Electrical Gremlins

[doniel]

My K11 1997 GX has been a little ill lately. It started when it kangaroo'd to a halt and I had to get the recovery truck out. I was told that it was the alternator that had gone and so I went ahead and swapped it for a new one, along with a new belt.

However, while the car started and would run, I had no central locking and the power windows would only work if the car was running.

Last night, the car failed to start at all. I put the battery on charge overnight and now it will start and run, again though, no locking or windows when turned off. The warning lights that normally come on momentarily when starting up just flicker.

Voltmeter readings are as follows:

• 12.7v battery, car turned off
• 12.7v battery, car on
• 14.5v between the alternator red and chassis

Throughout all of this, I have never had the battery warning light come on. (Although it does work)

Any help would be awesome as this one has me a bit stumped...

 

[frank]

My K11 1997 GX has been a little ill lately. It started when it kangaroo'd to a halt and I had to get the recovery truck out. I was told that it was the alternator that had gone and so I went ahead and swapped it for a new one, along with a new belt.

However, while the car started and would run, I had no central locking and the power windows would only work if the car was running.

Last night, the car failed to start at all. I put the battery on charge overnight and now it will start and run, again though, no locking or windows when turned off. The warning lights that normally come on momentarily when starting up just flicker.

Voltmeter readings are as follows:

• 12.7v battery, car turned off
• 12.7v battery, car on
  
• 14.5v between the alternator red and chassis

Throughout all of this, I have never had the battery warning light come on. (Although it does work)

Any help would be awesome as this one has me a bit stumped...

they should read the same, bad contact on the 2 fat + wires maybe ?

 

[doniel]

I had a look at the white wires that are connected to the positive battery terminal via red block connectors. They both seem to be fine.

When you say they should read the same, is that the alternator + and ground should be reading the same as the battery + and - when running? If so, my alternator is working, but not charging the battery. I checked the 65 amp battery fuse and it appeared to be okay.

My problem seems very similar to this http://www.micra.org.uk/threads/electronics-issue.55187/

 

[doniel]

To be honest, the more I read, the more it sounds like it SHOULD be the 65 amp fuse. I tested the voltage from the battery to the 65 amp fuse and the voltage was arriving at it okay. The fuse appears to be fine (to my non-mechanic eyes); the metal is intact all of the way around and it gives a beep when I test it with a multimeter. Could have a hairline crack maybe causing an intermittent fault?