Battery telltale light at high RPM

Topics relating to the Lotus Exige S1 (series 1)
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deggles
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I've noticed when giving it the beans (above about 6500rpm) my battery light flickers on. I can see via the ECU that the voltage dips to around 12.3V at this point. Most of the time voltage is around 13.9 (slightly higher at the battery terminals).

Data logger showing the point where the light comes on:
battery voltage dip.jpg
battery voltage dip.jpg (55.11 KiB) Viewed 12547 times
Any thoughts on what would cause this? Is it just a slipping alternator belt? There's no audible slippage but I guess it's quite hard to tell with the VHPD at full chat!

Am hoping the alternator isn't goosed as this one's only done a few hundred miles and not really been abused much yet. I'd have thought a failing regulator would over- rather than under-charge at higher rpm?

Any advice appreciated :thumbup:
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jonnyfox
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I had something similar on my S2, it would flash on for a split second so hard to catch. This isn't any help at all but the Odyssey wouldn't take a charge after a while and a few months later I needed a new alternator. I'm not even sure they were related but both happened in quick time.
R300
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deggles
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Cheers, yeah, it can be chicken and egg with batteries and alternators, a bad one of either can kill the other.

Going to get the car in the air and check the belt tension tomorrow. I'm really hoping the alt doesn't have to come out as it's a right pain with the aircon pipes in the way :roll:
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andybond
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Double check your terminals are tight. Mine ( s2 ) did this when I was a plonker and did not nip them up
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Rob999
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Check the earthing points too...👍
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winthattt
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I’d go for a bad connection as well. When the engine is not running the battery should be 12.6 volts or there abouts. Drawing current with no alternator charging will drop the voltage. Alternating charging will lift the voltage to 14volts. Looks like it’s the connection from the alternator to the battery. I had the cable (+ve) from the back of the alternator fracture. Mine bolted on to the alternator with a simple nut and o tab. The o tab fell off and I had to drill a new hole in the remainder of the o tab and reconnect it.

Worth a look.
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