Hi peeps!
My first thread so go easy on me if this is in the wrong place etc etc!
Joined LZ after receiving so many top tips on so many topics - thanks! I'm hoping I may now return the favour
I had a fairly persistent red battery warming light on my early FL1 early TD4. It basically stayed on for the first 10mins after every start, even when hot and re-starting.
Tried the usual - slack belt, loose wires etc, volts cold/running/under load/stopped etc - all good.
What was weird is that the volts were 14.5 when running when battery light was either on or off!. It made no sense and the Haynes manual was fairly conclusive.....it's knackered so take it off.
However, somewhere on a forum I read some tips about how alternators need electrically "exciting" before they generate. I studied the wiring diagram (if you use Haynes, ensure you read the correct diagram as there's several wiring versions for charging in the different models!) and came across FUSE 19, power for the exciter circuit.
This fuse is for the "exciter circuit" for the alternator, necessary when it first spins up. It didn't stop it producing electric in my case but did warn me the excitor circuit had blown. Maybe this is a precursor for imminent alternator failure, who knows!?!?
Anyway, F19 replaced and it's working perfect again, for now. Thank goodness I didn't have to remove the alternator pointlessly - looks like a real faff. Hopefully this thread will save someone else the trouble (and £130 + labour) if it's only fuse19.
Cheers, Jase.
My first thread so go easy on me if this is in the wrong place etc etc!
Joined LZ after receiving so many top tips on so many topics - thanks! I'm hoping I may now return the favour
I had a fairly persistent red battery warming light on my early FL1 early TD4. It basically stayed on for the first 10mins after every start, even when hot and re-starting.
Tried the usual - slack belt, loose wires etc, volts cold/running/under load/stopped etc - all good.
What was weird is that the volts were 14.5 when running when battery light was either on or off!. It made no sense and the Haynes manual was fairly conclusive.....it's knackered so take it off.
However, somewhere on a forum I read some tips about how alternators need electrically "exciting" before they generate. I studied the wiring diagram (if you use Haynes, ensure you read the correct diagram as there's several wiring versions for charging in the different models!) and came across FUSE 19, power for the exciter circuit.
This fuse is for the "exciter circuit" for the alternator, necessary when it first spins up. It didn't stop it producing electric in my case but did warn me the excitor circuit had blown. Maybe this is a precursor for imminent alternator failure, who knows!?!?
Anyway, F19 replaced and it's working perfect again, for now. Thank goodness I didn't have to remove the alternator pointlessly - looks like a real faff. Hopefully this thread will save someone else the trouble (and £130 + labour) if it's only fuse19.
Cheers, Jase.
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