Is my generator stuffed? (93 NH 3.0L)

[kfet]

Pulled into a service station on my way home from work to replace one of the headlamp globes that had blown. What a painful exercise! Probably because i also had to mend the park lamp on the same side (right). The wiring down to the bull bar indicator was one sorry job and i ended up blowing the fuse while messing around in there.

Anyway, I eventually had all lamps working (after replacing the indicator fuse) and pulled off, only to find that I had no battery charge anymore! As I was driving the few hundred meters to my house the lights started fading and I had to switch them off to keep the engine running! (The battery has been quite weak (or undercharged!) to be honest. Just that small amount of light testing made it only just possible to start afterwards!)

Having successfully parked i started flicking through the repair manual and it appears that the voltage regulator is located inside the generator?? -- And hence virtually unreplacable on its own...?

I also flicked through the operating manual and I realise that I don't think I've seen the battery warning lamp light up at all before. I'm pretty sure I've only ever seen the "check engine" lamp light up when i turn on the ignition. But then as I was sitting there in the dark turning the ignition on and off I found to my surprise that the battery symbol came on a few times only to disappear again! A bad connection?

Any ideas?? Hints highly appreciated!

Kristian

[Campo]

Kristian
Sounds like a dodgy voltage regulator in your alternator. Reasonably cheap and eay to change normally. Should be a bolt on job onto the side your alternator with a few wires heading back into a plug.
Never looked at mine though.
While the car is running you should be running all your electrics off the alternator. If it isn't doing it's job then the battery will go flat. This is the expensive part of the exercise.

Hope this helps
Paul

[kfet]

Thanks for the reply,

I also thought that the voltage regulater would be easily replaced, like on older bosch alternators, but i thoroughly inspected the alternator and found nothing but the main wire terminals.. Looking at the exploded view of the alternator in the repair manual it appears that the regulator (and the "diode pack") is located inside the alternator and that it's necessary to unsolder wires etc etc to get to it...

I don't suppose that there's any fuse on the charging circuit that could be preventing it from charging. Before this incident I had a pretty good charging voltage on the dashboard meter of close to 14 volts... But like i said, the battery easily goes (almost) flat if leaving interior lights on etc.

The battery still had power to turn the engine a few turns after i had parked. Knowing this i assume that the battery is not to blame for the lack of charge with the engine running...?

[jimako]

Could also be the brushes worn out, not making good contact.
Easy and cheap fix..

[kfet]

It makes sense that it is a regulator or brush issue.

But am i right that it requires above average diy skills to unsolder the alternator and pull it apart to access these parts??

[jimako]

I say give it a go, Its not to hard. just remember where the wires go..