Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 04 March 2012, 18:22:10

Title: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 04 March 2012, 18:22:10
Right, my Omega's an ex-plod, 3.2. Originally with GLS trim inside (AFAIK), previous owner has fitted heated leather.

 I noticed last night that when the headlamps, blowers, and pax heated seat were on, the alternator light was very, very dimly lit. I'm assuming it's down to the load being put through it causing a problem.

 Apart from banning Woman from having a toasty bottom... where do I start? I've cleaned the positive battery terminal up recently... I'm thinking either a fault with the alternator or the battery (which looks to be the original, 164k old)...

Oh, and any recommendations for a decent, reasonably priced multimeter? I assume I'm going to need one...
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: tigers_gonads on 04 March 2012, 18:27:50
Stick a meter across the battery terminals and see what the voltage is at idle with a good load on then without a load.
If your lucky, you might get away with changing the diode pack on the alternator  :y


Multimeter from B&Q 
About a tenner  :y
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: Lazydocker on 04 March 2012, 23:49:44
My money is on a degraded crimp connection at the battery terminals ;)
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: zirk on 04 March 2012, 23:59:51
Most ex plod have upgraded Alternators, so should be able to cope, so as suggested, Battery on its way out, Battery terminals, bad Neg return, or loose or slipping Aux belt. 
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: Martian on 05 March 2012, 04:58:25
Stick a meter across the battery terminals and see what the voltage is at idle with a good load on then without a load.
If your lucky, you might get away with changing the diode pack on the alternator  :y


Multimeter from B&Q 
About a tenner  :y
Make that 2500rpm.
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: fiend61 on 05 March 2012, 06:13:16
actually states in the manual that at idle this can happen  :y  if it goes out when slightly increasing revs then the manual says it is nothing to worry about  :y
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: Kevin Wood on 05 March 2012, 09:57:36
actually states in the manual that at idle this can happen  :y  if it goes out when slightly increasing revs then the manual says it is nothing to worry about  :y

If it didn't do it before, though, something has degraded, and catching it now might avoid getting stranded.

I'm with Lazydocker's suggestion as a first port of call, followed by checking the straps between battery negative terminal, chassis and engine.

Then work through this guide and make sure all is OK.

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90619.0 (http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=90619.0)
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 05 March 2012, 18:17:05
Brilliant, ta chaps - I'll be doing a load of work to it over the next week or so, so I'll go through all of the above. :y
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 26 January 2023, 17:29:19
11 years later and this fault has returned. I cannot remember what I did last time so tomorrow is going to be a bit of diagnostic time...

Also this means I've put about 30k on it in my ownership - easy life for the poor old thing, less than 3k a year!
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: Andy B on 26 January 2023, 20:44:58
many many many moons ago when I had a very dimly lit alternator light on my Omega  .... I noticed that the crimp connector to the positive battery terminal was warm. I borrowed large crimp pliers from work & managed to get the crimp a nadgers tighter.
Sorted!
Title: Re: Alternator light very dimly lit
Post by: GastronomicKleptomaniac on 27 January 2023, 08:44:27
Naturally before I go to work its raining cats, dogs, hamsters and tortoises (whoch hurt).

Luckily I've pinched LadyGK's car to get there... Hopefully its a bit drier later!