Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Technical questions and answers about the Mazda Bongo

Moderators: Doone, westonwarrior

ryan6767
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:11 pm

Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by ryan6767 » Thu Sep 05, 2019 6:58 pm

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
ryan6767
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:11 pm

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by ryan6767 » Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:01 pm

Oops, it's a 1997 2.5l diesel
gilly99
Bongonaut
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 6:20 pm
Location: Seville, Spain

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by gilly99 » Thu Sep 05, 2019 7:29 pm

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 :-)
4wd diesel, 1999 ex tintop with lowline raising roof
Keep a cool head, black ball game.
Bob
Supreme Being
Posts: 15255
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:54 pm
Location: North Somerset

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by Bob » Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:38 pm

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. [-o<
Ian
Supreme Being
Posts: 5885
Joined: Wed Jun 09, 2004 2:47 pm
Location: Bongo Mission Control

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by Ian » 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]
668. The Neighbour of The Beast.
ryan6767
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:11 pm

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by ryan6767 » Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:47 pm

Ian 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]
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 much
ryan6767
Apprentice Bongonaut
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2019 12:11 pm

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by ryan6767 » Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:48 pm

Bob wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:38 pm 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. [-o<
Haha, just keep asking the question and you'll get the answer you want. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Cheers
User avatar
mikeonb4c
Supreme Being
Posts: 22871
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:49 pm
Location: Living with Mango Bongo in the North West but with a tendency to roam
Contact:

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by mikeonb4c » Fri Sep 06, 2019 9:38 am

ryan6767 wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 9:48 pm
Bob wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:38 pm 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. [-o<
Haha, just keep asking the question and you'll get the answer you want. That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Cheers
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.
Bob
Supreme Being
Posts: 15255
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:54 pm
Location: North Somerset

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by Bob » Fri Sep 06, 2019 9:59 am

My guess is you only need the red/posi jump lead as both batteries are earthed.
User avatar
g8dhe
Supreme Being
Posts: 10179
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:06 pm
Location: Worthing, West Sussex.
Contact:

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by g8dhe » Fri Sep 06, 2019 10:11 am

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 ....
Geoff
2001 Aero V6, AFT, full side conversion.
Image Spherical Visions
nth
Bongolier
Posts: 350
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 3:21 pm
Location: Scotland

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by nth » Fri Sep 06, 2019 10:21 am

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
teenmal
Supreme Being
Posts: 3656
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:08 pm
Location: north lanarkshire

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by teenmal » Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:42 am

Bob wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:38 pm 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. [-o<




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.
User avatar
mikeonb4c
Supreme Being
Posts: 22871
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:49 pm
Location: Living with Mango Bongo in the North West but with a tendency to roam
Contact:

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by mikeonb4c » Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:17 pm

teenmal wrote: Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:42 am
Bob wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:38 pm 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. [-o<




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.
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. 8)
Bob
Supreme Being
Posts: 15255
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:54 pm
Location: North Somerset

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by Bob » Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:21 pm

teenmal wrote: Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:42 am
Bob wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:38 pm 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. [-o<




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.

No worries, thankyou. 8)
User avatar
mikeonb4c
Supreme Being
Posts: 22871
Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:49 pm
Location: Living with Mango Bongo in the North West but with a tendency to roam
Contact:

Re: Dead alternator, temporary fix?

Post by mikeonb4c » Mon Sep 09, 2019 6:12 pm

Bob wrote: Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:21 pm
teenmal wrote: Sun Sep 08, 2019 10:42 am
Bob wrote: Thu Sep 05, 2019 8:38 pm 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. [-o<






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.

No worries, thankyou. 8)
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.
Post Reply

Return to “Techie Stuff”