Alternator problems

[Huw Powell]

I don't like when anything is wrong with a car that makes you do things
to compensate.  (EG, I once damaged a door trying to baby a noisy CV
joint...)

If it is poor brush/ring contact, this should be fixed... brushes wear
and break in maybe, or perhaps the rings need to be
cleaned/recut/replaced?

I have seen a lot of this, luckily not on my cars, with new/reman
alternators, new regulator/brushes, etc.

Car won't make electricity until revved to 3k rpm, in cases where the
exciter circuit shuld be "good."

Of course that exciter circuit is one complex, nasty thing, travelling
as it does via the oil pressure warning control unit - which has a 3k
turnover to the second sender.  Food for thought there, I suppose.

We have played at doing things like jumping the exciter terminal
directly from the battery, with no change.

I certainly would buy into the exciter circuit/brush contact problems
theory - but then there should be a fix, a proper way to repair it.

> but you shouldn't have to rev it past 1000-1200 to get
> it to kick in....if you are having to take it up to 2
> or 3k suspect the excitation circuit

>  --- Avi Meron <avim at pacbell.net> wrote: > Not really
> that abnormal, you might have a "not so
> > good" contact between the
> > brushes and the rotor slip rings.  So long as it
> > works OK after revering the
> > engine don't worry about it.
> > Also common with VW, which use the same alternator.

> >
> > >Anytime I start my car, the voltmeter shows the car
> > is running on the
> > battery.  If I rev up the motor a bit, the
> > alternator will kick in.  From
> > then on, it works perfectly.  The problem is not the
> > belt slipping.  This
> > recently started a couple of weeks ago.  The
> > alternator is a 4 month old
> > bosch rebuilt on a 89 200TQ.  Anyone have a clue
> > what's wrong?

--
Huw Powell

http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/

http://www.humanthoughts.org/