"alternator Workshop" Saga

[JToh]

:ph34r: Our galaxy has been plagued by this annoying "Alternator Workshop" on and off since new, resulting in numerous visits to different dealers. It seems to be a winter phenomenon.That is when it's cold and damp (especially damp), the warning message flashes for 10 to 20 times, only to disappear when the engine arms up. The flashing of the battery light usually precedes the warning message. The dealer, Browne's of London, has checked the alternator, the connections, the battery to be ok - "re-routed" fanbelt (as suggested by one owner on this website), changed the pulleys. The problem went away for a few weeks and has now come back with a vengeance! I have got Ford Customer Service involved (been no help so far).

 

Has anybody out there had this problem and have a step by step solution to solving it?

 

Cheers!

 

JT

[Masked Marauder]

The clue I think is the cold weather, it is cold again yesterday and today. It is most likely your battery is failing.

[JToh]

Thanks MM but the battery has been given a clean bill of health by the dealer (if you take what he says to be correct!).

 

He is taking the car in next Monday for the 5th time in the space of 3 months all to do with this problem! After this and if it persists, I will try to get Ford to send of their engineers to sort it out!

 

It's probably a small thing but no one knows what?

[Masked Marauder]

Personally I wouldn't take what the dealer says as right.

 

Also check the big fuse in it's own fuse box near the battery, all the alternator supply comes through it.

[Denis]

You seem to have the same problem as me JToh, see here.

 

I started a new thread without realising you had also posted on this subject today, let's hope we can get somewhere with this annoying problem. :ph34r:

[JToh]

:P Denis, sorry to hear you have the same problem as I have. Like you said, the problem is intermitten and for me, when it is cold and damp! It is a frustrating problem and like on yours, the dealer has checked everything although he seems to be at a lost!

 

I have got Ford Customer Service on the case although not sure as to what help (if any) they can provide.

 

The car goes in again next Monday so I'll let you know how I can get on!

 

Cheers!

 

Jim

[galaxychap]

Maybe a silly question but did the dealers check it under the same conditions i,e cold and damp

 

Regards

 

Leon

[JToh]

:blink: Leon, not sure about whether the mechanic checked it when it was cold or/& cold. It will be my 5th trip to the dealer since November last year and I'd been there 3 times previously. Can't fault him on not trying as he has almost done a forensic job on this "alternator workshop" problem. I suspect that it is something quite simple. I might try to get Ford to send one of their engineers. Judging by the comments of some members this seems to be a common problem if only someone knows where and what to look!

 

By the way, I too had the white smoke problem and the dealer has now replaced the whole heater, not just a new glowplug. Haven't been cold enough in South London to see whether this has any effect or not!

 

Cheers!

 

Jim

[JToh]

:blink: Guys, the dealer will be fitting a new booster heater this week to the car which they think will sort out this annoying "alternator workshop" bleeping saga. They said that the heater is lukewarm whereas it should be red hot after starting the car up. I've had this problem on and off since new (2003) and despite about 15 attempts by 2 different dealers, the problem is still there and the message flashes many times (always preceded by the battery warning light) when it is cold and damp, only to disappear after a few minutes down the road. Ford sent one of their technicians and he reckons the fault is the booster heater. I would have thought this is more of an electrical gremlin and wonder why it is related to this heater. Any ideas? Incidentally, Ford Customer Service rejected my claim for an extended warranty (worth a try) given the aggravation I've had and this seems to be a winter problem (this will mysteriously disappear when the weather becomes warmer and I am out of warranty in June!).

 

:huh: Also the hot air from the 4-speed fan when it is on 1 or 2 feels as though there is hardly anything coming through. I can hear the fan motor going in the background but very little hot air. Speed 3 and 4 is fine with plenty of hot air blowing. But switch to cold air on the same speed (1 and 2), there is plenty coming through. I don't have climate control on the Zetec! Any ideas. Thanks alot!

 

JT

[Denis]

:rolleyes: Guys, the dealer will be fitting a new booster heater this week to the car which they think will sort out this annoying "alternator workshop" bleeping saga. They said that the heater is lukewarm whereas it should be red hot after starting the car up. I've had this problem on and off since new (2003) and despite about 15 attempts by 2 different dealers, the problem is still there and the message flashes many times (always preceded by the battery warning light) when it is cold and damp, only to disappear after a few minutes down the road. Ford sent one of their technicians and he reckons the fault is the booster heater. I would have thought this is more of an electrical gremlin and wonder why it is related to this heater. Any ideas? Incidentally, Ford Customer Service rejected my claim for an extended warranty (worth a try) given the aggravation I've had and this seems to be a winter problem (this will mysteriously disappear when the weather becomes warmer and I am out of warranty in June!).

 

:o Also the hot air from the 4-speed fan when it is on 1 or 2 feels as though there is hardly anything coming through. I can hear the fan motor going in the background but very little hot air. Speed 3 and 4 is fine with plenty of hot air blowing. But switch to cold air on the same speed (1 and 2), there is plenty coming through. I don't have climate control on the Zetec! Any ideas. Thanks alot!

 

JT

JToh I'll watch the outcome of this with interest, we have the same problem and I suspect in the end the cure will be the same for both of us.

