Battery / Alternator problem in Ambassador Diesel

adrian · 8th December 2009, 10:40

I just overhauled my Ambassador Diesel and the process took around 3 months. Now the problem is that on the first day my alternator reading was all the way upto 30 amps and after some driving it went down to 10 amps and ever since is staying there. Is it because my battery is picking up after idling for 3 months? or the voltage regulator of my alternator is not working or is my alternator wired wrong? ( I had a new Lucas TVS alternator and 1 year old Exide maintanance free battery when I took my vehicle for overhauling)

ilangop · 8th December 2009, 16:23

Hi Adrian,
It is absolutely normal. If you have a multimeter (Or borrow one from a radio/ tape recorder repair shop nearby), connect it across the battery terminals. Note voltage when engine is off. Ask someone to start the engine now. If the displayes voltage is between 13.8 - 14.4 everything is in order. Nothing to worry about the ammeter readings.

As soon as you start the engine (the instant you had drawing an avalance of current for starting) the battery is thirsty of charge and accepts larger quantities of current (say 30A in your case). As you run the vehicle for a while, the battery is charged sufficiently and doesnt accept that much current as it did some time back. Hope this answers your doubt

-Ilango

adrian · 10th December 2009, 12:45

I have checked the current as you had advised and found out that the battery at standby had 13 volts and with the engine idling had 14 volts. The problem is that even after driving about 30kms, the battery is still charging.

honeybee · 10th December 2009, 13:33

If the battery was unused for 3 months, it would be better to get it checked and charged from a battery service centre. This way you will come to know if the battery has any problems (some cells going bad?!). Once you get it charged, you can then monitor the current. Next thing to check would be the alternator.

Leop · 10th December 2009, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by adrian

I have checked the current as you had advised and found out that the battery at standby had 13 volts and with the engine idling had 14 volts. The problem is that even after driving about 30kms, the battery is still charging.

This sounds like the battery may still not be fully charged (though 13v standby seems like a charged battery). 30 km may not be enough to charge a battery fully. Get your battery charged and check. Ideally you should not use your car to charge a fully discharged battery. The car's alternator is designed to keep the battery charged.

The most important thing is the voltage. If your charging voltage is fine ( around 14v) then dont worry about over charging the battery.

The only other thing to worry about is a current leak some where. If your battery is not draining out, then this is unlikely.

adrian · 11th December 2009, 14:25

You have hit the bullseye buddy, my vehicle had a small leak in the electrical panel near the fuse box and flasher unit. After fixing that my Amby's electrical system is working normally. Heartfelt Thanks to all of you who helped me to solve this crisis.

8th December 2009, 10:40	#1
adrian BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 932 Thanked: 1,215 Times	Battery / Alternator problem in Ambassador Diesel I just overhauled my Ambassador Diesel and the process took around 3 months. Now the problem is that on the first day my alternator reading was all the way upto 30 amps and after some driving it went down to 10 amps and ever since is staying there. Is it because my battery is picking up after idling for 3 months? or the voltage regulator of my alternator is not working or is my alternator wired wrong? ( I had a new Lucas TVS alternator and 1 year old Exide maintanance free battery when I took my vehicle for overhauling) Last edited by Eddy : 8th December 2009 at 16:40. Reason: Corrected the info as requested
	() Thanks

8th December 2009, 16:23	#2
ilangop BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 992 Thanked: 903 Times View My Garage	Hi Adrian, It is absolutely normal. If you have a multimeter (Or borrow one from a radio/ tape recorder repair shop nearby), connect it across the battery terminals. Note voltage when engine is off. Ask someone to start the engine now. If the displayes voltage is between 13.8 - 14.4 everything is in order. Nothing to worry about the ammeter readings. As soon as you start the engine (the instant you had drawing an avalance of current for starting) the battery is thirsty of charge and accepts larger quantities of current (say 30A in your case). As you run the vehicle for a while, the battery is charged sufficiently and doesnt accept that much current as it did some time back. Hope this answers your doubt -Ilango
	() Thanks

10th December 2009, 12:45	#3
adrian BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 932 Thanked: 1,215 Times	Thanks Ilango, I have checked the current as you had advised and found out that the battery at standby had 13 volts and with the engine idling had 14 volts. The problem is that even after driving about 30kms, the battery is still charging.
	() Thanks

10th December 2009, 13:33	#4
honeybee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Dombivli Posts: 3,056 Thanked: 2,139 Times View My Garage	If the battery was unused for 3 months, it would be better to get it checked and charged from a battery service centre. This way you will come to know if the battery has any problems (some cells going bad?!). Once you get it charged, you can then monitor the current. Next thing to check would be the alternator.
	() Thanks

11th December 2009, 14:25	#6
adrian BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 932 Thanked: 1,215 Times	Thanks Leop! You have hit the bullseye buddy, my vehicle had a small leak in the electrical panel near the fuse box and flasher unit. After fixing that my Amby's electrical system is working normally. Heartfelt Thanks to all of you who helped me to solve this crisis.
	() Thanks