Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega Electrical and Audio Help => Topic started by: Lazydocker on 29 October 2010, 19:24:08
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Need some advise here...
Battery light glows very faintly when a load is on. It seems to get slightly brighter with increased RPM and gets dimmer the longer the car has been running. I have cleaned the body earth poins and currently have a good quality jump lead connected between the battery 0V and an engine bracket for earthing but not a massive improvement.
Is this likely to be a poor/corroded connection at the Alternator and how much of a PITA is it to get the alternator off?
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Voltage regulator failing.
Multiram setup out.
Aux belt off.
Disconnect battery
Remove the two securing bolts (one end is torx, the other end hex)
swing the alternator out and disconnect the two rear electrical connections.
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Voltage regulator failing.
Multiram setup out.
Aux belt off.
Disconnect battery
Remove the two securing bolts (one end is torx, the other end hex)
swing the alternator out and disconnect the two rear electrical connections.
Thanks Rob... I reckon it may actually be the connection at the regulator as these do suffer with corrosion but need to get it out to check I suppose. TBH, it has been like it for over a year now, just starting to git a little worse now (probably because I want to use the heated seats/screen again!) so could well be the connection.
How long (roughly) do you reckon it takes?
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..... the battery 0V and .....
Which one is that? I only have a +ve & -ve on my battery. ;) ;) ;)
You've been taking too much notice of the electrickery sparks here ;D ;D ;D
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..... the battery 0V and .....
Which one is that? I only have a +ve & -ve on my battery. ;) ;) ;)
You've been taking too much notice of the electrickery sparks here ;D ;D ;D
That will be your earth connection ;D
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..... the battery 0V and .....
Which one is that? I only have a +ve & -ve on my battery. ;) ;) ;)
You've been taking too much notice of the electrickery sparks here ;D ;D ;D
That will be your earth connection ;D
I may have been absent for a couple of weeks but knew someone would bite if I worded it like that ;D ;D ;D
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Does it brighten with all loads or just some? Could also be some voltage drop on the supply to the instrument panel - but most likely an alternator that has a failed diode in the rectifier pack. If you can get to the terminals connect a voltmeter between the b+ and indicator light terminals on the alternator and see if you get a significant rising voltage here with increasing load.
Kevin
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Mine did this back in the summer and the + battery terminal was getting hot. Was the crimped joint between the main cable and the battery terminal itself going bad.
I got a new terminal and cut back the old cable and joined a new piece of cable between the two. Its been good as gold since. I think it was you Kevin who told me about it. Worth checking anyhow. I only noticed it at night and the more load I put on, the brighter the warning lamp got. :o
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hmm... I must admit I was convinced it was a connection issue and my terminals do seem to get quite hot!
Perhaps I should be looking at the terminals first?
Yes Kevin, it doesn't matter what load is applied, the light glows slightly brighter with anything. As a matter of note, the reading at the battery terminals never drops below about 12.4V and this problem did improve considerably when I replaced the battery earlier this year (which I may well have to do again ::))
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Have you seen MarkDTM's guide Repairing the Alternator (http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1153772945)?
I found removing the alternator relatively easy (for an Omega.....).
If I were in your position I would check the connections first but be prepared to take the alternator and have a look under the plastic cover to see what state it is in.
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hmm... I must admit I was convinced it was a connection issue and my terminals do seem to get quite hot!
Perhaps I should be looking at the terminals first?
Yes Kevin, it doesn't matter what load is applied, the light glows slightly brighter with anything. As a matter of note, the reading at the battery terminals never drops below about 12.4V and this problem did improve considerably when I replaced the battery earlier this year (which I may well have to do again ::))
Forgot about the most likely cause! If it's dropping to 12.4 with the engine running and the terminal(s) are getting hot fix them first. Normally the positive battery terminal fails as the crimp becomes loose where the cable from the alternator connects. :y
Kevin
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hmm... I must admit I was convinced it was a connection issue and my terminals do seem to get quite hot!
Perhaps I should be looking at the terminals first?
Yes Kevin, it doesn't matter what load is applied, the light glows slightly brighter with anything. As a matter of note, the reading at the battery terminals never drops below about 12.4V and this problem did improve considerably when I replaced the battery earlier this year (which I may well have to do again ::))
Forgot about the most likely cause! If it's dropping to 12.4 with the engine running and the terminal(s) are getting hot fix them first. Normally the positive battery terminal fails as the crimp becomes loose where the cable from the alternator connects. :y
Kevin
Like I said, was my gut feeling. Especially as it seems to have gotten very gradually worse for about a year :-[ :-[
Can the +ve connection be crimped again or is a replacement needed?
