New 110Amp Varta big boy July 2014
New Bosch remanufactured alternator 5th December 2014

All going swimmingly until last week, didn't use the FF for 3 days and the battery was down to 11 volts and needed a jump, started no bother and didn't even throw the usual array of lights, bells and whistles.... BUT voltage meter was only reading 14.0 volts max, it used to read 14.4.... Can't say I drive around studying it and it's where your clock is so not exactly in my eye line so I can't say how long it's been at 14 volts....

FF not used for one day and again wouldn't start... disconnected the battery and put it on charge overnight and it was back up to 12.6... today, before starting it it's at 12.3....!!

So it seems to me that the alternator is failing... I've got three weeks left on it's warranty, anyone know how strict they are, no light on and it is producing 14volts.... will they say that's enough??

Or... if the battery is starting to fail will it only take 14 volts or doesn't it work like that..??

Anyone had something similar...???

Cheers Pete
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2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
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dont know if its any help but my charge is 14.1 volts and i have no problem starting. mind you its a 4.2 petrol so whether that makes a difference? ... - .- -.




Y. O. L. O.
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Just a thought bud, have you driven the car and then disconnected the battery to see if it holds it's charge overnight?

From the age of the battery I would be shocked if it was at fault, and with no lights on the dash I would be surprised if it were the alternator. Although it's not unheard of having reduced output from the alternator, but to check that you would need to put it on a test rig
Why doesn't someone make the mother of all ammeters? would save a lot of confusion  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

I don't ever remember seeing my voltage as I drive above 14.1V, it tends to fluctuate between 14.0 and 14.1V.
After a run my battery is often sitting at 12.9-13.0V which, if I don't use the car, tends to decay to 12.6V after 3 or 4 days.
Never had any bother with starting, all on a 4+ years battery.
Car should start ok with 12.3V at this time of year.
Your symptoms tend to suggest the dreaded battery drain. Have you checked for a drain back through the alternator when engine off. Also worth a drop test on the battery.

Ditto the above really. Charge the battery and leave disconnected overnight, then check it. TBH, it does sound more like the battery. If it holds a charge fine when disconnected, it's worth checking for a current drain.

Quote:

I've got three weeks left on it's warranty, anyone know how strict they are, no light on and it is producing 14volts.... will they say that's enough??

14V should be absolutely fine, but look into it in detail and it might reveal a spikey/irregular output. Am I right in assuming your IID is a BT? If so, might be worth graphing the voltage and RPM.  Visiting from DISCO3.CO.UK
Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto HSE Zambezi Silver

Cheers chaps... I'll give it a good charge and then leave it disconnected and see if the battery will hold the charge..

I've only got the paupers IID tool so can't do a graph...

Wonder why the alternator has dropped it's output though.... mind you it could be the £2.99 voltage gauge...!!!! Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Am no expert but if you have 14 volts it will not be the alternator .I haad a similar problem myself just last week,new battery last xmas and been fine until September when I left it for nearly 2 weeks and it would not start.I gave it a full charge and it was ok for a month then the same after a week stood,i partially charged it to get started only for the dreaded 'bong'..'air suspension inactive' followed by various other bongs as I drove down the road.Gave it a full charge and my mate to reset the fault codes so I have had enough and am going to wire it up to a charger like some others have.My mate reckons it is not the best to wire into the rear connections as some go through relays so I have ran a 2.5mmtwin from the battery along the line of the brakepipes up into the wheel space and out by the trailer adaptor.I havnt connected yet as my mate is getting the connections so hopefully be able to plug in when it is parked up over winter anyway.When the battery has dropped its voltage the systems are sent mad and constantly switch on and off which drains the battery quickly unless it is fully charged !

This may help a little Many thanks
Paul

Thanks chaps, I'll give the battery a test and if there is a draw on it I'll track the little down and show it the door.....

PVW10, that's interesting, so it will start at 50% charge but not 30%... Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

As an alternator is basically an AC generator it is possible to have some of the stator windings break down and reduce the current but not the voltage, I believe that there are 6 separate windings in the average alternator,and if individual windings were to fail you could loose a sixth of your charge, but still show 14 volts The red light is only controlled by one segment of the alternator, so it could all look OK but instead of throwing out 120 amps it might only be giving 20 amps , however this would show up when you turned any thing electrical on as it will make the red light glow........ and in the case of the L322 I would be shocked if it didn't trigger the Death Bong and the Screen of Doom

The commonest failure is the brush pack / voltage regulator, but this will give 0V output instantly as there is no power getting the rotor field to produce the magnetic field that the alternator requires to work. If you are still getting a charge from it then the only real way to tell is to have it bench tested under load, but rule out dodgy battery and power drain first  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Pete,

What's .1v between friends!! - Mine has always charged at @ 14.v plus or minus a bit) and had no problems (apart from the the normal messing around with teh doors open and multi starts over a short period) - Faltal i know it will be flat today when I try and start it.

With all your extra electrical gizmos that you have , could it be possible for something to be draining the battery? Might explain why it went flat over a few days but ok from day to day.

Cheers

Simon

It doesn't seem to be as simple as that, with the battery at 50% charge you would think that the alternator would put out 14.(whatever) volts at it's maximum amps but it doesn't, the voltage is all over the shop with no rhyme or reason to it, and it did this with the old one and this one since new...

I think the ECM is reducing it's output for emission reasons so the battery never gets the full whack...

More reading and playing needed....

Thanks for your thought so far gents...  Pete
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

When testing the standing charge leave the car an hour after driving before testing. 12.6+ is what I look for/want.

You don't happen to have a bad connection somewhere by any chance?
Try connecting a jump lead between the engine block and the battery _ve terminal.

Pete - I have a cheapo voltmeter connected to the lighter socket. I calibrated it (small trim screw on the back) about 6 months ago. Just checked it and now reading .2V less than it used to - so I would check your voltmeter guage against ... well... a voltmeter.

Also mine sits on the drive sometimes for 2 weeks at a time - never a problem starting it. But I must admit to not checking the voltage lately.

So got in today (new battery last year) - on unlocking about 11.6V - started no problem (as usual). During a 40 minute run read between 13.5 and 13.8V. Stopped for about 4 hours. Then got in for return journey home - started car - read 14.3V for a few seconds then dropped to 13.5 to 13.8V for the run home. Stopped at home - engine off - 12.1V. Not seen what it read when car went to sleep.

Anyway - from this I guess my battery probably looks like it could need conditioning. Just thought I would give you my findings with facts and figures for you to consider since we have same engine / alternator.

BTW where do you get bosch factory recon alternator from? Mne was supposedly changed about 2 years ago but for my peace of mind I would like to get genuine bosch recon one - not sure what the one I got in is genuine or not - but probably change it for peace of mind  Howard
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2002 4.4 V8 LPG Tartarini
Have RSW AllComms in Cheshire J17 M6 - happy to help.
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