Technical Ulysse 2.0 JTD Diesel, no charge.

[raymie]

I have just added to the Fiat garage by buying a Ulysse 2.0 JTD Diesel 2003, i bought it as a non runner, ie, not charging. The car starts and runs until the battery voltage drops then it comes up stop on the dash and the battery light comes up and numerous others. Before i buy an expensive alternator i have noticed that when you remove the + battery cable (ignition off) there is a mild flash each time it is reconnected as if something is live. I have already checked the alternator output at source and there is only battery voltage. Anyone got any ideas on this one.

Raymie.

 

[nixe]

i have exactly the same problem ,,i took the alternator off the car and had it tested by local car electrics place and on the bench it was fine even at full load.... so replaced battery £60 just to be on safe side

,, and its still the same ......charge fault showing :bang:
and soon as battery starts to discharge abs ,, airbag and various othre faults come up then it wont start till i charge the battery

come on guys help us out .. ps also only get 12v at alternator output... that cant be right is it

 

[raymie]

i have exactly the same problem ,,i took the alternator off the car and had it tested by local car electrics place and on the bench it was fine even at full load.... so replaced battery £60 just to be on safe side

,, and its still the same ......charge fault showing :bang:
and soon as battery starts to discharge abs ,, airbag and various othre faults come up then it wont start till i charge the battery

come on guys help us out .. ps also only get 12v at alternator output... that cant be right is it

I have had no reply to my other thread regarding this fault either (thanks Fiat forum) so i have spent some considerable time on the car diagnosing the fault, here goes. I checked my alternator and found that the output at the alternator was 11.90 volts with engine running, ie, not charging so i disconnected the live wires from the alternator meaning that the battery (and any other electrics) was taken out of the equation and the reading was then 6 volts, with the engine running, always put the earth probe on to the engine to rule out a bad engine earth. I then made a calculated decision on the alternator being goosed. My car had the same faults, ie, all warning lights coming on then the stop light coming on and hazards etc.... then click click when trying to restart, obviously triggered by low battery voltage due to not charging. I bought a new alternator costing the best part of 200 quid and all is well with 14.8 volts showing on the meter (ie, charging as it should) and car is running as it should. If you do the checks as i have you may find it is the alternator causing your problem, it is a common fault apparently? Only problem now is 20MPG !!!! R.

 

[digger58]

Why buy a new alternator? ever heard of getting the old one reconditioned, I got mine reconed recently for €40, its a bitch to get out but saves a lot, also a new ones is the same to replace. not a whole to go wrong with them, any decent auto electrician can test them and replace diodes, brushes, bushings etc a lot cheaper than a new one. 20MPG !!! WTF something very wrong, I always get around 35, not great but acceptable.Is it smoking ?

 

[raymie]

Why buy a new alternator? ever heard of getting the old one reconditioned, I got mine reconed recently for €40, its a bitch to get out but saves a lot, also a new ones is the same to replace. not a whole to go wrong with them, any decent auto electrician can test them and replace diodes, brushes, bushings etc a lot cheaper than a new one. 20MPG !!! WTF something very wrong, I always get around 35, not great but acceptable.Is it smoking ?

I spent a week searching for an alternator and could not get one for less than 105 gbp recon due to it being a 2003 2.0 JTD Eleganza, the earlier alternators were much less expensive. Plus try finding an auto electrician that will do the job for 40 quid?? Anyway, considering the skint knuckles i gained getting it out i didnt want to chance a cheap recon job, been there before!! so went for the all new one at 175gbp with a 24 month warranty. As for mpg, car is in good service order, no smoke or any other issues. 30 litres= 120 miles!! Think i may use the Fiorino to work tomorrow!!

R.

 

[digger58]

Mine is also a 2003 Eleganza, the worst part is getting the alternator out and back in, I have been using the same auto electrician for 25 yrs, always perfect, thats why he's still in business, (Des Kennedy Garryowen, Limerick) get in the plug...... As regards the MPG there must be a serious problem, is that actual or reading from the display?

 

[nixe]

ok just decided to bite the bullet ,,,, new alternator £143 ... new ,, heavy duty battery £60 ..... both from dingbro . jobe done .

and just as a bonus i now have no anti pollution fault showing

not sure if this will help anyone but i have now removed and replaced the alternator 4 timeas and the last time took me 25 min from start to finish . well they say practice makes perfect lol

i have found removing the oil filter lets the alternator slide to the right. and then up and out past the radiator . make getting it out easy

dont know if the manual says this is how its done cause i dont have one

 

[raymie]

ok just decided to bite the bullet ,,,, new alternator £143 ... new ,, heavy duty battery £60 ..... both from dingbro . jobe done .

and just as a bonus i now have no anti pollution fault showing

not sure if this will help anyone but i have now removed and replaced the alternator 4 timeas and the last time took me 25 min from start to finish . well they say practice makes perfect lol

i have found removing the oil filter lets the alternator slide to the right. and then up and out past the radiator . make getting it out easy

dont know if the manual says this is how its done cause i dont have one

You are spot on about removing the oil filter, its the only way to get the alternator out, good tip for anyone doing this V difficult job and avoid wrecking the radiator! As for my mileage, its actual MPG and not from the display. I have also noticed a slight hesitation on throttle response now and again from throttle off to on. I have also had the ESP light showing now and again so i am wondering if this is related to my poor fuel economy. This car is definitely not the best Fiat i have bought, for sure. R.