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1.7 diesel corsa
dave r - 8/9/15 at 08:47 AM

Came out to the car to find dead battery
Put on a known good batt
Charge light stays on when engine running...
Can only be dead alternator????
Belts are on and it spins

coozer - 8/9/15 at 09:25 AM

Isuzu engine? We had one that munched a couple of (expensive) alternators.

owelly - 8/9/15 at 02:49 PM

Check the earth strap from the alternator to the engine. It usually bridges the rubber alternator mounts.

britishtrident - 8/9/15 at 03:23 PM

Sounds like the alternator probably an alternator diode.

If you want to check the earth strap the quick way is to put a jump lead straight from the battery negative to the cylinder block or head.

blue2cv - 9/9/15 at 07:16 AM

Always had to rev mine a bit to get light out and rev counter to work

owelly - 9/9/15 at 08:59 AM

BT, the earth strap I was referring to was the one that bridges the rubber alternator mounts. To check with a jump lead you'd attach one end to the alternator casing, the other end to the engine or negative of the battery.

rusty nuts - 9/9/15 at 05:57 PM

Check for continuity between the main alternator connection and tha battery positive terminal, I've had a few Vauxhalls suffer from broken wires.

dave r - 16/9/15 at 08:13 AM

It was the alternator. Thanks for all youreplies. Wasnt an expense I needed

britishtrident - 16/9/15 at 11:18 AM

quote:
Originally posted by dave r
It was the alternator. Thanks for all youreplies. Wasnt an expense I needed


Fitting a diode pack and a set of brushes would have save you a wad of cash. I takes about 30 minutes with the alternator out the car.

motorcycle_mayhem - 16/9/15 at 04:57 PM

I had a really weird experience with our Corsa, petrol '05.

The battery died. Not in the usual difficulty mode, with warning, but simply died. Coming up to destination, off the throttle, end game. Very surprising, all of a sudden, no dash lights, electric steering, nothing, agghhh...

Towing the thing back, to find the alternator very happy, but the battery just.... dead, no continuity. 10 year life, not bad.