I’ve had one of these before. It smoked a bit and eventually the warning light came on in the Stack and the car eventually ran out of electron juice and stopped.
After today’s catastrophic plug failure (see separate post) when I re-started after changing the plug, it became apparent that there was quite a lot of smoke in the engine bay. On looking closer it was definitely coming from the manifold side of the engine and seemed to be coming through or from the alternator.
I put a meter across the battery with the engine running and there seemed to be no current draw. Is there an easy way to check whether the aternator is charging???
If it is buggered, does anyone have any really useful tips on how to change it on a A/C equipped car? I know it’s supposed to be a sod to do and I know about slowing it down by changing the pulley, which I will do if it has to be changed.
Is it a clam off job?
Any tips greatly appreciated as the car is supposed to be going to Anglesey in a couple of weeks.
It’s running fine at the moment but somehow I’m doubtful that the alternator is doing its job any more.
Just check the voltage of the system with the engine running which should be between 13.5 and 14 volts if the alternator is functioning. Getting the alternator out through the wheelarch is possibel but it is a bruise knuckle job since space is very tight, getting the securing bolts out is also fun but possible, sometimes the alternator has to be levered out of the support bracket.
As Dave said just drop a meter across the battery - if the alternator is working you get approx 14V. Turn engine off and it should drop back to approx 12V.
However this happened to me, loads of smoke from alternator and a very “electrical” smell - On every dead alternator - also shorted out so battery went dead very quickly ( on the Ferry … long story .)
Anyhow it is possible to get to it and remove through the wheel arch - I found it quicker ( in the long run ) to remove the engine mount and disconnect the fuel filler pipe ( not easy its self ) to make a path for the alternator to come out and move engine a little. It may be possible without doing this - but I never could see the point of the Krypton Factor either …
The undertray will be best off as well so you can support engine.
The heat sheild may crumble away when you undo a few bolts where its held on - so consider having some big washers ready to hold it.
I would set aside 4-5 hours to do it start to finish.
That aircon compressor and mounting really makes for it being a PITA job Mike, as Andy says allow 4-5 hours. I would seriously consider rear clam removal.
It is easier to thread a camel through the eye of a needle
I’ve had one of these before. It smoked a bit and eventually the warning light came on in the Stack and the car eventually ran out of electron juice and stopped.
After today’s catastrophic plug failure (see separate post) when I re-started after changing the plug, it became apparent that there was quite a lot of smoke in the engine bay. On looking closer it was definitely coming from the manifold side of the engine and seemed to be coming through or from the alternator.
I put a meter across the battery with the engine running and there seemed to be no current draw. Is there an easy way to check whether the aternator is charging???
If it is buggered, does anyone have any really useful tips on how to change it on a A/C equipped car? I know it’s supposed to be a sod to do and I know about slowing it down by changing the pulley, which I will do if it has to be changed.
Is it a clam off job?
Any tips greatly appreciated as the car is supposed to be going to Anglesey in a couple of weeks.
It’s running fine at the moment but somehow I’m doubtful that the alternator is doing its job any more.
Mike, I had my a/c taken out and it probably won’t add too much time to this job. I also had the alternator moved to the non-a/c location lower down in the engine bay to remove some of the pulleys the fan belt runs round.
Note, if you do change a pulley you’ll need a different length fan belt. I steered away from changing the crank pulley and would have changed the alternator pulley to be bigger if I’d had time to source one and appropriate belt. I did fit some decent ducting from the drivers-side air intake.
The job was much easier up on the lift with the undertray off. Although the car kept going up and down to get to the top, side (though the wheel arch) and bottom. Without the a/c it took two hours with one mech (with a bad back) and me getting in the way.
Ok, so today I checked the voltage across the terminals as suggested and it seems to be fine, doing exactly as DVA has suggetsed. I guess that means it is OK.
In which case, where did all the smoke come from that led me to start this thread…?
Yeah, maybe just a bit of oil or something. You don’t need much to create a load of smoke.
What you doing here? You should have started on the ironing by now…or have you finished it in record time, in a vain attempt to win some “favours” (or nuts)?