Alternator not charging

Post by **Balaclava** » 20 Apr 2007, 00:28

I put in a reconditioned alternator a couple of weeks ago and up to today it has worked fine. This afternoon the battery was dead and the engine wouldn't start. There was no red warning light on the dash. The AA bloke put his meter on the battery and confirmed it wasn't being charged.

I took it back to the bloke who does nothing but sell alternators in Cricklewood and he didn't know what was wrong. He told me he had never had any complaints before. I sort of believe him.

Engine ran for a while after a charge was put in battery by AA man but had to call them out again this evening when again it was dead. He said it was definately the alternator's fault.

Could it be loose wiring or something else? There was a smell of burning rubber coming off the engine. I suppose I will have to take it out again tomorrow and bring it back to the shop. Could it be connected to the melting of the jump leads when I tried to start it last time?
Any ideas?

Post by **tonytech** » 20 Apr 2007, 07:21

How much have you used the van inbetween replacing the alternator and the van failing to start?
Has the van been used enough to prove the alternator was replaced successfully?

If you connected jump leads wrongly (+ve to -ve) you may have fried the alternator and caused the jump leads to melt.

The burning rubber smell could have been the 'fan' belt slipping on the alternator. was the belt tiightened correctly? Overtight will damage it. Undertight and it wont charge.

T

Post by **Balaclava** » 20 Apr 2007, 08:34

Thanks for your reply. I have used the van quite a lot since putting in the alternator, a 100 mile trip to Sussex and back and around London, it worked fine. The melting leads occured when I first got the new alternator going so if it fried it, it continued to work ok for the next week and a half.

The belt seems to be ok and the smell of rubber might have been coming from the alternator before it packed up.

Could the alternator have been ok but something in the way it was put in caused it to malfunction and eventually stop working?

I'm going to take it out and bring it back to the shop this morning. Taking it out is easy enough, it's the belt that is tricky. Will I have to unscrew the fan bit at the front of the alternator to get the belt off or is there a way of loosening the belt so it slips over the fan?

And to think, a mere twenty years ago this van was top of the range and the very latest in VW technology!!!!

Post by **Balaclava** » 20 Apr 2007, 17:14

Took it out and back to the shop where they tested it. Nothing wrong with the alternator. Must be the wiring or possibly the fan belt is not tight enough causing it to slip and not charge properly. There WAS a smell of rubber heating up previously.
About to put it back in again.

Post by **Balaclava** » 22 Apr 2007, 10:41

Just to finish this story off....

Put it back in and drove off then realised the red light was staying on again. Damn! Drove back home and had a look. I hadn't tightened the bolts enough and the alternator was lying on it side and the belt was broken. It had also sliced into my oil pipe.

Put new belt on, what a finicky job, so hard to get at anything. Why? Did a bit of belt squealing in first gear but seems to be working again. Hurrah!

Do I qualify as a mechanic now? I feel quite proud of myself and have come over all manly like.