no charge and sediment light on dash

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waycar8
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no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by waycar8 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 2:00 pm

yesterday I noticed when I put the ignition key in and turned it there were no charge and sediment light's on in the dash.

Under further investigation I could get the lights to work if i pulled out the 30amp HEAD fuse under the bonnet and I could get the charge light to come on if I earthed the thin brown wire to the alternator.

Is my alternator goosed?, I don't have a multimeter so cant check the output? or is there some other possible wiring/fuse at fault? my starting battery is fine and has a healthy green hole

Ironically now the oil light doesnt come on after I pulled the fuses and earthed the alternator wire :twisted:
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by wonkanoby » Sat Aug 13, 2011 2:11 pm

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waycar8
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by waycar8 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 2:41 pm

Yes I am aware of what the lights on together mean but mine dont light up at all
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by missfixit70 » Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:49 pm

Have you checked all the other fuses? Is the alternator chucking any voltage out? sounds like there's no voltage going to the charge light, which means the alternator may not be working as it won't be getting it's excitation current, doesn't mean it's buggered though, quick blip of revs is sometimes enough to get the alternator working ( ie @13.8 - 14.6 v).
Not sure if one of the bulbs going in the dash would knock t'others out, could be an iffy connection, or an earth issue, check none of the earth cables have gone crumbly even if the insulation looks ok.
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by g8dhe » Sat Aug 13, 2011 9:00 pm

If you Earth the Brown wire then your rather likely to blow the 30 Amp HEAD fuse as that is what the brown wire connects to! That is the cable that supplies the exciter current.
The Blue/Orange wire if earthed should bring up BOTH the Charge and Sediment lights.

Please DON't earth the Black/Red wire, you really won't like the results.....
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waycar8
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by waycar8 » Sun Aug 14, 2011 9:51 am

missfixit70 wrote:Have you checked all the other fuses? Is the alternator chucking any voltage out? sounds like there's no voltage going to the charge light, which means the alternator may not be working as it won't be getting it's excitation current, doesn't mean it's buggered though, quick blip of revs is sometimes enough to get the alternator working ( ie @13.8 - 14.6 v).
Not sure if one of the bulbs going in the dash would knock t'others out, could be an iffy connection, or an earth issue, check none of the earth cables have gone crumbly even if the insulation looks ok.

The bulbs are working Kirsty, I have checked them by taking out the head fuse then turning the ignition key and they both then light up. I dont have a multimeter so cant check the output. I will check the wires for any breaks but as I have earthed the blue/orange wire onto the alternator body and the charge light came on I cant see that being the problem :cry:
g8dhe wrote:If you Earth the Brown wire then your rather likely to blow the 30 Amp HEAD fuse as that is what the brown wire connects to! That is the cable that supplies the exciter current.
The Blue/Orange wire if earthed should bring up BOTH the Charge and Sediment lights.

Please DON't earth the Black/Red wire, you really won't like the results.....
Hi Geoff yes I earthed the blue/orange wire onto the alternator body and the charge light came on.
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by Stargazer » Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:11 pm

I am having the same issue! See my thread for further info....

Think mine is an alternator problem, looking to get a new one now!
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by missfixit70 » Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:21 pm

Stargazer wrote:I am having the same issue! See my thread for further info....

Think mine is an alternator problem, looking to get a new one now!
Nope you're having a different issue - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=50800
Waynes lights AREN'T coming on :wink:
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by Stargazer » Sun Aug 14, 2011 2:27 pm

missfixit70 wrote:
Stargazer wrote:I am having the same issue! See my thread for further info....

Think mine is an alternator problem, looking to get a new one now!
Nope you're having a different issue - http://www.igmaynard.co.uk/bongo/forum/ ... =3&t=50800
Waynes lights AREN'T coming on :wink:

SORRY!!!! :lol: :lol:
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by g8dhe » Sun Aug 14, 2011 3:30 pm

Waycar if you earthed the Blue/Orange then BOTH lights should come on if its pre2000.
Not having the circuits for post 2000 not sure I can advise after that date.
But if both lights don't come on and you are pre 2000 then there is something wrong with the lights / diodes, at least it doesn't mean there is or isn't a fault with the alternator as well, but there is something wrong with the sediment light circuit if it doesn't come on.
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by waycar8 » Sun Aug 14, 2011 6:33 pm

g8dhe wrote:Waycar if you earthed the Blue/Orange then BOTH lights should come on if its pre2000.
Not having the circuits for post 2000 not sure I can advise after that date.
But if both lights don't come on and you are pre 2000 then there is something wrong with the lights / diodes, at least it doesn't mean there is or isn't a fault with the alternator as well, but there is something wrong with the sediment light circuit if it doesn't come on.
Hi Geoff, yes both lights did come on when I earthed the Blue/Orange wire, hopefully will be checking the output of the alternator tomorrow with a multimeter to see whats happening
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by waycar8 » Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:02 pm

Just tested alternator output, it reads 14:2 on tickover then I tested battery terminal with engine off and it was 12 volts then turned on engine and it read 14:2 volts! Same as alternator on tickover
Is it supposed to read 14:4 tickover on when engfine is revved?
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by missfixit70 » Mon Aug 15, 2011 1:14 pm

That sounds fine Wayne, depends on the state of charge of the battery & any loads on it, the alternator output will increase with revs. 12v on the battery is a bit low TBH, give it a good charge & see where it settles again, should be more like 12.5vish.
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by waycar8 » Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:10 pm

Thanks Kirsty so I decided to check the battery again to see if I misread the first one (borrowed a different multimeter)

This time it read......
Engine off
Battery = 12.6v
Alt = 12.6v

Then when I tuned the key for the dash lights to come on it dropped to 12.2v

Engine on
Battery = 13.4v
Alt = 13.4v

Revved the engine and the Voltage went up just 1 volt

Now I dont know if the results were different because it was a different multimeter or not or that something is a miss
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Re: no charge and sediment light on dash

Post by missfixit70 » Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:40 pm

So it was at 13.4v on startup at tickover (was anything else switched on?), then went up 1v with revs so it was up to 14.4v dependant on revs? What did it settle back down to at tickover? Should be between @13.8 -14.4v, doesn't sound too far out to me.
You'd expect the battery voltage to drop when you turn the ignition on, it's powering the glow plugs which is a big draw, then the starter as well.
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