Running on batt!

[me.guevara]

After many problems with my OEM alternator, I ended up replacing it with a Mean Green alt - wonderful performance so far.

Unfortunately, despite the new alt, a few days ago I found myself on the side of the road after draining my battery to 6 volts - the alt had not been charging it.

The battery light in the dash doesn't light when this happens...

Under the presumption that the problem is not the alt (I'll pull it out and have it checked), what else can cause this problem?

Thanks guys!

Cheers,

[Rebelman]

Unless you have something electrical left on all the time seems like the new alt needs checking out?

[Disco Mike]

Assuming you have good connections to and from the alternator, I can't think of anything else that would cause this problem.
You need to get the battery fully charged and then have someone perform a load test on the battery and alternator.
Mike

[me.guevara]

Thanks guys.

Here's another symptom: the battery reads about 10 volts (I'll have it recharged tomorrow) - with the engine running, the alt's "output" is about 10 volts.

First, the alt used to produce about 13 volts, and second, it's probably the battery's voltage that I'm reading at the alt. Isn't the battery supposed to be connected to alt on a "one-way" (alt to battery only - diode, right?) circuit?

I'll have to take the Beast to the mech tomorrow for a charging and load test...

Thanks again,

[Disco Mike]

At 10 volts out put from the alternator, she is dead. They must put out 14.0 to 14.8 volts and the battery to be fully chagred should be at 13.8 to 14.6 depending on it's condition and age.
If you can get get a full charge on the battery, you will have at least 2 hours of driving time if you don't use your head lights.
Mike

[Bene]

not sure if it's been suggested yet, but I had the same kind of problems when my belt was routed wrong (wasn't me )

is it belt going from the AC pump the the alt and down to the to the fan like it should? or is it going to from the alt to power steering pump?

[me.guevara]

It hadn't been mentioned, yet. Thanks for your suggestion - that was one of the first things I checked. The belt is routed in accordance with the manual:

[Disco Mike]

It is not a routing problem, if it were he wouldn't have had any charge from the alternator.
It is just a bad alternator.
Mike

[jhmover]

Charge the battery up with a battery charger, then take it someplace and have them do a load test on it (like Kragen). Batteries will short out inside (one plate comes loose and touches another), this will cause a battery drain (it actually shorts itself out). Then you think it's your alternator causing the probelm when it's not. This can especially happen when you are off roading and the battery is getting bounced around alot.

[me.guevara]

Originally Posted by jhmover

Charge the battery up with a battery charger, then take it someplace and have them do a load test on it (like Kragen). Batteries will short out inside (one plate comes loose and touches another), this will cause a battery drain (it actually shorts itself out). Then you think it's your alternator causing the probelm when it's not. This can especially happen when you are off roading and the battery is getting bounced around alot.

You really know how to hurt a guy!

We don't have "someplace" here (that's right, no Autozone, no Kragen - I don't even have someplace like Walmart!) and I don't go "off roading" recreationally (and even then, when we go on trips, it's not as much as I'd like to). Ah, but there are other things that make up for it...

Btw, the battery is brand new and holds a charge just fine. Thanks for the suggestion, nonetheless.

I just got a call from the electrician who has tested the alt - it works 5 by 5. We've narrowed it down to a wiring problem that they're going to try to diagnose tomorrow.

I'm VERY relieved that it wasn't my brand new Mean Green alternator...

Cheers,

[jhmover]

Oops. sorry I didn't notice you were in Bolivia!!! Interested to find out what the cure is though.

JH

[me.guevara]

Turns out it was a wiring short somehwere that prevented the alt from charging the battery. I was not able to extract any more details from the person who returned the disco to me, as he wasn't the one who fixed it (the electrician had already left the shop).

I'll take a closer look at the fix this weekend to see if I can wean any more information from the Beast...

Thanks for the advice and support guys!

Peace,

[Badger1]

Originally Posted by Disco Mike

It is not a routing problem, if it were he wouldn't have had any charge from the alternator.
It is just a bad alternator.
Mike

Mike I just noticed this. On any other vehicle that would be true... but not on a Disco 1! Believe it or not, for the first 3 or 4 months of owning my D1 I drove around with the belt routed wrong. Even took it to the dealer because it acted funny and wanted a new belt. They took the belt off, brought it in to the service writer to show him the belt did not need to be replaced, then put it back onto my truck the same way it was originally routed. I figured it out when I got sick of it squeling, and the tach not working when cold, so I bought a new belt and when I went to put the new one on, that is when I had discovered the routing problem. I have read about this a ton on the internet and apparently they are like the only vehicles that this can happen to, serpentine routed incorrectly, and the vehicle still runs! Get that...only our Rovers!