Tim.C
Active Member
- Posts
- 783
- Location
- Halesowen, West Midlands
Hi guys, been a while since I've been on here.
Anyway, I'm trying to quickly fix my Disco as I can't afford to have it off the road long - it is my main commuter. (1996 Disco 1 300TDi Auto)
On Friday in a queue of traffic I got smoke from under the bonnet, and when I checked it seemed to be coming from the alternator. I briefly smelt burning a day or so earlier, but that went away again very quickly and I couldn't find a source.
It's been parked up until today when I checked again, and within a couple of minutes from starting there was smoke again from the alternator.
I was all prepared to do shell out and replace the alternator, when I read on the internet that overloading the alternator can make it smoke (makes sense!).
Now I'm wondering if it is that battery that is duff and the alt is trying to big time charge it.
Or maybe even just dirty/loose wiring.
I'm off in a minute (now it should have cooled down again) to check/clean all the wiring, but I doubt it is that.
Everything else is running fine - no warning lights on the dashboard etc - except that the battery is old and is a bit flat from standing. Still started it - just turned over a little slower. It seems to charge fine. No extra electrical stuff installed etc
Is this most likely the alternator dying??
Is it the battery making the alternator overload??
Should I just replace both??????? I don't want to replace the alt and find it is the battery killing it, or the other way round.
One other thing that may, or may not, be connected. It has destroyed two fan belts recently - the second could just be because it was an old one used as emergency swap when first went.
The belts were shredded both times and there were bits all over the place. I wondered if it could be bits of fan belt inside the alternator - unlikely, but you never know.
Thank in advance for any advice (and abuse - it is LZ after all
)
Tim.C
Anyway, I'm trying to quickly fix my Disco as I can't afford to have it off the road long - it is my main commuter. (1996 Disco 1 300TDi Auto)
On Friday in a queue of traffic I got smoke from under the bonnet, and when I checked it seemed to be coming from the alternator. I briefly smelt burning a day or so earlier, but that went away again very quickly and I couldn't find a source.
It's been parked up until today when I checked again, and within a couple of minutes from starting there was smoke again from the alternator.
I was all prepared to do shell out and replace the alternator, when I read on the internet that overloading the alternator can make it smoke (makes sense!).
Now I'm wondering if it is that battery that is duff and the alt is trying to big time charge it.
Or maybe even just dirty/loose wiring.
I'm off in a minute (now it should have cooled down again) to check/clean all the wiring, but I doubt it is that.
Everything else is running fine - no warning lights on the dashboard etc - except that the battery is old and is a bit flat from standing. Still started it - just turned over a little slower. It seems to charge fine. No extra electrical stuff installed etc
Is this most likely the alternator dying??
Is it the battery making the alternator overload??
Should I just replace both??????? I don't want to replace the alt and find it is the battery killing it, or the other way round.
One other thing that may, or may not, be connected. It has destroyed two fan belts recently - the second could just be because it was an old one used as emergency swap when first went.
The belts were shredded both times and there were bits all over the place. I wondered if it could be bits of fan belt inside the alternator - unlikely, but you never know.
Thank in advance for any advice (and abuse - it is LZ after all
)Tim.C
