Technical Charging issue

[bugsymike]

any ideas @bugsymike?

@Greasytrucker has suggested most likely solutions as well as other suggestions by members
One that may be worth looking at is to remove original battery and try a donor battery as I have seen batteries that are so duff they cause similar issues.
As @koalar suggests, if it is the regulator/diode pack they can be a cheap solution on many alternators, the only issue I have found on newer ones is the electrical connections are not soldered inside the alternator but "spot welded" presumably for cost and speed of production, but it makes repairing a lot harder
If the brushes are part of the regulator pack, one of the warnings as the brushes get old/worn down is when it was working you may have noticed occasional battery light flicker on whilst driving at night.
Hopefully they are just push on spade connectors, but not always.
If all else has been tested then it may be advisable to take the alternator to a good "old school" auto electrician to run it up and test, he can then give you a quote for repair and if to expensive, you can always pay him for his time and go another route.

 

[Chuckie2024ie]

@Greasytrucker has suggested most likely solutions as well as other suggestions by members
One that may be worth looking at is to remove original battery and try a donor battery as I have seen batteries that are so duff they cause similar issues.
As @koalar suggests, if it is the regulator/diode pack they can be a cheap solution on many alternators, the only issue I have found on newer ones is the electrical connections are not soldered inside the alternator but "spot welded" presumably for cost and speed of production, but it makes repairing a lot harder
If the brushes are part of the regulator pack, one of the warnings as the brushes get old/worn down is when it was working you may have noticed occasional battery light flicker on whilst driving at night.
Hopefully they are just push on spade connectors, but not always.
If all else has been tested then it may be advisable to take the alternator to a good "old school" auto electrician to run it up and test, he can then give you a quote for repair and if to expensive, you can always pay him for his time and go another route.

Many thanks to everyone for their posts on trying to solve charging issues I will forward to my mechanic friend.
Many Thanks
Charley

 

[koalar]

You will not get battery flicker due to bushes on most fiats(500, panda, doblo and so on)

The battery light light is computer controlled by the body computer, not like old bulb types except for a few emotions on older petrol vans

It only come on when the D+ falls below approx 5.5V and the ECU detects a crank signal over 750 rpm


In most case, even when it's not charging, the light stays off until the battery is very flat, usually just before it cuts out as you hit the brakes and draw more current, loosing the 5V reference to the sensors, power to the BSI first and ECU shortly afterwards


A alternator
B starter
E body computer (BSI)



As of yet we don't know if

There is a break D
There is a break in C

If the BSI is sending the exciting current down C to the alternator during cranking

The battery light are a good rough indication of a grounding fault, should stay on as soon as the ignition is turned on, and should stay on while cranking, until the engine starts, if you turn the ignition off and back on and the battery light is off for a few seconds then block has gone hot above 5.5V, useful if you are sitting broken down without any tools, but the previous voltage drop test is better if you have access to a multimeter

 

[Chuckie2024ie]

You will not get battery flicker due to bushes on most fiats(500, panda, doblo and so on)

The battery light light is computer controlled by the body computer, not like old bulb types except for a few emotions on older petrol vans

It only come on when the D+ falls below approx 5.5V and the ECU detects a crank signal over 750 rpm


In most case, even when it's not charging, the light stays off until the battery is very flat, usually just before it cuts out as you hit the brakes and draw more current, loosing the 5V reference to the sensors, power to the BSI first and ECU shortly afterwards


A alternator
B starter
E body computer (BSI)



As of yet we don't know if

There is a break D
There is a break in C

If the BSI is sending the exciting current down C to the alternator during cranking


View attachment 456036


The battery light are a good rough indication of a grounding fault, should stay on as soon as the ignition is turned on, and should stay on while cranking, until the engine starts, if you turn the ignition off and back on and the battery light is off for a few seconds then block has gone hot above 5.5V, useful if you are sitting broken down without any tools, but the previous voltage drop test is better if you have access to a multimeter

Thank you for posting this I will show it to my mechanic friend
Charley

 

[Chuckie2024ie]

Thank you for posting this I will show it to my mechanic friend
Charley

Second hand alternater guaranteed working being delivered tomorrow £30 free delivery from breakers yard I'll get it fitted and if doesn't solve problem it's better being out £30 and not £280 for new alternator

 

[Greasytrucker]

Second hand alternater guaranteed working being delivered tomorrow £30 free delivery from breakers yard I'll get it fitted and if doesn't solve problem it's better being out £30 and not £280 for new

Second hand alternater guaranteed working being delivered tomorrow £30 free delivery from breakers yard I'll get it fitted and if doesn't solve problem it's better being out £30 and not £280 for new alternator

At least it should confirm it being faulty or if not you can then look at wiring a bit more closely. Could be a nice £30 fix fingers crossed

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Second hand alternater guaranteed working being delivered tomorrow £30 free delivery from breakers yard I'll get it fitted and if doesn't solve problem it's better being out £30 and not £280 for new alternator

It will potentially come in handy in the future anyway.

My money is either on the battery or the wiring between the alternator and the battery.

I see you’ve checked the earth straps but is it possible there is a break in the wires between the battery positive and the alternator.

Also I have had a battery that is internally shorted which basically grounds the output of the alternator so while there is still power coming from the alternator the battery will never charge.

Technically speaking if you are able to jump start it and it runs but there is no power to crank and the battery is not actually charging then it’s more indicative of a battery fault