 

I'm a bit doubtful about the booster heater being the cause- mine's a V6 so doesn't have one.

[johnb80]

Though I haven't had this fault myself (yet?), my mate has. It was a complete farce with the dealers, in the end we fixed it ourselves. My logic was the message on the display was triggered by an 'event', it's reasonable to assume that the event was engine running and alternator not charging, take the drive belt off and you'l get the message straight away. So now consider the cold and damp, cold makes the engine harder to start and the battery voltage lower (more amps needed when started to charge the battery + Heater + HRQ etc), damp makes it easier for the drive belt to slip. Add all this together and you get what you've got. The solution?........ A new drive belt from the local Halfrauds.

My mates car had been in the dealers 6 or 7 times for this.

 

Hope it helps - JB

[Masked Marauder]

For the same reasons it could be a bad battery that is not giving 100% when cold.

 

But then the dealer says the battery is fine, so my suggestion was passed off. Although I still think the dealer was wrong...

[Rallim]

:( Also the hot air from the 4-speed fan when it is on 1 or 2 feels as though there is hardly anything coming through. I can hear the fan motor going in the background but very little hot air. Speed 3 and 4 is fine with plenty of hot air blowing. But switch to cold air on the same speed (1 and 2), there is plenty coming through. I don't have climate control on the Zetec! Any ideas. Thanks alot!

Mine is the same, manual heater controls, speed 1 & 2 not a lot of air, speeds 3 & 4 a lot better. When I first got mine there was hardly any air flow at all, only on recycle... this was fixed by replacing the pollen filter...... :D

 

 

Gordon

[JToh]

JB: Thanks for your logical input which makes every sense to me. I think that it was you who mentioned that your mate with a similar problem had the fanbelt "re-routed". The dealer (Brownes of London) did this after speaking to the supplying dealer Bristol Street Motors Birmingham who did receive some sort of techincal bulletin from Ford about this problem. After this re-routing, the car ran for several months without any problem, only for the problem to return in January. It is becoming a real farce as I was in the workshop the other morning with the dealer engineer and one of Ford's own technicians. You would have thought this bloke would have a clue or two but he seemed clueless! I did put forward Masked's suggestion about a faulty battery. Various checks were done but they said that it wasn't the battery.

 

I am having a new booster heater fitted anyway under warranty which I don't believe will cure this problem. But it might cure the white smoke problem which strangely I haven't had this winter. I'll put forward JB's suggestion about the fanbelt.

 

So hecked off with this problem which is driving me mental that I am prepared to pay someone privately (one of you guys maybe) to get it sorted. How easy is it for a novice like me change the fanbelt?

 

Thanks alot for all your inputs!

[JToh]

:( Gordon, cheers about your tip about replacing the pollen filter. I am getting hardly warm air on speed 1 and 2!

 

JT

[Guest Paul Mac]

We have had the same problem.

Only ever when the engine is cold

More frequent out of summer.

In total Ford dealers have had our Galaxy Ghia for over 6 weeks (we bought it new in October 2004) it has been to two different dealers.

According to the dealers it has never happened while they have had it even though we left it with one dealer for 4 weeks and before it went into them it was faulting 2-3 times a week. It also faulted the day after we got it back. (draw your own conclusions)

We have spoken to Ford Customer services and their response is 'unless a Ford Dealer witnesses the fault it does not exist' They have otherwise been a complete waste of space.

I'm with the 'something has caused it' train of thought, but I think that the basic problem is that the alternators are designed 'to the bone' especially since Ford Customer Services very first question was 'have you added anything with electrical drain to the car' - in other words 'our Alternators are only just big enough and the slightest extra drain on the battery will cause problems with the alternator'.

 

Word of warning for TJoh - don't do anything whatsoever to your car until it is out of warranty because otherwise your entire warranty will be invalid.

[JToh]

:lol: Paul, thanks for the advice. The problem has come back again to haunt me like a ghost. Started the car up the other day after a morning downpour ie, damp and wet conditions. The "aternator workshop" light appeared, went on a few times as I drove down the road and gone again. Like you, my South London dealer told me he had checked everything (changed the pulleys - checked the fanbelt, battery and alternator) and even had the Ford technician down to check and confirm all was well. The problem miraculously disappeared from February (even when it was wet and cold) after it had been in the workshop for a day until last week when it started driving me bad (again). The car starts first time every time and everything seems to be working fine except my remote door key which works intermittently despite changing the batteries.

 

Like you, I had the car since new (June 03). I will be out of warranty near end of June, so I need to book it in again to have the dealer look at it as well as having the third annual service and MOT.

 

Maybe the dealer is simply incompetent like most dealers it seems.

 

Let me know if and when you have successfully cured this niggling fault!

 

Cheers

 

Jim

[Guest Paul Mac]

Jim,

One other thing we have done, if you can video the fault and show it or preferably give a copy of it to your dealer then they cannot deny that you have a fault on your car.

Also every time we talk to any part of ford - dealer, customer services etc - the fault is unique to our car and it has never happened befor to any other car, just wondered if you or any one else has been told the same lies?

Paul