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Posted

I just started the thing this afternoon, drove 200yds up the road then the alternator workshop warning started beeping with the battery lamp flashing very briefly. It did this about 12 times then stopped, it hasn't done it since.

 

Could there be a genuine fault with the alternator or could it have just been damp, the weather here has been very damp all week and i have had a lot of short journeys on cold mornings, apart from thursday when i did a 150 mile round trip to the airport.

 

I may have to take a trip to the dealer on monday but i was curious to find out what the prob may be by the bright sparks on the forum.

 

Cheers

 

Ian

Guest SA Intruder
Posted
Could be damp...I would carefully check the alternator connections for integrity.
Posted

Cheers SA, thanks for the speedy reply.

i'll go and have a look at it now then cover the thing in WD40 round the connections, the weather has been crap this week.

 

oh is there a way i can check its charging with a multimeter just in case??

 

thanks

 

 

Ian

Posted

With engine running should have about 14.5v at battery terminals. Less than 13v (even when revving) indicates faulty battery or alternator.

 

Check alternator belt tension, it slips easily when slack and wet.

Guest SA Intruder
Posted

Check charge with some electrical load on (HRW/headlights)

 

Anything above 13.4V at the battery terminals is OK - just checked mine - 13.8V with plenty on. (Same model).

 

Seatkid's point is valid too, the drive belt drives on the smooth side, not the grippier grooved side. It wouldn't take much damp and load to make the thing slip a little (skid rather than slip). The tensioner is automatic, by the way!

 

BE CAREFUL that WD40 doesn't get onto brushes/slip rings!!! Just spray a little around the connections, not into the machine.

Posted
:o There is no need for WD40 at all. WD40 around the alternator will cause more problems than it will fix! If you get WD40 on the belts and pulleys you may be in big trouble (not only slippage but the belts may deteriorate rapidly and snap) As SA said, check connections and wiring for integrity, i.e. are they properly home and secure.
Posted

Thanks for all the info, I took the connection off the alternator put a bit of WD40 in and around it, not all over the alternator and certainly not on the belt.

 

Took it for a spin 5 miles or so up the road and all seems to be ok, haven't checked the battery with the multimeter yet but when i start it up with the interior lights on they definetly get brighter, so i suppose that is a good sign.

 

I will check the battery tomorrow and if it is low, ford can sort the bloody thing out monday.

 

thanks

 

Ian

Guest SA Intruder
Posted

The Alhambra has a voltmeter on the dash, of course!

 

And fuel to go on the trip computer...

 

and electric folding mirrors.....

 

and rain sensor wipers...

 

and autodip rear mirror....

Posted

Just been out testing the battery with the voltmeter, with no consumables turned on and the engine running the voltage was 14.3v, with headlights on, fogs, HRW, blowers turned up full, 13.9v so i think eveything is ok.

 

However when the front heated screen is turned on it knocks the voltage down to 12.6v, I didn't realise that it was so power hungry, suppose thats why it turns off automatically.

 

I guess if the warning computer wasn't installed I would have never noticed a small slip in the alternator drive belt, i think these gadgets can cause more hassle sometimes than needed.

 

Anyhow thanks for your help.

 

By the way SA where are you from in Lancs if you don't mind me asking??

 

Ian

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Interested to hear about the "Alternator Workshop" warning light flashing up. My has done it a few times recently, but very briefly and then dsiappears. Took the car to Ford dealer but they found nothing wrong.

 

Being a novice can someone kindly advise how do I go about checking/rectify this problem? Interested to hear Ian's experience, what exactly you did that cured the problem?

 

Also noticed a disproportionate amount of wind noise at high speed from the driver's door mirror area), the Dealer tells me that many Galaxy owners have complained but essentially this is "design fault". I remain unconvinced!

 

Any similar experiences?

Posted
Also noticed a disproportionate amount of wind noise at high speed from the driver's door mirror area), the Dealer tells me that many Galaxy owners have complained but essentially this is "design fault". I remain unconvinced!

On the VW mirror design, the small gap between the mirror and the door "whistles" loudly at very high frequency - sounds like an old 405 line TV set. See pictures below

post-62-1075394487.jpg

Posted
Sticking a bit of foam rubber in the gap cures it. see picture (sorry for the dirty state of the mirror!)

post-62-1075394625.jpg

Posted

Thanks for the tip SEATKid! I'll go it a try this weekend!

 

Any tips out here on the "Alternator Workshop" flashing every now and then and step-by-step cure guide? Ford dealer dismissed the problem, saying nothing was wrong.

Posted

JToh

 

My Galaxy is booked in for monday next week for the drivers side wind noise problem. They've already had two goes at it and even replaced the door mirror once. I let it go but the damn thing irritated me so much a couple of weeks ago on atrip to birmingham that I had it booked in again.

 

It may be a design fault but I know that my 2002 model 2.3 never did it before I changed it!

Guest SA Intruder
Posted

The Sharan and Alhambra have different door mirrors, and don't suffer.

 

Strange

Posted
The Sharan and Alhambra .......  don't suffer.

Beg to differ. Depends on gap sizes (build quality)

 

The other place I've identified as a wind noise source is the roof rail channel where it meets the front windscreen. The rubber is sometimes not trimmed to the correct length.

Guest SA Intruder
Posted
Well previous Sharan and current Al have same mirrors and are silent - perhaps the earlier model was variably naff!

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