[ssingri]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Could this be a factor even when there is a drop in voltage at the alternator terminals?

The voltage drop at any point reflects a voltage drop in the whole electrical system unless the rectifier is stepping up/down the voltage on the output.

[Sutripta]

Originally Posted by R2D2

I know this is entirely off topic for this thread. But can you specify what the inverter brochure would say?

Discussing inverters would be really really OT. Suffice it to say that in a critical application, be sceptical of every claimed parameter!
For normal (noncritical) applications, one of the biggest problems is the selling of 'no maintainence' nature of the product. These products cannot distinguish a single cell going bad (low voltage, high internal impedence) and end up either overcharging or undercharging the whole chain. Greatly reducing the life of all the batteries.

Regards
Sutripta

[navin]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Thanks ! But how do I do this?
Could this be a factor even when there is a drop in voltage at the alternator terminals?

Any good multimeter can measure resistance.

voltage drop is a good indicator that the alternator coil is indeed heating up.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by navin

Any good multimeter can measure resistance.

voltage drop is a good indicator that the alternator coil is indeed heating up.

I guess I'll need to buy a multimeter !

Meanwhile the alternator has been replaced. The battery was not holding charge. The car was run for close to 2hrs with no AC, lights etc .. I then stopped the engine near a battery shop. Multimeter reading was around 12.xx. However on cranking it went down to 7. So changed the battery too !!

Could a bad battery have damaged the alternator or vice versa over the last few months?

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by shuvc

I guess I'll need to buy a multimeter !

Meanwhile the alternator has been replaced. The battery was not holding charge. The car was run for close to 2hrs with no AC, lights etc .. I then stopped the engine near a battery shop. Multimeter reading was around 12.xx. However on cranking it went down to 7. So changed the battery too !!

Could a bad battery have damaged the alternator or vice versa over the last few months?

Good quality DVMs are not exactly inexpensive so I would suggest you go in for a generic Taiwanese make multimeter. It is an indispensable trouble shooting tool.

Voltages dropping downt to 7V when the engine is cranked is not unheard of but it is a sign of a weak battery. Depending on the start motor and it's specs, voltages can go down to around 9-10V and jump back up to 12-14V right after the engine kicks in.

As for battery damaging the alternator and vice versa - it is known to happen. Alt stator windings and regulator/rectifier can overheat and go bad if charging a flat or a short circuited battery.

And the battery goes bad when an alt overcharges or undercharges it. In your case I think the battery went kaput because of under charging. Remember that an alt is designed to maintain the battery in a fully charged condition and not recharge a flat battery. If you battery goes flat it is better to connect it to a bench charger.

What voltage is the new alternator showing at idle and at 2K RPM with a brand new battery? Make a note of the readings as both components are now new. This is a kind of baseline for future comparisons.

[searchingheaven]

Can somebody tell me the cold battery voltage a Ford Ikon requires to crank up? My car isnt cranking up at all, the voltage is 12.5 V, checked 10 minutes ago. The car was stationary for last 10 days and i listened to the stereo system for some time. Also i noticed that the boot lamp is switched on permanently, most probably a short circuit. How do i disconnect it? Any other reasons why the car isnt starting? Fuses are okay.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by searchingheaven

Can somebody tell me the cold battery voltage a Ford Ikon requires to crank up? My car isnt cranking up at all, the voltage is 12.5 V, checked 10 minutes ago. The car was stationary for last 10 days and i listened to the stereo system for some time. Also i noticed that the boot lamp is switched on permanently, most probably a short circuit. How do i disconnect it? Any other reasons why the car isnt starting? Fuses are okay.

How old is the battery? Have you checked the electrolyte levels in the battery? If it's over 3 years old be prepared for a replacement.

The voltage is ok @ 12.5V, though it should be 12.6 or higher. It obviously cannot sustain a start motor load. The boot lamp could have drained it and a battery on its last legs will give up.

I would suggest you get it bench charged and checked by a battery dealer. Also get the boot light attended to, the switch may have gone bad or is stuck in the 'on' position. You can remove the boot lamp bulb from its socket to prevent further drain temporarily.

[searchingheaven]

Can one charge a car battery with a home inverter, considering the fact that it charges the same 12V battery at home (difference is only in AMP. Hour) ?

[anandrahchester]

I am drawn straight to this thread as am facing an issue with the overcharging alternator with my 2008 Ford Ikon Flair 1.3. Team Bhp is the sole rescuer I realized that an additional light was glowing in my instrument cluster on a long drive while it was pouring down. It was the Ignition (Battery) light on even whilst driving.

Checked the manual which instructed me to drive staright to the Ford A.S.S . I turned all the electricals off to make sure nothing happens, just an instinctive action because i was not very sure of the cause.

Alas, now the AC vents started blowing hot air without even being turned on (in whatever mode). It intensified when i increased the levels on the A/c mode. Perplexed as to why it blows hot air in the A/c mode for an hour. Parked the vehicle in the nearby office as it is a sunday and retuned tomorrow to drive the vehicle straight to the dealer. It all appeared fine on the first leg of the drive , even the A/c was running perfect. But then the vents started to blow hot air again. Driven staright to the Ford A.S.S which is plain 20 kms away.

