Alternator broken but not broken?

NightHawk · Post by **NightHawk** » Thu May 14, 2009 12:30 am

I have a problem with the alternator, actually for a while now, first the lights charge,
brake fluid and stop lamp on the dashboard came on, then the water in the battery
emptied recently. So i figured it was charging on a high current, therefor i took it apart,
diodes were fine, the windings showed normal ohms, so i figured it was the regulator...
i changed the regulator, checked everything... still lights on the dashboard. It charges
on normal volts at least. If i take it out the light go off... i don't get it.

anyone know what this is?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu May 14, 2009 6:34 pm

Maybe you've got some wiring issues under the bonnet that you don't know about/havn't looked at or thought about.

If the alternator itself checks out properly then there must be something more abroad - Have you swapped in another alternator to see if there's any change in the problem?

Good luck with it, I know how frustrating wiring issues can be - I've still got a drain on my battery that is now concealed by a new strong battery...

Cheers

Bennie

mattl200 · Post by **mattl200** » Thu May 14, 2009 9:08 pm

check the thick white wire didnt melt any wires together in the loom between the alt and battery when it emptyed the water from the battery

NightHawk · Post by **NightHawk** » Thu May 14, 2009 9:30 pm

well i checked all the wiring when i was all over this and they deliver. The thing is i used to have another alternator that worked just fine, then suby died when i was mountain climbing in snow of all things :P so i immediately figured it was the alternator that didn't charge, so i took it apart to find the problem and turns out that one was badly build, it was fine until i opened it and some soldering just came loose, just like that. Later i find out it was just the battery that was empty :P well then i take out the old one and try to bring that one back to life, all tests check out but still there are lights on the dashboard. Only thing i can think of is wiring inside the alternator, the one's i can't get to, or there are some leftovers from the old regulator, the battery did measure 13 volts all by itself when i but the alternator back in with another regulator. But i find both of these unlikely because this alternator is very solid comparing to the other two that i have and changes in the charge should work instantly. So i'm all out of ideas :S

NightHawk · Post by **NightHawk** » Fri May 15, 2009 5:06 am

oh i think i forgot to metion, nothing seems wrong except the lights on the dashboard and... it stalls once in a while when it's on this alternator.

NightHawk · Post by **NightHawk** » Sun May 17, 2009 5:43 am

Does the ea82 have a charge controller?

NightHawk · Post by **NightHawk** » Wed May 20, 2009 6:40 am

after alot of testing i found out the problem... apparently the badly fasten diodes
(a pin that goes into a plate on top, under some rubber glue thingy) (-) diodes were
open both ways, i took the (-) plate from an old alternator i have but turns out one
of the diodes was loose so i'm now gluing it back on. Does anyone know why it's
done this way? why they don't just use normal diodes? does this system have some
kind of advantage? heat sink of some sort?