Charge Light Q's--Update/Fixed-I think

[waimaks]

Car is a 1987(.5?) Omega 'RX' EA82T 3 door coupe.

Ok, so I jumped in the RX to head home from 'work' and the charge lights stayed on after start up, and dimmed but didn't go out when rpm's increased... Lights are the charge one, the brake fluid one, and the stop light one, all normally come on at start up and go away once the alt is charging right?

Odd says me. Got my hands on a volt meter, battery showed 13ish volts with engine off, and 13.5v with engine running/revving, charge lights still on dimly(sp?)

So I say ok I'd better head home, and quick... No going out tonight..

Then about 10mins of driving later, the lights all go out, I pull a u-turn and head to a friends, use multimeter, voltage spiking to 16v when revved:-\.

Didn't use the car untill late that evening when I drove home.

Now I've got another alternator to stick in it, Slightly different model number, off an ea81 wagon, but has internal regulator.

But the weird thing is that none of the charge lights are coming on anymore, at all... Even with the engine running and the alternator removed:confused:

 

Is it possible that those bulbs were blown by the high voltage? Or what is fried?

If anyone could shed some light on the system for me and what could cause this it'd be very appreciated thank you!

John

[GeneralDisorder]

Bad rectifier diode's in the alt. Replace it.

 

GD

[daeron]

try checking for AC voltage across the battery terminals with the engine running. that would confirm GD post. He is almost certainly right, though.

[DaveT]

But the weird thing is that none of the charge lights are coming on anymore, at all... Even with the engine running and the alternator removed:confused:

 

I'd have to check the schematic to be sure, but the charge light might need the alternator to be in and not working to light. It is just a lamp wired into part of the regulator circuit.

 

The other common failure mode is one of the brushes for the field wears out and starts to intermittantly go open.

[waimaks]

Thanks for the quick replies guys,

I put in the alt from the ea81 parts wagon I've got and everything started to act normally, voltage at idle at about 13.8v and was rising slowly, recovering from kinda flat battery near the end of the ordeal (11.Xv)I guess.

 

The thing I still don't understand is the way the charge lights were all lit up, then went out all of a sudden, and wouldn't come back on, With the engine off and ignition on, charge lights all off- Not normal right?

With belt taken off (dodgy) alt and engine running, still no lights.

 

But all is well now, I will tag that alternator as not good. Maybe paint it up/rebuild when I get some more money..

 

Thanks all!

[daeron]

I believe the "christmas tree" of lights is an indication that your voltage regulator went out, but the alternator was still putting out voltage.. something along those lines. It sounds like you had a two-stage failure of the alternator, and only stage one gave the car the signal to fly that danger flag, so to speak.