Hi I’m new here. I have an 87 defender 90 that wasn’t starting. Found out someone had cut the deadman out of it and a few wires with it. Have all that sorted and found it’s not charging. I changed the regulated in the alternator and now have 14.5-15 volts at the alternator but battery still isn’t charging and the lights on in the dash. As far as I can see wiring is right. Any help will be appreciated
Defender 90 not charging
- Thread starter Eoin96
- Start date
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brianp38dse
Well-Known Member
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- 19,582
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- heathrow
Hello and welcome to LZ
I have and it’s 12 volts and dropping down with a load on (lights etc)
Hello and thank youHello and welcome to LZ
Then you have your wiring wrong, 12v dropping suggests it is receiving zero charge from alt.
Fattest wire/s from alt should go either to positive stud on the alternator which then has a much fatter cable back to the battery, or the cable from the alt goes direct to the battery.
Sometimes running new cable is easier than trying to repair someone elses bodge.
Some alternators run one fat wire for the current, and others run two smaller wires, all depends on the alternator/plug et up but the two smaller wires will be equal to the one fat one on cross section.
Voltage on them two wires?
Hicap phill
Well-Known Member
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- Wiltshire
Welcome. To the mad house
Turn on ignition is battery light on?
Start engine has the battery light gone out?
What engine you got?
Thanks
Turn on ignition is battery light on?
Start engine has the battery light gone out?
What engine you got?
Thanks
Battery voltage. Anywhere from 12 volts down as the battery dies
Thanks
Turn ignition on and battery light is on
Start engine and battery light is on
To be honest I’m not 100% sure but I think it’s the 2.5 td
In which case the alt cant be charging, or its wired up wrong.
What make/model alt? most common on old LRs is the Lucas A127, fitted to pretty much everything of that era.
There’s no identification on it at all. I was thinking of just sending it for recon and that would tell me straight away if it fixes it
Defender 200tdi, Lucas A127 alternator, new one as cheap as a recon, available in many different amp ratings, any amp rating will fit and work.
Iirc initially they were only 45amp on the defender, with disco version being 70amp.
Look on fleaby or you local motor factors.
Available in lh and rh fitting, dont worry what you get as a few screws and you can convert lh to rh and vice versa.
Iirc initially they were only 45amp on the defender, with disco version being 70amp.
Look on fleaby or you local motor factors.
Available in lh and rh fitting, dont worry what you get as a few screws and you can convert lh to rh and vice versa.
Brilliant! Thanks so much. I will update to let you know what sorts it out
Sorry should have said check what connections are on the back of your alt, ie plug or stud/eye, not a to much hassle to convert to either type, but easier if you get the same type.
Access to starter wiring connections can be a bit of a mission on the defender engine.
