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[TheBoy]

Plus there's lpg, cables and crap some eejit installed around the place.

Yeah, can see vapouriser being in a "less than convenient" location.  If unbolted from inner wing, enough slack on pipework to shift it enough? Probably not, knowing how little scoope there was for fitting it in the first place...

[aaronjb]

I noticed the backlight & dash lighting on mine is starting to pulse with a reasonable electrical load on the car now.. still, at least this is another job Gixers Universal Mechanical Services can be roped in for, clearly... 

[TheBoy]

I noticed the backlight & dash lighting on mine is starting to pulse with a reasonable electrical load on the car now.. still, at least this is another job Gixers Universal Mechanical Services can be roped in for, clearly... 

Happens on my 3.2 at idle. In my case, its the bloody LPG nozzles too big, causing the normal DBW hunting to be far worse

[feeutfo]

I noticed the backlight & dash lighting on mine is starting to pulse with a reasonable electrical load on the car now.. still, at least this is another job Gixers Universal Mechanical Services can be roped in for, clearly... 

So wHats on this list of yours so far?
Wishbones
Donuts
Stat

Alternator? Bearings are a bit rough on my old one. 96k old. Dash lights where dimming a bit on mine too. Will see how that behaves when I get the new one.

[feeutfo]

Dealers just rung me back, after their complete system failed this morning. Part did not arrive this morning.

If the weather closes in on the m4 tomorrow,  that's buggered the plans for the weekend now.

[aaronjb]

So wHats on this list of yours so far?
Wishbones
Donuts
Stat

Alternator? Bearings are a bit rough on my old one. 96k old. Dash lights where dimming a bit on mine too. Will see how that behaves when I get the new one.

Yup that's the list - oh and passenger side cam cover gasket that I've been too bone idle to replace 

Seriously though, I'll leave the alternator until it packs up - it's not like there aren't two other cars here to use*

(*Ok so one of them has no brakes at the moment, but that's beside the point )


Where's your alternator coming in to, Bracknell VX? If you need someone to pick it up on Saturday and can't make it there, let me know 

[feeutfo]

So wHats on this list of yours so far?
Wishbones
Donuts
Stat

Alternator? Bearings are a bit rough on my old one. 96k old. Dash lights where dimming a bit on mine too. Will see how that behaves when I get the new one.

Yup that's the list - oh and passenger side cam cover gasket that I've been too bone idle to replace 

Seriously though, I'll leave the alternator until it packs up - it's not like there aren't two other cars here to use*

(*Ok so one of them has no brakes at the moment, but that's beside the point )


Where's your alternator coming in to, Bracknell VX? If you need someone to pick it up on Saturday and can't make it there, let me know 

slough Burnham garage, as it arrived on weds as I was working that day.
There's no rush as far as travel goes, we have her Lexus, but the plan was to do smd's wishbones and poly donuts this weekend.

Not happening with my car stuck on the drive. And I think the weather will put an end to that idea anyway, by the looks, but we'll see.

Thanks though. 

[aaronjb]

No worries! Let me know if you want to come down and borrow the garage when you do get to doing them for SMD (or yourself! ) btw. I can't promise the floor won't be damp (some numpty forgot to specify a DPM when they laid the concrete pad.. numpty being me) but at least it won't be snowing in there

I promise I won't rope you in to doing mine at the same time 

[Gaffers]

Or if you want to use the workshops here let me know 

[feeutfo]

Thanks guys, lets see how it goes.

[kcl]

in my car top bolt entered rear to front, so nut was in front. Lower vice versa. I did not remove anything else... or I can not remember I did 

Bag pipes have to come out. Which on Dbw means moving the plenum.

I waisted time by removing the aux tensioner, which means moving the cable tray, in the hope that the alternator would then swing out with the bottom bolt removed, to allow access to the top nut and bolt. It didn't help.

My arm barely fits between the sump and subframe, and I need something longer to reach through to the top torx bolt. I just couldn't get on the bolt head.

I'll try moving the water bottle and tackle it from the top.

Bagpipes you can take off without taking plenum off. I'm quite sure I did not have to move plenum to replace alternator but might be I removed the bagpipe-thingy totally from engine bay.

[Kevin Wood]

Or if you want to use the workshops here let me know 

Or the (very reasonably priced!) fully refurbed correct alternator here.

[Lazydocker]

I noticed the backlight & dash lighting on mine is starting to pulse with a reasonable electrical load on the car now.. still, at least this is another job Gixers Universal Mechanical Services can be roped in for, clearly... 

Happens on my 3.2 at idle. In my case, its the bloody LPG nozzles too big, causing the normal DBW hunting to be far worse

Mine's started doing it too, although I haven't checked for DTC's or looked at the LPG tuning yet

The lazy stat probably isn't helping either

[05omegav6]

Thames Valley very kindly fitted a new one to mine at 90k, current one now done 150

[Kevin Wood]

Modern alternators are designed to damp the current delivery at low engine speeds to prevent the alternator belt slipping and to stop sudden changes in load from impacting idle quality. I suspect this is one reason why the dash lights tend to flicker (mine does it, I think less so now I have a new battery, though).

The heated seat elements are always cycling on and off and I find these are the biggest contributor. As a load switches on, the alternator doesn't immediately respond to the increased current demand, so the Voltage drops until the current delivery picks up, and this causes the lights to dim. At higher engine speeds the alternator damping is disabled, so it responds instantly, and no flickering.

My theory, anyway.