Help, 98 2.5 Disco alternator problem?

[T i m]

Hi Mud Clubbers ;-)

My first post here so go easy on me!

A couple of weekends ago my BIL took us round the off road course in Abingdon, including the mud / water splash at the end (great day, good fun).

A couple of weeks later it would appear that the thing is showing an ignition light (or equiv, I've got this third hand) and he wondered if it could be the alternator .. could it's little swim (or subsequent cleaning) have drowned it?

Assuming it is the alternator would a reasonable wrench (me) be able to change it for him (no tricky traps or cam belt involvement type things?).

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. Neil thinks washing it in clean water might help?

[pritch]

Same thing happened to me, but a quick bit of cleaning under the bonnet sorted it out.  Think I had crud on the fan belt.

[Wanderer]

It may just be mud. I often get the light coming on for a few seconds after a dousing. Never changed one on a 98 but there'll be someone along soon that will have.

Ed

[T i m]

Thanks guys .. so might just need a good cleanout?

90 k miles .. would it be the orig one?

All the best ..

T i m

[hobbit]

As mentioned check fan belt too might be a bit slack

If the ignition light is a dull glow type, try cleaning the spade/ or block connections down,

bit of muck can cause this on a bad contact, at worst by the sound of it would be to remove and have a look for mud etc inside

A spray with WD40 would do it no harm either, not while running though

kev

[T i m]

Hi Kev and thanks for the reply.

OK, so, DMM, Ampere Clamp, Tools, Hose pipe, WD40, small wire brush and a pinch of luck it is then! ;-)

I'll let you know what I find ...

Cheers .. ;-)

T i m

[davidlandy]

Tim,

if cleaning dont work its probably in need of a new brush pack,  mine did that , the mud acted like a grinding paste and very quickly wore em out.

a new alternator was about £80, a new pack fitted from the local autoelectrics place was about £35.

HTH

DAve

[hobbit]

Yes

Good point Dave,
Tim dont know where you are, but definately look around for a alternator/starter repair shop in your area, saved me a fortune on my series starter when the bendix collapsed

have fun

Kev

[Big Rich]

Only time I had trouble with my alternator was after Billing. The light stayed on after a good clean. The wires that go round my engine had rubbed together. :shock:

I found this after I had replaced the alternator and it had blown the new one too  

Might be worth a look if the cleaning dosn't work.  

[T i m]

Hi Rich n all,

So before I had a look at my BIL's Disco he mentioned that it was "sort of ok now" ? By this he meant that after having problems getting it started (just a flat battery) it started ok and after about 5 miles the charging / ignition light went out?

I had a look around the engine bay and there was still a lot of mud / debris around the crevises in the engine bay in general and especially the alternator (we drove it home dry but dirty to show the kids friends and my sister etc (we just cleaned the lights / number plate etc). A week later they cleaned it and used a std garden hose with a gentle jet to wash out the engine bay? Maybe he washed some muck 'into' the alternator?

Apparently it's got to 'go in' because the aircon is dumping water into the drivers footwell?

I'll let you know what he says after it's done.

All the best ..

T i m

[Thrasher]

Tim,

The air con issue?! DO NOT PAY TO GET THAT LOOKED AT!!!

<giggle>

All that is - is two blocked rubber nipples. If you lie under the vehicle, reach around the gearbox, and you see/feel a rubber nipple on each side of the transmission tunnel (on the vehicle). These get blocked, simply squeeze them and be prepared for a lot of icky water to hit you ... that's *all* it is ;-)

If they are really gunged - try and clean them out ;-)

[T i m]

Hi Thrasher ;-)

Thanks for that tip .. I'll pass it on to him!

If he can't find his nipples I may pop over there and do it for him (ahem, the Disco) .. that would be quite a 'brownie point earner' ;-)

If that is all it is I wonder what the LR dealer would have found ..?

All the best ..

T i m