

How many miles has the vehicle done? When was the battery last replaced?

[EDC5]

Can you measure the voltage with a multimeter at the battery terminals with the engine running? If It's about 14v then the alternator is working.

[south74]

Well... Further investigation seems to have uncovered three things.
1. A dodgy connection somewhere in the steering column - I'm not sure exactly what I did but things seem to be working-ish now...
2. The battery is slightly knackered... It's reading 75% of what it should do - even on full charge according to my new Foxwell tester.
3. The Alternator is also slightly knackered - it's charging at below the required amount at about 11.5v.

So - new battery and new alternator.

Which of these is a good alternator to get? I've checked service.citroen.com, but there are several different alternators listed.
http://www.mister-auto.co.uk/en/alterna ... 30_g4.html

I was intending on just getting a cost-efficient Valeo unit.

Any recommendations?

[My C8 is a 2004 2.2HDi Exclusive with everything except Sat Nav, VIN: VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff], RPO: 10168]

[GiveMeABreak]

As you probably already know - there are several types (new or exchange):

Best thing to ensure suitability as these are all compatible is to check the numbers / codes on the original. They are all 150 Amp