Hi all,

My L322 has been fine of late but I was traveling for the last week and when I started her up this morning the battery light came on and stayed on despite going on about a 40 minute trip.

Any quick easy way to check if this is the alternator or if its just needs a longer run?

Do you have a digital meter to check if the vehicle is charging put it on the battery then rev vehicle and see if the meter rises to show a charge from the alternator or even an iid tool you can plug in as that will show if the vehicle battery is been charged

No digital meter, but I do have an iid tool. I'll run that through it now.

Plug it in and on your iid app up on the top it will show your voltage from the alternator give car a rev see if it goes up should be around 14volts

So I only have an iCarsoft not the full big daddy tool. The only thing that I could see was to read the battery output datastream that was 11.4 and it didn't budge when I revved the car.

Sounds like a lack of charging then.

I guess alternator is first suspect but maybe others who know a little more on the TD6 can advise

Is there any quick way to check if it is the belt vs the actual alternator?

If there is a belt on it and not squealing like mad.. it isn't the belt!

Definitely no squeals...


Sorry the now was a typo.
No squeals!

Last edited by Teaspoonasaurous on 16th Oct 2018 5:49pm. Edited 1 time in total

NOW squeals.. as in it has just started?

Sorry but as I said not a TD6 man so cannot really suggest any further but would have thought if only getting 11v then it should have been squealing then if it was just the belt.

Lets hope a TD6 guru heads along soon!

Start the car then look at the alternator pully if it's going round and no noise from the belt then alternator is at fault

I would say the battery light is the charging voltage light not how much the battery is charged so a longer trip won’t help.
If your voltage is only 11 volts then expect a flat battery soon.
It would be worth checking the terminals are tight on the battery and alternator but probably won’t help.
I would still want to verify with a cheap multimeter the charging voltage but should be 14 volts at least more like 14.5 with your lights and other electrics on , that’s taken at something like 2000 rpm.
Nothing that hasn’t already been said really as looks like alternator.
If you have AA or RAC or even kwik fit were doing free battery and alternator health checks but will charge you a fortune to change it.

It certainly lets you know once the battery is dying. It through every single fault imaginable, airsusp, transfail safe, Hse anything else you can think of.
New alternator in now and she’s flying again

Good news, the L322 certainly likes a good battery and alternator , out of interest what does your charge voltage read now, 14.5 would be nice ?