Chaps,
Got a bit of a problem I need a bit of help with, my Pajero keeps stretching it's alternator belt to the point where it's no longer keeping
the battery fully charged. There's two problems with this
a. The first I know about it is when it won't start
b. the alternator is an absolute b*gger to get at to adjust and taking the belt off completely is a nightmare.
(Incidentaly I'm using genuine Mitsubishi belts and changed it for a new one late last December (2008), it's now too loose to charge
again.
What I'd like to do is fit a gauge to tell me the state of the battery or one that tells me that the battery is actually receiving a charge, what
do I need to do, always confused between voltmeters and ammeters.
[Edited on 28/12/09 by norfolkluego]
is the alternator or something twisted out of position to stretch the belt, or make it seem stretched?
Bet you tension the belt and not check it after running the engine! Recheck and adjust if needed after a few miles
What your looking for is a voltmeter.
When charging i believe alternators normally give out about 13-14 V
And if it isnt charging, the battery on its own will be about 12V (fully charged)
So mabye a little light to tell you if its below 13V when the engine is running.
quote:
Originally posted by Miks15
What your looking for is a voltmeter.
When charging i believe alternators normally give out about 13-14 V
And if it isnt charging, the battery on its own will be about 12V (fully charged)
So mabye a little light to tell you if its below 13V when the engine is running.
quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
quote:
Originally posted by Miks15
What your looking for is a voltmeter.
When charging i believe alternators normally give out about 13-14 V
And if it isnt charging, the battery on its own will be about 12V (fully charged)
So mabye a little light to tell you if its below 13V when the engine is running.
It should already have one of those with the ignition warning lights.
PS both batteries were new about 18 months and 10,000 miles ago so don't think they're a problem.
Just to clarify
With an alternator a voltmeter will give the most useful information and is much easier to wire up than ammeter. The ignition warning light gives
little useful information
Under normal conditions
Engine not running and with no electrical loads the voltmeter should read 12.5 to 12.8 volts if a good battery has a full charge.
With a fully charged battery When the starter motor is operating durring a cold start expect to see more than 10 volts ----- less than 9 volts
indicates a battery problem.
With engine running at 2000 rpm with head lights and heated rear window on the volt meter should read no less than 13.4 and not more than 14.9
volts.
With head lights and heated rear window switched off when engine running the volt meter should not read less than 13.4 volts or more than 14.9 volts
irrespective of engine RPM.
Any less than 13.4 volts and the battery won't be getting any charge from the alternator.
More than 14.9 volts and the battery will get boiled and all the electrical equipment on the vehicle is at risk from over voltage, automotive bulbs
usually have a very short life at anything over 15volts.
Voltage should not jump above 14.9 volts when electrical loads are suddenly switched off.
[Edited on 27/12/09 by britishtrident]
Cheers for that, look like exactly what I need, how do you wire one up?
From Summitracing.
For a VDO Gauge.
http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/instructions/vdo-332041.pdf
warning lamp should come on though......it does on my shogun!!
When mine was not quite charging right due to a slowly dying alternator it glowed very dimly and got brighter as it died, over a period of a month or
so of daily use.........
Have you checked the bottom pulley, as these are a weak point on these, they come loose on the crank and could be going out of alignment.
Had this happen on one coming back from Belgium last year
Not heard of the bottom pulley problem, I'll check it tomorrow, thanks for that.
To be fair the car has been incredibly reliable (apart from the belt) since I've owned it so rarely look at at any Pajero forum