The tech guy told me that it could be the Alternator problem and immediately recorded the terminal voltage which read around 17V. I was aked to come the next day as the case might require some more investigation summing up the peculiar A/c behaviour.

The final diagnosis next day was Alternator and Battery at fault. Not sure if they checked the wiring harnesses or testing with a spare alternator and battery.

They handed me out an estimate where the Alternator readings are recorded. Writing from my memory.

OCV : 12.8 V

Crank Voltage : 11.5V

Voltage without load : 17.68

Voltage with load : 16.28


My questions are :

1. Is the diagnosis right ?

2. What relation does A/C vents blowing hot air have with Alternator failure (overcharging) ? or is there a relation which i am not even aware of ?

3. Will there be any damage to ECM or fuel pump , which the tech feared ?

4. The Alternator and the Voltage regulator housed in a single sealed unit making it impossible to repair or replace the voltage regulator ?


I am desperate. The Alternator and the Battery costs a bomb ! 14K it is, they said. OMG , I replaced a faulty battery at their facility paying 3K an year ago. Will i qualify for a replacement battery or atleast prorated battery warranty ?

I know it is a long post with too many open ended questions , but desperation made me type this all in a fillip.

HELP !

[nishantgandhi]

I have a Linea Tjet which will be completing 2 years in Sep 2013. So today evening when I started off I noticed the battery icon light on the dash came on. I hoped it would vanish after a few minutes but it didn't. I landed at an Exide shop and the technician attached a multi-meter to check. The voltage at rest was showing around 11.2 and it went up to 11.4-5 after cranking. He promptly concluded that my alternator has conked off (??) and suggested that I drive to FASS and get it replaced.

I didn't see any signs of a failing alternator - no weakening horn, no dimming lights, AC was working fine and so was ICE. So I really doubt his statement. At best, I think it could be a loose wiring or something like that. Alternator conking off withing 2 years in a modern car is something I've not heard of. Especially because in 7 years of owning the Getz earlier, there was never an issue with the alternator.

I reached home, parked and waited for some time. The Car-with-Lock light came on. According to the manual this means the Fiat Code protection is on i.e. the electrical circuitry has an issue in completing the loop. This usually happens if the voltage drops below the minimum.

AFAIK, this is a battery issue and the same needs to be replaced.

I called the Exide Batmobile but when they came after a long time, this issue did not happen! Neither the battery icon light not the Car-with-Lock symbol lit up. As if there was no problem to begin with! In fact the car started in half-a-crank, like it always did.

So what exactly can be the issue here? In case I do need to replace the battery, I prefer to go for Amaron Flo. But I'm seeing two different models. The website says Model no AAM-FL-545171036 is relevant to Fiat Linea 1.4 Petrol while BatteryBhai says AAM-FL-545106036 (45 Ah). So which one is it?

[FlatOut]

It is a straightforwards test for a car electrician to determine whether it is the battery, alternator or wiring which is at fault. Check to see if any forums specific to your car have listed similar problems on such a new car.

[dhanushs]

After starting the car, the voltage should be around ~13-14. If its below 12, then yes, alternator isn't giving out enough.

This could be an alternator issue, or check your belts.

[audioholic]

Normally the battery voltage at rest will be above the 12v mark. In my car it will be in the range of 13v-13.5v depending upon when the car was last started. When the engine is running with no extra electrical load, the voltage goes to 14.4v. Once I switch on AC and my upgraded lamps, the battery voltage comes to around 13.9v.

Going by that, I feel your alternator is not charging properly, if not completely conked. Hence, both at rest and while running the voltage was less. In case the alternator had entirely packed, your car would have stopped within a distance. Suggest you to take a second round of voltage readings and monitor whether it remains the same.

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by nishantgandhi

I called the Exide Batmobile but when they came after a long time, this issue did not happen! Neither the battery icon light not the Car-with-Lock symbol lit up. As if there was no problem to begin with! In fact the car started in half-a-crank, like it always did.

I am not an expert but thought it could be similar to an issue i had in the past on my esteem. The battery was all fine until one morning it didn't crank. All cabin lights etc were coming as expected. But upon check, the battery folks from MASS said, its CCA - cold crank amps issue. Had to replace the battery.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

After starting the car, the voltage should be around ~13-14. If its below 12, then yes, alternator isn't giving out enough. This could be an alternator issue, or check your belts.

But then I researched on this and also found the voltage ratings for CCA or HCA etc and what dhanushs says seems to be appropriate. It would be important to take your car to your authorized service center or dependable garage and have alternator/ belts checked.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by nishantgandhi

today evening when I started off I noticed the battery icon light on the dash came on.

This itself is the most straight forward indicator that the car has battery charging issues. You need to take your car to the ASC so as to diagnose where the actual problem lies. As most others have also stated that with the car engine running, there should be around 14V across the leads.
As a self check point, you can at least check if the alternator has its belt on. If the belt is broken, the alternator won't rotate with the engine and hence won't give any output.

Do update this thread once you get it sorted out.

Regards,
Saket