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I think I gave mine a good tug, if you pardon the expression :y
and gave it a spray with WD40 to try and prove it, and it made the light go out. Lasted a week or two until I could make a proper repair.
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I didnt have any means of crimping the joint as it was very tough. I considered soldering it, but it would have been difficult to get the joint hot enough without melting the insulation of the cable.
In the end I cut back the cable a little and put a heavy duty connecter on and put about 6 inches of new cable in, to a new battery terminal.
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I've just started my Omega to move it, & it appears that my car has come out in sympathy, the charge light is glowing very dimly at idle. :'( I noticed that my battery cable was warm ages ago & chose to ignore it.
A job for Wednesday I think. :y
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Can the +ve connection be crimped again or is a replacement needed?
Depends how badly the wire has burnt. Best option is to cut back any burnt wire and fit a screw-on battery terminal from halfrauds because you need a serious crimping tool to do one of those.
Could also buy a complete new cable assy from battery to starter. :-/
Kevin
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I've just started my Omega to move it, & it appears that my car has come out in sympathy, the charge light is glowing very dimly at idle. :'( I noticed that my battery cable was warm ages ago & chose to ignore it.
A job for Wednesday I think. :y
::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
So did I... About 11 months ago to be precise :-[ :-[ :-[ ::) ::) ::)
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Can the +ve connection be crimped again or is a replacement needed?
Depends how badly the wire has burnt. Best option is to cut back any burnt wire and fit a screw-on battery terminal from halfrauds because you need a serious crimping tool to do one of those.
Kevin
Will do... But I'll probably use my local factors as they will only charge pennies more than Halfrauds and are 7 miles (each way) closer ::) :y
Could also buy a complete new cable assy from battery to starter. :-/
But that would involve:
1. Going to the stealers
2. some proper work to replace it!
I'll go with the replacement terminals first as it could still be the regulator in the alternator (although unlikely) ::) ;) :y
Thanks for the help. :y :y
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Yep, will be a pain in the a$$ to change the whole wire. If there's not enough decent wire to reach I personally would cut it back, use a butt connector to add some fresh wire and fit the battery terminal to that.
Something like this: http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/battconns/batttermls.php#butt
If it's been smouldering away for a year you might find it's blackened the copper back into the wire a bit.
Kevin
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Finally gotten around to sorting this today whilst at Johnnycboy's :-[ :-[
All fixed! The +ve terminal was the culprit and has definitely gotten very hot :-[ :-[
Drove back with headlights, 2x heated seats and heated rear screen on... Not even a flicker :y :y
Even seems to be driving a little better too, which is probably psychological but not entirely impossible with the modern engine if it was only registering 12.4 volts :-/
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Finally gotten around to sorting this today whilst at Johnnycboy's :-[ :-[
All fixed! The +ve terminal was the culprit and has definitely gotten very hot :-[ :-[
Drove back with headlights, 2x heated seats and heated rear screen on... Not even a flicker :y :y
Even seems to be driving a little better too, which is probably psychological but not entirely impossible with the modern engine if it was only registering 12.4 volts :-/
This thread made me have a look at my car. Ages back I noticed that the terminal was getting hot/warm but did nothing about it, but I recently noticed my charge light was just glowing. I borrowed a cable/crimp tool from work & crimped the +ve terminal up a bit.
So far ..... so good :-X
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Finally gotten around to sorting this today whilst at Johnnycboy's :-[ :-[
All fixed! The +ve terminal was the culprit and has definitely gotten very hot :-[ :-[
Drove back with headlights, 2x heated seats and heated rear screen on... Not even a flicker :y :y
Even seems to be driving a little better too, which is probably psychological but not entirely impossible with the modern engine if it was only registering 12.4 volts :-/
This thread made me have a look at my car. Ages back I noticed that the terminal was getting hot/warm but did nothing about it, but I recently noticed my charge light was just glowing. I borrowed a cable/crimp tool from work & crimped the +ve terminal up a bit.
So far ..... so good :-X
I bought a pair of terminals from my local factors (cheaper than Halfords :y) and cut the old ones off... The -ve wasn't too bad but the +ve was most definitely knackered ::)
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Good to hear it's all sorted now. :y
See you in a couple of weeks :)
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Good to hear it's all sorted now. :y
See you in a couple of weeks :)
Yep... Need to check the date at work because I've got a niggly feeling I'm meant to be going out in the afternoon for the Chrimbo p1$$ up