Dead alternator, temporary fix?
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Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Hi,
I have a dead alternator. Battery isn't charging. The alternator reads about 10v output. I know it needs replacing but we are about halfway round a European road trip and struggling to get the part delivered conveniently no matter where we try. Had one on order from euro car parts but it's now out of stock! Constantly reordering as we move around sounds like a nightmare for the next week or so when it's so easy to replace in the UK.
Currently charging the battery with a trickle charger on a campsite. My question is, if we trickle charge every night so we have a full battery, can we get by with just a few hours driving every day? The charge will get the battery started obviously but should I be worried about driving on a slowly depleting battery? We also have the leisure battery to jump off if in a bind (charging with solar panel and electric hookup when we have it).
Any other bright ideas bongoers? Also asking on the Facebook group.
Thank you
I have a dead alternator. Battery isn't charging. The alternator reads about 10v output. I know it needs replacing but we are about halfway round a European road trip and struggling to get the part delivered conveniently no matter where we try. Had one on order from euro car parts but it's now out of stock! Constantly reordering as we move around sounds like a nightmare for the next week or so when it's so easy to replace in the UK.
Currently charging the battery with a trickle charger on a campsite. My question is, if we trickle charge every night so we have a full battery, can we get by with just a few hours driving every day? The charge will get the battery started obviously but should I be worried about driving on a slowly depleting battery? We also have the leisure battery to jump off if in a bind (charging with solar panel and electric hookup when we have it).
Any other bright ideas bongoers? Also asking on the Facebook group.
Thank you
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Oops, it's a 1997 2.5l diesel
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Hello,
I once had a Rover SDI saloon (utter dog) and had a very similar alternator problem to yours - the thing had a huge trip computer and petrol injection system, that must have been a very heavy drain on battery. I drove ~300miles though the night with just two stops of about 30-40mins to re-charge from any friendly AA and RAC vans I could find at the motorway services. It was mostly motorway, and vividly remember keeping a hawk eye on the alternator light, and gradually shutting down anything electric, including at one point the headlight!! to squeeze every last mile out of the thing.
If you have a leisure battery, maybe potential to charge both batteries fully over night, then start up on main battery, drive until nearlu dead, then without shutting the engine down, remove and switch batteries to run on the leisure. Drive on until your next over night campsite, leaving some margin of course. Depending where you are and how far to return, with careful planning you could attempt something similar. I assume you have european breakdown with recovery, just in case it all goes pete tong.
You could end up toasting both batteries mind; so suggest you should plan things to leave plenty of margin and not flatten them completely.
With some planning and luck, it might be a fun ending to your holiday and a tale to tell down the pub
I once had a Rover SDI saloon (utter dog) and had a very similar alternator problem to yours - the thing had a huge trip computer and petrol injection system, that must have been a very heavy drain on battery. I drove ~300miles though the night with just two stops of about 30-40mins to re-charge from any friendly AA and RAC vans I could find at the motorway services. It was mostly motorway, and vividly remember keeping a hawk eye on the alternator light, and gradually shutting down anything electric, including at one point the headlight!! to squeeze every last mile out of the thing.
If you have a leisure battery, maybe potential to charge both batteries fully over night, then start up on main battery, drive until nearlu dead, then without shutting the engine down, remove and switch batteries to run on the leisure. Drive on until your next over night campsite, leaving some margin of course. Depending where you are and how far to return, with careful planning you could attempt something similar. I assume you have european breakdown with recovery, just in case it all goes pete tong.
You could end up toasting both batteries mind; so suggest you should plan things to leave plenty of margin and not flatten them completely.
With some planning and luck, it might be a fun ending to your holiday and a tale to tell down the pub
4wd diesel, 1999 ex tintop with lowline raising roof
Keep a cool head, black ball game.
Keep a cool head, black ball game.
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Once started the diesel engine will run with no electrics at all, just a case of the battery keeping indicators/brake lights/radio and all going.
I recon if you can charge every night you'll do it.
I recon if you can charge every night you'll do it.
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Ryan, I can get an alternator to you by 6pm Tuesday as long as you are on mainland EU. But I need to know by 12 noon Friday. Email me at [email protected]
668. The Neighbour of The Beast.
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Thanks Ian. I still have one on order but I don't know an exact day/time. It may work out the same. I'll find out first thing in the morning and get back to you. Thank you so muchIan wrote: ↑Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:30 pm Ryan, I can get an alternator to you by 6pm Tuesday as long as you are on mainland EU. But I need to know by 12 noon Friday. Email me at [email protected]
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Haha, just keep asking the question and you'll get the answer you want. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Cheers
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Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Had the same happen on my diesel and agree with Bob - not much to draw power on a diesel driving in daylight and once you've started the engine (thats the big drain though my diesel has always started at the touch of a key so not much power used even for that though glowplugs stay glowing for a while after start at low rpm i believe). Regarding the leisure battery as reserve, jump leads might be the most rough and ready solution for transferring power - i've done that successfully on two occasions when i've had a flat SB. Good luck and keep us posted. Oh and its the 90Amphr alternator you've ordered I hope? Thats the one the Bongo needs I believe.
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
My guess is you only need the red/posi jump lead as both batteries are earthed.
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Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Bear in mind that Starter Batteries whilst are good for brief high currents they don't like being heavily discharged so draining the SB down to well below 11 volts will harm them and reduce there overall life significantly. Whilst they will appear to come back you can expect there overall life usually measured as 3-5+ years to reduce to maybe half that amount, and if repeated a few times I think I would look to replace the SB and Alternator together rather than find that the SB starts to have problems 6 months down line ....
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Depending on what is actually wrong with the alternator if its sticking/worn brushes sometimes tapping the casing with a hammer (or similar) can get it temporarily charging again, same idea as whacking a starter motor. Just don't go nuts with the hammer, you don't want to smash the casing.
95 2.5d 4WD AFT
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Sorry but that is not exactly true, you need power to the Stop Solenoid etc and the ECU, and if the bongo is automatic it needs a power supply also.
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Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Absolutely - I suspect Bob knows that and was just giving the 'quick guide' view. It would be interesting to know though what sort of power drain the diesel is likely to make, as I was left wondering that on my long alternator-less drive home. I think the engine was running for 3hrs or more and when I got home I switched engine off and restarted it a few times just to see if the battery felt a bit lower on power. But it seemed as perky as when I'd set off. I was left feeling that whatever the power drain was, it wasn't big. Also of course I like a 95amphr SB (and a 135amph LB in reserve, with jump leads), so thats got to be useful when the alternator packs up.
Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
- mikeonb4c
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Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?
Hopefully teenmal will come back with an idea of power requirements, as that might really help the afflicted to estimate how long they can expect their diesel to run before total shutdown.