Alternator

[Junkers]

Hey

My car has had some starion syndrome lately.
When I test my battery I get a read out of 12.2V, but when I start the car it gives a read out of 11.8V, damn sure it's the alternator but what makes me think twice is the engine runs real shit (idling at 300rpm etc), don't think it's the cables but what and where should I check?

Any experiences or is this normal for a stuffed alternator?

[SpidersWeb]

At 700rpm my voltage is 14.4V. If you can have a friend hold the revs at say 1500, then test again and if you aren't showing at least 13 or so volts, then its the alternator, or one of its connectors.

Do your reverse lights work?

[flav]

Matey, @ 300rpm-ish yr Staz will be hardly charging... so do what the web man said and get back to us!

[hcca]

I found with my Starion that if the alternator wasn't charging properly, the engine would barely run at all and was pretty much impossible to drive.

[Junkers]

I don't intenionally idle my car at 300rpm, it's just started doing that recently.

Do my reverse lights work? :?

I'm gonna have to get a mate round and check this as I only have one pair of hands, let you know the updates soon, cheers

[SpidersWeb]

Yeah, you remember that other alternator post earlier. If the reverse lights fuse is blown, the alternator will not charge correctly because thats the circuit it reads the car voltage from.

Have fun :)

[Junkers]

Just went out there, zero fluxuation in voltage while car is running/reving (voltage at 11.8V).

Wheres this reverse light fuse? I havent checked the lights as I can't see them but can't I just check the fuse?

[fil]

Why cant you see your reverse lights?
The fuse is in the main fuse panel under the steering wheel

[Junkers]

Because I would of been sitting in the car holding the clutch in and it was daytime. I checked the fuse box, the closest I could find to reverse lights was "Back", I assume this is it and the fuse is fine.

I thought the reverse lights might of had there own fuse since it relays important info and there'd be less to go wrong with it if there were only two lights vs the whole back setup.

[NachoMan]

Switch the ignition to the 'on' position, (without starting the car), whack it in reverse and go and have a look-see...

[Junkers]

Reverse lights go

I just changed the alternator today, i havent got to try it out because i had to cut the crimp off the alternator and now it's bare wire, engine runs the same as it was before (off the battery) so when I buy a crimp set tomorrow the verdict will follow :)

By the way starions are a pain in the arse to change alternators with, had to take off the belt assembly and crank wheel.

[fil]

How small was your belt? in my experiance they are a piece of piss to change.
10-20min max

[Junkers]

Too small, I originally bought the one the book said but it was too big so I went back to the store and had a rough guess at what I would need. So I had to take off the water pump wheel and with that the p/s unit belt came off aswell.

Then when trying to get the damn thing out, the p/s pipes/intercooler pipes got in the way which lead to me taking the crank wheel off to slide it out of a small gap. Not to mention I had to remove some of the intercooler pipes to get my hands in there :x the siezed nut on the alternator didn't help either.

Ah well it's done now and I'm done bitching :P

[BLOFLY]

Bosch Part no. 11A0965 -Raw Edge Cogged Super Belt is the correct length alternator belt I think.

[fil]

Yer ive also had that problem with belts, it seems the bosch listing is incorrect, rather that or they gave me the wrong part. :roll: